Lifetime of Live Rock

[robert]

But, if you read this article written by PaulB, he says:

There is one more non-typical thing that I do that some may consider either risky or just useless. I mentioned above that I add bacteria from the sea to my tank. I feel bacteria are the most overlooked aspect of this hobby, and are vital to a healthy, long-lived tank. Bacteria cover everything in our tanks, but are they the correct bacteria for our purposes? Probably not. Bacteria enter our tanks in a number of various ways. Every time we put our hands into the water, we add bacteria. When we add fish, corals, rock or food, we add bacteria. The bacteria on the rocks and fish were at one time in the sea and “some” of those bacteria are the correct bacteria for our needs. But eventually, that bacteria will stop reproducing and will be outnumbered or outcompeted by other bacteria that may not be dangerous but do not necessarily help complete the nitrogen cycle. Why do so many people change so much water and still have nitrates? If we had the correct numbers and types of bacteria, we would never have to change water just to lower nitrates; the bacteria do that for us for free. I have found that by adding bacteria from the sea a few times a year, my reef stays healthy. I have no scientific data on this theory, but I do have a 40-year-old tank with an undergravel filter and no nitrates.

That might provide explanation why some tanks crash all of the sudden after many years of successful operation. Clogging by detritus and/or algae might not be really a problem. Killing of beneficial bacteria and bringing system to "Day 1" of cycle definitely would be a problem. Anyway, just another angle to look at this.

[hillegom]

Robert, so you are saying, when at the seashore, pick up a rock and put it into our aquariums? Or do you use mud?
Thanks

[JPotter]

Does the sea water and/or sand/mud/rock have to be from temperate sea water? I would expect so as bacteria are quite specific about environmental needs. Thus it will not be much help for those who live in colder regions. Hopefully I am wrong and will find it is OK for me to go down the street to get sea water or out on the boat to get away from poluton potential...then I would just heat it up to temp.

[steveg]

I read the article from PaulB, interesting stuff. The zeovit system has a bacterial addition which might work along the same lines.

Does the live sand in the stores not also address this?

I guess another option is to add or swop over a fresh piece of live rock periodically to ensure fresh seeding with the correct bacteria....

[Kronk]

I would think swapping a piece of rock or cup of sand with a fellow reefer would add as much or more diverse bacteria than picking something up off the beach... and you wouldnt get as much risk of polution, depending on the reefer

Ken

[steveg]

Assuming that the reef it comes from is in good condition without undesirable bactera?