• What are J.K. (living stones)

  • Alec9378

Hello everyone! I asked a question in the search engine about living stones and got a bunch of topics. I read two of them and still didn't find the answer to my question. Please, could you briefly explain what L.S. (living stones) are?

Laurie3842

but you just need to read a little...

Kathleen

I advise you to find "" (like on the forum) and there you will find a general dialogue, which will make it easier for you in all matters - believe me...

Martha

Live rock is rock that has been removed from the reef and delivered in a moist condition. The faster the delivery and the more marine life that can be preserved, the more valuable the rock is. Essentially, live rock is the foundation of reef prosperity; without it, it is very difficult to create a beautiful and stable reef aquarium.

Chad9037

Look here:

Curtis9143

And the stone broken in the Black Sea, in Tarkhankut, won't do for the role of a living one?

Julia

Of this type, like in the photo? It has every right to be in the aquarium, but it is not live rock.

Tracy4603

Here the anemone sits on J.K. (living stones). Do you feel the difference? Yes... you won't feel it. The photo won't load.

Heather

Live rocks primarily help to eliminate nitrates. Place them in the container. Add some urine. If nitrite and nitrate levels are zero after a day, the live rocks are doing their job; otherwise, it's money down the drain.

Debra6575

I would be happy to help you... but I don't share the location... it's for...

Crystal4879

This is exactly the substitution of concepts. Live rocks (LR) are primarily decor and a source of a variety of animals and algae, and the fact that they also process organic matter is wonderful, but that's a secondary matter. I have already written that any piece of tuff or dead coral that has been in a working marine aquarium for more than 20 days will process organic matter, or any piece of shell rock in an aquarium with Malawi cichlids, or any piece of sandstone or petrified wood in a planted tank, but that is not live rock.

Frank7213

Here is live rock (live stones), on which the anemone sits. (Today it loaded without any problems) The cost of such rock is over 20 USD per kilo. (This photo is not from my aquarium). And over there, where the antias and emperor are, that is not live rock (live stones). The cost of such rock is at most 2 USD per kilo wholesale. (Indeed, where the emperor and the butterfly fish are).

John3432

Check out this topic: I got stuck in the discussion from the 24th post.

Tracy

No matter how much you argue with a person, they will always stick to their opinion... I have no intention of convincing you... and you won't convince me...

Christopher

Any other substrate is not inhabited by all the species present on live rocks; at most, it hosts a couple of species of calcareous algae, and even then only under conditions of increased calcium and magnesium concentration. Naturally, visually... amphipods, isopods, and ophiuroids don't count... However, live rocks, even when kept in poor conditions, begin to teem with life once immersed in a reef. There's no arguing that for 2 dollars, you get exactly that—just a stone. And no one says that it doesn't have a place in a marine aquarium, but a reef on such a stone looks poor.

Joseph8592

2 Black Sea with organic matter should not be used under any circumstances... it will spoil the water, and that's it... completely washed from the coast, after soaking in tap and distilled water for the fish farmer... And Stepanov... with all due respect... and considering that he was guided by this literature at the dawn of his activity) it is a very outdated book, although interesting.

Cheryl

I don't argue... if you like using a two-dollar stone, go ahead. A marine aquarium is a very delicate and purely individual structure. I have my own views. Interesting, interesting...

Collin

A good topic was raised at AquaLogo -

Bonnie

The young man who wrote the quoted phrase is, to put it mildly, somewhat confused about the processes occurring in the World Ocean as a whole and the processes happening in a 1 x 1 meter section of the reef within the same World Ocean. If what he wrote about the reef were true, there would be no coral reefs at all. He is essentially denying the existence of the foundation of the ecological pyramid and food chain in the coral reef ecosystem.

Craig7302

Good day, everyone! Where can I buy "normal" salt (brand) and live stones in Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol... so I don't have to travel far? Although if I get a chance, I can also go for a ride. But how do I transport them in winter? I understand that real stones cost "real" money. Still... What can anyone recommend? Also: how much salt is needed for approximately 100 liters?

