Question?

[Ltsaltwater92]

Do live saltwater rocks need a certain light?

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Welcome to R2R!! Knowing your plans for the tank might help us with your question.

 

[Miami Reef]

Welcome!

It depends. If you are just trying to keep the bacteria on the rock, then you don’t need any lights.

If you purchased rocks that come with coralline algae, then it will need the same light that you would get if you want to keep corals.

 

[Sean Clark]

Welcome. As stated above it depends on what you are working with and what you want to achieve.

 

[Ltsaltwater92]

Welcome to R2R!! Knowing your plans for the tank might help us with your question.

Thank you it's good to be on here. I mostly just want saltwater fish. I might want to get into Coral later on when I know I can do good with the fish. I heard Coral is really hard to take care of and it needs a certain light but right now my tank is just being set up for fish and I didn't know if the life rock that I got needed a certain light or if any light would do or if it don't need light at all?

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Thank you it's good to be on here. I mostly just want saltwater fish. I might want to get into Coral later on when I know I can do good with the fish. I heard Coral is really hard to take care of and it needs a certain light but right now my tank is just being set up for fish and I didn't know if the life rock that I got needed a certain light or if any light would do or if it don't need light at all?

Thanks for the explanation. If you're not looking to keep corals or anemones, you would be fine with any kind of light. The live rock does not require any light at all, so the light you would use on a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tank is only for your enjoyment as the viewer.

 

[Miami Reef]

Thank you it's good to be on here. I mostly just want saltwater fish. I might want to get into Coral later on when I know I can do good with the fish. I heard Coral is really hard to take care of and it needs a certain light but right now my tank is just being set up for fish and I didn't know if the life rock that I got needed a certain light or if any light would do or if it don't need light at all?

Life rock? No. That doesn’t need any lights. If you are going to initially keep fish only, you won’t need lights either.

Don’t be intimidated by the difficulty of corals. You will eventually learn that there are many bullet proof corals that basically anyone can keep.

 

[Ltsaltwater92]

Thanks for the explanation. If you're not looking to keep corals or anemones, you would be fine with any kind of light. The live rock does not require any light at all, so the light you would use on a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tank is only for your enjoyment as the viewer.

Thank you I really appreciate the info. I'm hoping I can do this. I still have a lot to learn. But I'll put what I do know to good work.

 

[MaxTremors]

Thanks for the explanation. If you're not looking to keep corals or anemones, you would be fine with any kind of light. The live rock does not require any light at all, so the light you would use on a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tank is only for your enjoyment as the viewer.

This isn’t entirely true. If you’re using dry rock, lighting isn’t necessary. If you’re using real live rock from the ocean, you will need adequate lighting to keep all of the photosynthetic organisms that come on it alive. It doesn’t necessarily need to be full on reef spec lighting, but more intense than what you’d normally see on a FW tank or a fish only SW tank. If you aren’t trying to keep those organisms alive, then no light is necessary.

 

[homer1475]

This isn’t entirely true. If you’re using dry rock, lighting isn’t necessary. If you’re using real live rock from the ocean, you will need adequate lighting to keep all of the photosynthetic organisms that come on it alive. It doesn’t necessarily need to be full on reef spec lighting, but more intense than what you’d normally see on a FW tank or a fish only SW tank. If you aren’t trying to keep those organisms alive, then no light is necessary.

While I agree with you 100%......

Op stated LIFE ROCK, which unfortunately is just dry, painted purple, dry rock.

 

[Ltsaltwater92]

This isn’t entirely true. If you’re using dry rock, lighting isn’t necessary. If you’re using real live rock from the ocean, you will need adequate lighting to keep all of the photosynthetic organisms that come on it alive. It doesn’t necessarily need to be full on reef spec lighting, but more intense than what you’d normally see on a FW tank or a fish only SW tank. If you aren’t trying to keep those organisms alive, then no light is necessary.

I got two of the torch start LED aquarium light. I have a 150 gal. I got some sw safe fake rock but I also want the live rock as well to get the good bacteria.

 

[bnord]

welcome to the site!!!!
you are inquisitive and cautious
perfect traits for a great start.

if you are starting with dry rock and you want to treat it with bacteria for a period to speed up your cycle then no, no lights are needed for that - and you are off to a great start

If a friend or local shop gave/sold you rock with live growing goodies on it - Coraline algae etc, then yes, you should put a light on it till you put it in the tank, but not too bright and not too white, or you could get algae going on it.

Perhaps a paragraph or two about your plans and expectations

 

[Ltsaltwater92]

Life rock? No. That doesn’t need any lights. If you are going to initially keep fish only, you won’t need lights either.

Don’t be intimidated by the difficulty of corals. You will eventually learn that there are many bullet proof corals that basically anyone can keep.

Thank you for that I'll keep that in mind. I would definitely love to have Coral. I'll most likely be asking a lot of questions but I hope to one day get it down.

 

[Ltsaltwater92]

Welcome. As stated above it depends on what you are working with and what you want to achieve.

Right now so far I got 150 gallon tank I got the top fin pro series pro 110 power filter with four stages. I also got the hygger pinpoint quartz heater with IC temp controller I also got torch star LED aquarium light the cct is 60,000k, luminous flux is 400lm, and led qty is 60. I got two of them I got instant Ocean sea salt. And I got a refractometer I also have two big bubblers in the tank as well. that's what I have so far with some fake coral Rock for saltwater but I don't have enough to fill up the tank so I was wanting to do live as well I'm still a little nervous it's a lot of money on fish and on Coral.