Live Rock Aquascaping

The rocks you put into an aquarium are not only for decorative purposes, they provide housing for the fish and other animals in the tank, shelter against aggression that may occur from other tankmates, and are an important part of the biological filtration platform.

Wow your friends and family with rockscapes that turn natural-looking reef rock into gravity-defying, awe-inspiring structures created by arranging either non-living or live rocks in a saltwater system for maximum efficiency.

Your home will receive a vibrant kick to the aesthetics from this moving picture on your wall. The wall mounted aquarium hangs like a framed piece of art but encompasses live fish. With its eye pleasing design as well as limited maintenance the wall aquarium will become the centerpiece of conversation.

This article contains some helpful tips for when you are live rock aquascaping or arranging rocks in your aquarium. Designing your own aquascape using base rock and fish tank decorations for your aquarium, it's like creating your own art gallery but located underwater.

The rock itself is only made up of the calcium carbonate skeletons of long-dead corals or other calcareous organisms. It's a misconception that live rock (LR) itself is alive. What makes this rockt live are the many forms of micro- and macroscopic marine life that live on and inside of it. There are different types of live rock/dry rock you can use when setting up a saltwater aquarium.

Live rock is the most popular material used for natural biological filtration in saltwater aquariums. Aquarium live rock comes in two forms: wet and dry. It is recommended to cure all rock before being used in an established system.

Live rock is the foundation of the natural filter in saltwater aquariums. It is organic rock from the reef that comes with an assorted variety of living organisms such as sponges, coralline algae and other little worms. It should not smell unpleasant in any way.

Here are some tips and ideas on how to arrange the rock and what to keep in mind when starting a new aquascape. Here are some terms you want to keep in mind on how to aquascape with live rock: live rock, dry rock, aquacultured rock, cured rock, wild harvested rock, hitchhikers, liferock, real reef rock, saver rock, nitrifying bacteria.

Position individual rocks or rock formations somewhat away from the outside areas of the tank walls. This will allow for better water circulation around the rocks, as well as give fish, motile crustaceans and invertebrates room to get by them.

Leave room along the back of the tank for fish to swim.

Arrange the rocks in a way to create little nooks, caves, ledges and crannies that fish, in particular, can go into, and even some holes they can swim through. The gnarly, honeycomb-like nature of these rocks makes for an aquascape with lots of these features which is great for coral placement and offers plenty of territorial niches for fish.

After giving each rock a thorough rinse, you can set about building your reef structure. Your aim is to create a stable, almost seamless aquascape using these rocks, you will have a nice time assembling them. Live Rock can contain unwanted pests, use dry man made rock to start.

Dry rocks give you the opportunity to assemble your reef structure in an empty tank, or even outside the tank. There’s always that sense of urgency about getting the rocks back into salt water as soon as possible to preserve any encrusting organisms, but when creating a live-rock aquascape you have ample time to reconfigure your structure as many times as you want until you achieve that perfect aquascape.

If you are still concerned about how long can can keep the live rock out while doing the aquascaping, then a good tip is keeping the rock wet while out of the tank by using a squirt bottle of tank water and a towel soaked in tank water.

This helps keep down evaporation for those moments when you need to briefly take the rock out to drill, chip, or glue together. So If you keep  the rock wet, you can take your time as needed.

In a system aquascaped with live rock, each bloom will eventually come under control with persistent attention to water quality and maintenance.

The market for live rock aquascape provides the materials and kits you need to create incredible aquascapes faster and easier than you would have thought possible. Many kits include several rock pieces in a variety of natural shapes and sizes. If you need smaller pieces of different size pieces of rock, hulk smash. 

Once your dream rockscape is in place, you can secure the rock into a solid structure with the addition of some aquascaping mortar.

Dry rock is going to be less expensive and easier to aquascape with. Dry rock we stock in our warehouse, and does not come with any living material on the surface. With proper curing, and a bit of time, dry rock can be covered in coralline algae and bacteria for an extremely natural looking aquascape. This is one of the easiest rocks to work with when aquascaping new tanks or adding more rock to an established tank.

Live sand helps create an aesthetically pleasing reef tank but also provides necessary live bacteria to help quickly cycle your tank. Choose the live reef sand that not only catches your eye but also coordinates with your aquarium's high or low flow and benefits your tank's inhabitants.

Look for rocks that are 100% free of nuisance algae and pests which can cause complete tank shut downs. Rock should be free of apitasia, bubble algae, parasitic isopods, mantis shrimp, acro eating flatworms, little red bugs, fireworms, predatory nudibranchs, pyramidellid snails and other common pests.

If you want to rock aquascape then it is imperative you use a 100% natural stone that doesn't change the chemical properties of your aquarium habitat.

So if you just bought a tank (freshwater or saltwater) that looked so pretty in the pet shop, and now you want to decorate. Cleaning out the aquarium is the first step after buying the tank; it is important to cleanse the different parts with freshwater with a soft cloth to rid them of dust that may have built-up during storage, which may harm the fish.

To aquascape a saltwater aquarium you have to keep in mind that it is very different from a freshwater tank. For example, fish from salt water are more sensitive to changes in their habitat.

There are many tanks made with half tempered safety glass. They also come with a beautiful scenic background with some color options for finishes are natural grain, mahogany, cherry, red walnut, oak, black and even stainless steel.

Besides the rock, it is good to know there are many different aquarium decorations out there: Coral, driftwood, gravel, plants, artificial plants, rocks and ceramic decorations are just a few types of aquarium decor.

Set the tank a little away from a wall so electrical cords and the plug outlet is accessible without the risk of causing any accidents on a steady stand as periodic cleaning and feeding the fish will be required.

After ensuring level installation, fill the tank with store-bought saltwater or you can prepare a solution of your own. For a couple of days try to test proper functioning and to judge pH, temp and saline levels.

When is the tank water conditions have been tested, you can start with the aquarium landscaping by decorating with plants, fronds and rocks etc. as reducing water levels helps make landscaping easier. After this has been made, you can once again replace the water marked previously by you as being the fill-line measure. Use a permanent marker for this.

First, you need to decide on a theme, you will want to make sure you put all the smaller objects and plants in the front and arrange the larger ones towards the back so it can all be seen. Aquarium décor is more than just ornaments and decorations in your tank. The more holes and ridges the better, they can provide necessary shelter for the sea life thriving in your aquarium.

Keep the aquarium experience fun and new for both you and the fish. The tank décor and ornaments should be cleaned once a month using a cleaner made especially for cleaning fish tanks and aquariums. It's also a good idea to rearrange the décor every time you clean. 

Alert!!! It should be noted that you should only put items in your aquarium that are labeled "for use in aquariums" so as not to contaminate the tank. May contain harmful ingredients like pesticides or chemicals, and even minerals that can be toxic to the aquarium life.

Bring life to your fish tank and give your aquatic pets a nice environment that makes them feel like in their natural habitat.