Can coraline agae grow on lava rock???

[Lynn]

If a person seeded it, could it grow on dead rock???
thx

 

[Anonymous]

Sure it would. I think it would grow on just about anything.

What are you thinking of doing here Lynn? :wink:

Louey

 

[Lynn]

Well I'm setting up my new 200 and was going to have a fowlr tank. But yesterday I was at the LFS and they had some rock that looked really good. I was thinking ...wow! if that had coraline growth on it, you'd barely be able to tell the difference??
I have a euroreef skimmer cs82 and a oceanic trickle filter...would I have to have liverock for the biological filter?? Lots of tanks don't??

 

[Starmstr]

Be very cautious lava rock can have metals in it.

 

[JeremyR]

I personally wouldn't pick lava rock, but yeah... coralline will grow on it, and so will other stuff eventually. I've not personally seen lava rock cause problems, but people will tell you that it can have various metals in it depending on what lava flow it came from etc.. You will need to ad some live rock to get it going, and stock slower as it's going to take time for the dead stuff to function like live rock. Long term the trickle filter isn't going to be nearly as useful as your live rock.

 

[Lynn]

The kind they sell for saltwater tanks???? what type of metals???

 

[Anonymous]

Be very cautious lava rock can have metals in it.

I wasn't aware of this. But then again, I never researched the contents of lavarock. Of course since is just a FOWLR, ita might not matter much anywho.

Lynn, you are spoiled rotten!

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

it can have various metals in it depending on what lava flow it came from

i don't think the lava rock in question came from a volcano. if sold at a LFS it is likely man made.

 

[tinyreef]

although i've heard of issues with lava rock it's actually my preferred choice of dry rock. i soak every piece in pure water for at least a day to wash off dirt and spider webs (really).

i seeded my main tank & sump with 45 lbs of LR and 60 lbs of dry (mostly lava but a couple of tufa pieces). the oldest lava are indistinguishable. i'd forgotten which are what until i chipped a piece of the coralline away during rearranging.

my nano is all seeded: mostly dry lava rubble rock, two lfs bleached rocks and one seeded lava LR from home to start to whole process.

ime i haven't had any issues so far with lava. ime it actually responds the quickest to accepting coralline growth. i'd soak the rock first just in case though. :wink:

 

[tazdevil]

As long as its man-made, it should be safe. From a volcano, that's where the metals come into play. I don't know all the types of metals that can be involved, however, I do know sulphur is one of them. Just ask the store where the rock came from.

 

[One Stoned Coral]

Ya it will grow on glass too!

 

[brokekyle]

a large concern would be undisrable alga feeding on the detritus trapped in the lava rock surface

 

[Anonymous]

a large concern would be undisrable alga feeding on the detritus trapped in the lava rock surface

:? ........what? please explain this theory. how is lava rock more likely to have this problem than tufa, or some other porous material?

 

[Lynn]

I just thought that I could glue some together to put on the back wall, and put all the liverock more on the sides and up front. I was at the LFS and they wanted $79.00 for one piece 8O needless to say...I won't be using that!!

 

[brokekyle]

:? ........what? please explain this theory. how is lava rock more likely to have this problem than tufa, or some other porous material?

No real proof.. however every tank I've EVER seen set up with Lava rock had
ecssisive macro/hair algae.. And I'm certain that our grazers would prefer a smoother surface to feed