Live rock is the foundation of every nano reef aquarium. Once chunks of rock that have broken off of the reef, in a nano reef live rock serves as the resting place for corals, hiding place for fish and invertebrates, and above all--filtration. Live rock is the primary method of filtration in most nano reefs, and that filtration is possible by the millions of bacteria and creatures that live inside and on the rock that consume and convert waste and provide food for nano reef inhabitants.
Since live rock is the main filter in nano reefs, it's wise to have a good amount of it. The general rule of thumb is one to two pounds per gallon of water volume, but it also depends on the type of live rock and how porous it is. But generally, if you have say, a 29 gallon Oceanic BioCube, then you should have 30-40 pounds of live rock in it. This will ensure that you not only have a good biological filter, but also have adequate places to put corals and inverts.
You can use other forms of filtration in a nano reef, and it often doesn't hurt to have a hang-on-tank filter on the aquarium, to provide circulation and gas exchange if nothing else. However, with a good amount of live rock and sand, you can often do very well without any other filters. I have a 29 gallon nano aquarium that only has live rock and sand for filtration, and its been running for about 3 years now. I use a Whisper powerfilter and Maxi-Jet powerheads for circulation, and so far everything has been great.
There are several types of live rock, with each being from different parts of the world and having its own weight, shape, and texture, but I'm going to talk about the two more popular varieties of live rock, named after where they come from, Tonga and Fiji.
Tonga Live Rock
Originating from the South Pacific, Tonga live rock is a more jagged and unusually-shaped rock. It is semi-dense with elongated branches, and often has a unique and more "dimensional" shape. Tonga branch rock adds vertical dimension and variety to a nano reef aquarium, and its shape allows for better water circulation. Because the pieces are often rather skinny and smaller, Tonga rock is useful in smaller nano reefs and pico reef aquariums. Aquascaping is also easy with Tonga live rock, and you can easily create some nice nano reef architecture with it.
Fiji Live Rock
Brought from the islands of Fiji, also in the South Pacific, Fiji live rock is a porous rock that often comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors with a variety of diverse creatures. Fiji rock is a favorite among nano reefers because of its shapes and color qualities. It is very common for Fiji live rock to come covered in coralline algae, especially pink, purple, and red, so it adds a lot of color and vibrancy to nano reefs. Live rock from Fiji is the most popular in nano reefs because of its availability and quality.
LiveAquaria.com has premium Fiji live rock, which is the highest grade of Fiji rock available. It is hand-picked from the finest selection of rock, and is purchased from trusted and legal collectors. Premium Fiji live rock is also carefully handled and packaged to ensure that as much stuff is preserved as possible and will survive right to your nano reef aquarium.
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