Robert1845

Could you please tell me which stones are being referred to for two dollars? Would shell rock be suitable?

Elijah7048

Well, if it's for the poor, then it can be done. But it might get soggy - you won't be able to avoid problems later. So, it can be done, but it's better not to.

Brent8919

Thank you very much for your response. As far as I know, shell rock turns into sand when it deacidifies. What problems could arise from this? I currently have 3.5 kg of live rocks and I added about 10 kg of shell rock. So far, everything is fine in the first month. I would like to hear from experienced people who have built a reef on shell rock (of course, plus live rocks), what problems I might encounter. Thank you very much.

Selena4467

In sand, but with a considerable admixture of clay.

Curtis

From a conversation with a person who deals with marine aquariums, I learned that he primarily uses shell rock, specifically construction-grade, and then adds live rock (LR). He says everything is fine. What risks does the presence of clay pose? How critical is it for an aquarium with only fish? Thank you very much.

Elizabeth882

The clay is very fine-grained - it is easily stirred up by fish, takes a long time to settle, settles on everything, clogs filters, and can add or extract certain ions from the water. That is, in a marine aquarium, it is an undesirable component. However, you can try using shell sand; after all, it doesn't break down as quickly - just keep an eye on it.

Amber9312

I have sandstone, not shell rock (almost like shell rock, but denser and doesn't crumble). The sandstone was very well washed and also treated with hydrochloric acid before being placed in the aquarium. The foam collector has been gathering clay for at least another six months.

Julie3950

I completely agree with Reem. I used to put tuff and rubble stones in my aquarium, but then I realized - THERE IS NOTHING BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE THAN LIVE ROCK!

Kimberly2102

What shall we bet on? I won't even do anything right now - I'll just post a small photo of a piece of hard coral, and not on the two-dollar shoes from Tarkhankut - on concrete. Well, if I get inspired, maybe I'll do it on the stones from Tarkhankut (someday).

Destiny

In Donetsk, the Marine Aquarium at Gurova 2 will tell you everything, but the prices...

Melinda

On the round shell rock, it's 4 per brick, and it weighs at least 5-7 kg, while you talk about cheap stones for 2 $.

Vincent

I might show how acroporas and seriatoporas grow on limestone; at the moment, there are still a couple of acroporas and pocillopora.

Jacob7201

I have read a lot on the forum about "live rocks," but I still don't understand why a person willing to set up a marine aquarium (which, as we know, is not cheap) tries to save money in the wrong places! You can't create a proper reef without "live rock"! The more rock you have, the easier it is! If you try to save on rock, you will inevitably face problems in the future (and why reinvent the wheel again)!!!

Jesse3979

I am not going to convince everyone that limestone and similar materials are better than live rocks; I am just curious to know if live rocks are as effective as they say (although most "WRITERS" about the usefulness of live rocks know it from general opinion and forums). If that is the case, why use powerful protein skimmers, denitrators, or add live sand? Also, before asserting anything, one should be convinced of it, and the bitter experience of people who used materials other than live rocks is not about that, but rather about their negligence and lack of professionalism.

James8887

Also, regarding the invested funds, my 500-liter aquarium cost me approximately $15,000, so I can afford decorations made of live rock, but I don't want to...

Catherine

I'm not trying to convince you, and I don't think it's impossible to start an aquarium without live rocks; it's just going to be much more difficult! I'm not saying that shell rock isn't suitable—after 6 months it will be just like live rocks! It's just that this stone should initially help you when starting the aquarium! 30 kg at the start is already quite a lot, and you have ended up with an excellent aquarium (especially since I don't know it very well).

Matthew

torfish - I said all this not even to you, but to those who are trying to set up an aquarium on sandstone, shell rock, rubble, concrete, etc.!

Matthew

Yes, I agree 100%. In any case, live rocks are the foundation of any marine aquarium, as it is necessary to introduce various bacteria, microorganisms, etc., and everything else is a matter of taste and creativity.

