# Live Marine Rock, Corel etc in Freshwater?



## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

Is there any live rocks, corel, aquacultured corels, that can live in a Malawi Tank, or Freshwater tank?

Thanks. Probably not but thought i'd ask.


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## alpharoyals (Nov 21, 2007)

None to my knowledge 

Thats why i am just about to get a marine tank! 15 years I have had fish and never had the balls to set one up, now i have looked into it I am thinking why didnt I do this in the first place!


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

If i had enough money i would get one now. 
But as some may now i already have a bigish list of wants/gets.

So maybe in a couple years, when i have my reps, and all ok in vivs etc.


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## reef (Jan 4, 2008)

live rock wont survive in a malawi tank cos ph is too high u might get sum freshwater sponges growing on but corals wont last either


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

I was on a site earlier and the Ph for a couple i read was 8.1+ so how is Malawis too high?

Thanks


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## reef (Jan 4, 2008)

my apologies too low was wot i should have said i run my marine at 8.2 with live rock and a skimmer only and my malawi at 7.6 buffered with tufa rock and aragonite sand


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

reef said:


> live rock wont survive in a malawi tank cos ph is too high u might get sum freshwater sponges growing on but corals wont last either





snakelover said:


> I was on a site earlier and the Ph for a couple i read was 8.1+ so how is Malawis too high?
> 
> Thanks





reef said:


> my apologies too low was wot i should have said i run my marine at 8.2 with live rock and a skimmer only and my malawi at 7.6 buffered with tufa rock and aragonite sand


Surely the reason liverock wont survive in a malawi tank is that the malawi tank is _freshwater_ and a marine tank, is well, _marine_, where live rock comes from?

The organisms and bacteria on live rock will survive some time at a lower salinity (like brackish water, maybe 1.011 sg or higher), but I would have thought that was about it. Regardless of the pH, I dont think live rock would stand any amount of time in a freshwater tank.


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## njp (Mar 4, 2007)

AshMashMash said:


> Surely the reason liverock wont survive in a malawi tank is that the malawi tank is _freshwater_ and a marine tank, is well, _marine_, where live rock comes from?
> 
> The organisms and bacteria on live rock will survive some time at a lower salinity (like brackish water, maybe 1.011 sg or higher), but I would have thought that was about it. Regardless of the pH, I dont think live rock would stand any amount of time in a freshwater tank.


Exactly right, the whole point in LR is the bacteria that it contains, adding it to freshwater tank would just give you expensive decoration.


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## snakelover (Dec 17, 2006)

I want some live rock because the look. It looks good. So could i put some in the tank? it just wouldnt do anything...except look good, and effective?
Or would it die, or make the ruin the water for the Malawi?

Thanks


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

snakelover said:


> I want some live rock because the look. It looks good. So could i put some in the tank? it just wouldnt do anything...except look good, and effective?
> Or would it die, or make the ruin the water for the Malawi?
> 
> Thanks


No, definitely dont put any in. You can buy all sorts of other rock (tufa rock is good for alkaline water tanks, as it releases carbonates, taking up spare hydrogen ions, and so increasing the pH). 

Live rock will indeed die quickly, and horribly pollute your tank : victory:

Sorry, dont want to be negative! lol. Just dont want you to ruin the tank...


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i always liked using lace rock for malawis.... looks good.


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## njp (Mar 4, 2007)

have a look here aquaristic.net Aquarium & Aquaristik, Terrarium & Terraristik, Gartenteich they sell dried LR, not sure if you could use it tho?

I have order from them many times


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

just go saltwater if you want coral and inverts. personally i like fish only saltwater tanks.


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

why not get artificial live rock? Looks nearly as good and won't die in your tank.

as for corals and liverock in FW then no it won't work.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

njp said:


> have a look here aquaristic.net Aquarium & Aquaristik, Terrarium & Terraristik, Gartenteich they sell dried LR, not sure if you could use it tho?
> 
> I have order from them many times


I couldn't make heads nor tails of that site :blush:

But, I barely ever bought rocks, just got them from 'the wild', and made sure they looked inert, and didn't have any metal in them (iron streaks, or copper or anything), gave them a proper good scrubbing, and then used them.


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## Philcw (Feb 7, 2008)

I can give you a pet rock :mf_dribble:



Phil : victory:


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## baden187 (Apr 11, 2007)

The main reason LR wont survive in Fresh water is simple all the living organisms are marine life and wont live in fresh water!!!

So if you did add it then all live on the LR would die hense giving you an Ammonia spike which it turn will kill all your Malawi's (not good) after all Live Rock is the calcium carbonate skeletons of long dead corals,

As already stated I would go with artificial live rock if you like the look but then you will lose the buffer of other rocks and if you go with reef bones (dead LR) you wont have any Calcareous algae grow on it so will stay bleach white instead of the rich pinks n purples of real LR.

HTH

Baden


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

probs already been explained, but live rock is called live bacuase there are loads of things living on it, from coral polyps to crabs, snails, anemone's, etc. all need salt water so survive. likewise corals. the besat you can hope for is a fake imitation


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