Many people choose to add live rocks to their salt water fish aquariums, because they help clean waste from the water and produce oxygen. Some salt water aquarium fish even feed off the bacteria and other organisms that dwell in live rocks. There are many choices to make when adding live rocks to a salt water fishaquarium, though, which should be taken into consideration.
Live rock can come from many different locations before finally ending up in a salt water fish aquarium. It used to be common to use Atlantic live rock in salt water fish aquariums, but collection is now illegal in all American waters. Most of the live rock now comes from the Pacific, usually Fiji. This rock is less dense, has a lot more interesting shape, and usually carries a fair amount of encrusting algae that salt water aquarium fish enjoy. There is also cultured live rock, which is produced by seeding a part of the ocean floor or a huge tank with plain rock, then letting it become overgrown with life and eventually selling it off.
Salt water fish aquarium owners can choose between base rock and decorative rock, as well. Base rock typically doesn't contain visible life forms, but houses lots of bacteria and other microbes that salt water aquarium fish like. More decorative pieces with encrusting algae are usually placed on top of the base rock, hence the name.
People can also make their own live rocks for their salt water fish aquariums. All rocks, particularly Tufa Rock and Paradise Rock, will eventually come to life in an aquarium and simply wait until it becomes colonized. It can take several months before the aquarium is ready to inhabit, though, and many people prefer to purchase rocks that are ready to go.