Melissa1838

I cannot help but express my opinion. The importance of live rocks in a reef aquarium is hard to overestimate. It's not just about decoration; you can use anything for that. It is quite possible to set up an aquarium with a minimum of live rocks. However, over time, as the load increases, you will face a collapse. Please do not make mistakes from the beginning to avoid paying for them morally and financially later on. No rocks will become live over time in the aquarium.

Stephen

Our people are quite stubborn, waiting for miracles from live rocks... Why does the majority think that live rocks act as a "vacuum cleaner" or waste processor in the aquarium? I believe there is no point in trying to convince anyone otherwise; I just want to say that the water in the aquarium performs many more restorative processes than live rocks, and with good water quality, it is possible to keep, grow, and breed any corals without live rocks, without sand, and without any decorations...

James4342

I completely agree with Sai's point of view. J.K. (living stones) is a piece of living nature brought from the sea; over time, it ages and exhales, while dead stones cannot be fully revived, just as the Moon cannot be populated in six months.

Cynthia6578

P.S: There is a cartoon "Dobrynya Nikitich and the Dragon Tugarin," and it features his talking horse. Its catchphrase was "DON'T MESS WITH MY SHOES!"

Alec9378

Let's discard the "usefulness" of live rocks... Yes, let's say they do nothing in the aquarium, just a pile of decorative stones. P.S. Put a "boulder" in the aquarium and observe how many interesting, unusual, indescribable creatures will emerge. I started with live rocks and discovered a "second world" for myself... but it's impossible to describe in words - you need to see it and experience it. Start with "boulders" - you will have a "very beautiful aquarium."

Sara

This topic is so vast that if you try to elaborate on it, it will take about two hours. Denitrification is one of the MANY effects of live rocks. If we simplify it, prepare ideal (in a chemical sense) seawater, aerate it, you can add a culture of bacteria, create excellent currents and light, and immediately place it in an aquarium with hard corals. I think the experiment will end in a few days. The water will be dead. But we want it to be alive, and also to survive under not always ideal conditions. In my opinion, without live rocks, it just won't work!

Jeffery

Here in Kyiv, judging by the photos, there are some decent stones, and even halimeda is visible in some places. From my experience, those who trade SPS, by the way, are also quite good, and the live rocks (J.K.) are mostly of good quality since they come from the same region.

Adam4310

Well, only a complete idiot in marine aquaristics could think of that. By the way, if you put a couple of live rocks there, the same thing will happen to them.

Todd8452

I am fighting against this substitution of concepts regarding J.K. (living stones). This is what is called an unscrupulous seller and a substitution of goods.

Christopher1774

It is still practically impossible to achieve perfect water quality without J.K. (live rocks)!!!!!!!!

Matthew7977

In my opinion, the water quality with J.K. (living stones) will undoubtedly be higher than without it. However, this difference is greatly exaggerated.

Dawn6148

Peeing in a filter is definitely cool! I wonder if anyone has tried doing something like that!!!

Karen2578

I described a real situation. I haven't been to a coral reef myself, but I have been to a 3-ton fish tank (during breaks between deliveries, so the filter wouldn't starve).

Anna9752

Well... it's a complete mess when they start peeing in marine aquariums and shouting that their filters are working... What about the live rocks and their inhabitants... Did you not pee on the live rocks? I'm just curious - just for a laugh? And what about soft corals? They endure... and hard corals? ... THEY ENDURE TOO? Wow... I might as well pee in the aquarium - maybe the filter will start working... I had a good laugh at the previous posts! You can't live without comedians!

Amy9618

Indeed, it's intense; you never know what you might discover in the search for the truth about J.K. (living stones).

Chad4168

Live for a century, learn for a century. (Sorry, I'm talking about myself)

Hunter1471

Yes, because of such boors like him, who foam at the mouth when discussing the topic, I simply lose the desire to share my opinion and experience. Personally, I haven't seen a single aquarium made by Pavlik Morozov that can be called a reef, yet he still tries to defend his point of view regarding live rocks, insulting the participants in the process. With great respect to the forum participants, ...