liverock made of foam??

[Mr Cob]

Yes, it allows for room to grow coraline algae, but that is not the main purpose of using "live rock". All foam provides is a solid object to take up space in the tank and create a surface for other things to grow on or be placed on. It is not "live" and does not aid in the filtration of the tank water as "live rock" does. That was my point to the original poster, to not think that by using foam that he would get the same benefits of using real live rock.

Well it's the same concept as adding dead rock...it will eventually become live and many things will occupy it's space making it live foam with similar benefits as live rock. If your foam is coarse as mine is with lots of crevices and little caves it will become "live" eventually if seeded with actual live rock...??? Right?

[JimD]

Kind of, I guess, the main difference is that real live rock is super porous, it can process much more bacteria becaous of its porousity, foam only has a cerain amount of porousity on the surface because the 'bubbles are connected., as opposed to live rock which is porous all the way through if that makes sense.

[Mr Cob]

Kind of, I guess, the main difference is that real live rock is super porous, it can process much more bacteria becaous of its porousity, foam only has a cerain amount of porousity on the surface because the 'bubbles are connected., as opposed to live rock which is porous all the way through if that makes sense.

Yep I get what captexas is saying. Also understand what you are saying.

No substitute for real tonga....florida...fiji...etc...live rock.

How ever, anything that is porous has the potential to become live filtration but of course no substitute for the real deal.

Maybe I was just trying to prove a point that cap was incorrect to say that foam is only ornamental and can not provide any benefit in filtration.

All good.

[tropicana]

Yep I get what captexas is saying. Also understand what you are saying.

No substitute for real tonga....florida...fiji...etc...live rock.

How ever, anything that is porous has the potential to become live filtration but of course no substitute for the real deal.

Maybe I was just trying to prove a point that cap was incorrect to say that foam is only ornamental and can not provide any benefit in filtration.

All good.

Why not spray foam over those semi-hard foam blocks that are super pourous.... leaving a few areas for the bacteria to enter, once there they will spread and be a super-bacterial abode. Makes sense or no? Similar to below:

http://www.amazon.com/ProClear-Aquat.../dp/B0006JLUTK

[joelb]

thank you for all your input! i love it. the foam is not for filtration or rock supplementation as i will have plenty of live rock in the sump area, the foam is for real estate for polyps to spread on in a structured manner. thank you all.

[captexas]

Why not spray foam over those semi-hard foam blocks that are super pourous.... leaving a few areas for the bacteria to enter, once there they will spread and be a super-bacterial abode. Makes sense or no? Similar to below:

http://www.amazon.com/ProClear-Aquat.../dp/B0006JLUTK

Umm . . .I think some of you are forgetting what this Great Stuff Foam is originally used for - as a sealant! It is used on homes and other placed to seal out air and water. Just because you use it in a fish tank doesn't mean it stops doing what it was designed to do. It may have what looks like some small holes on the surface, but those are just like air bubble indentations. Once it dries/cures, it is not pourous to allow air/water to move through it.

[Texreefer]

Well it's the same concept as adding dead rock...it will eventually become live and many things will occupy it's space making it live foam with similar benefits as live rock. If your foam is coarse as mine is with lots of crevices and little caves it will become "live" eventually if seeded with actual live rock...??? Right?

Wrong,, Bacteria will only populate the surface,, this is a closed cell foam. nothing gets in.. It will not ever act like live rock no matter how long it is in the tank.. but it does look really cool

[LoneStar]

Agree with Mike. Makes a great back drop/overflow cover but I would still use live rock to make islands or reef structures on the main floor of the tank.

[subsailor]

We should do a agro workshop after one of the meetings, that would be pretty sweet.

[Mr Cob]

Wrong,, Bacteria will only populate the surface,, this is a closed cell foam. nothing gets in.. It will not ever act like live rock no matter how long it is in the tank.. but it does look really cool

Ok...I said .....

"If your foam is coarse as mine is with lots of crevices and little caves it will become "live" eventually if seeded with actual live rock...??? Right?

Note: I distressed my black pond foam and the effect was thousands of crevises similar to what you see on actual live rock.

So, are you telling me that those crevises...very tiny ittty bitty little crevises will not populate with bacteria?

That doesn't make sense. I agree with you about the purpose of the foam as a sealant and that stuff will only grow on the surface....but I did not defend the regular surface foam, I defended my distressed pond foam with thousands of crevises.

I'm also only replying further as to find an answer and not actually flame a thread, subject or person.

I'm very curious now wether my pourus foam is acting as a small filtration unit or if it is still in fact ornamental with no benefitial bacteria life despite the thousands of crevices in it.

Thanks.