Age, Quality and Origins of Live Rock

[rdanamorton]

thanks for the thoughtful replies....

i'm gathering from what was said, customer service, price, quality tanks, etc. is the main thing as with most purchases.

i was equally interested though in, is smart or not smart to mix live rock from this store or that, fish, coral, etc. ....i assume since nothing specific was said it doesn't matter much.

also, if you start w/fiji LR is it best to stay with it?

 

[mikeatjac]

I think that mixing live rock is the best of all worlds. You are increasing the biodiversity in your tank but that is a discussion for a different thread.

 

[rdanamorton]

interesting poin,...and i knew that "compatability" is not and issue then, fiji vs caribbean rock?

 

[mikeatjac]

Fiji, the pacific ocean is older and thus it has more bio diversity then the younger caribbean ocean. Lots you can read on this at wetwebmedia.com

 

[Bennihanna]

Mike I am pretty sure that Carribean reefs are much older than Pacific. I agree with your biodiversity comments though.

 

[sea devil]

Well, I guess this thread is popular.

 

[mikeatjac]

The pacific ocean was here when the caribbean was still in Africa. the Atlantic ocean is young compaired to the pacific.

 

[Bennihanna]

I have always heard that Pacific Reefs are much newer. I get your point about continental drift, but think about all of the volcanic activity in the Pacific (Pacific reefs are constantly being created and destroyed). Reefs in the Atlantic are much more eroded. Plus your point about the Atlantic Ocean being Africa is not logical as Africa is on a different techtonic plate than the Atlantic Ocean (actually several plates).

 

[nikonosis]

florida sits on top of ancient corals, so i assume the reefs around florida are pretty darn old.

 

[rdanamorton]

dang!.... that's a great wesite. i can not believe how much info. is out their.

i'm having a hard time getting anything done?!

 

[mikeatjac]

The American plates at one time were next to Africa to form on super continent called Pangea, no Atlantic ocean. True that there has been a lot of volcanic activity in the pacific ocean but not at the same time and thus the opportunity for far more diversity.

 

[PelagicMagic]

do a google search on ankarana madagascar, now thats an ancient reef!

 

[mikeatjac]

Good point Steve, now where is Teach when you need her.

 

[teach]

I think I'll just sit back and watch you boys debate.

 

[Bennihanna]

This is directly from Eric Borneman "Corals". "Despite being biologically "younger" - as a measured by the age of living genera found there the broad expanse of the Pacific with its numerous currents has allowed a greater proliferation of genera and species than has the comparatively isolated tropical Atlantic. Also, ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œCaribbean corals represent the oldest living genera of corals, with an average of 60 million years," pgs, 24, 25

 

[mikeatjac]

My mistake, I thought we were talking about the life in live rock. The debate on corals is hotly debated to this day. Much of coral heritage is just being understood as the currents of the oceans and history of it is being studied. This is a separate issue from life on live rock.

However back to the point you have brought up. The caribbean is a small area in comparision to the pacific. In the Discovery HD feature on corals it pointed that sexual reproduction of CORALs in the pacific ocean from one reef to the next lead to greater diversity. Reproduction on a reef was often asexual. In other words the Pacific has far more CREATIVE centers for bio diversity.

 

[mikeatjac]

"The reefs of the Caribbean are relatively young: less than 20,000 years old. During the last glacial period, the waters of the Caribbean cooled, and its ancient corals died. Unprotected, the islands were battered by waves and the shoreline eroded, leaving underwater shelves or banks around them. As the seas warmed, corals returned, and reefs formed at the margins of these shelvesââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Âinspiring the name ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œbank barrier reef.ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ These reefs are less extensive than barrier reefs, have shallower lagoons, and are found closer to shore"

A quote from, http://nationalzoo.si.edu/publications/zoogoer/2001/4/caribbeanreef.cfm

 

[Bennihanna]

I am going to go ask Eric and see what he says, I will get back to you on this.

 

[Bennihanna]

Also from"Corals" "Our present reef systems are roughly 5000 - 10000 years old, based on geologic anylysis of deep reef core samples and coraline ridges." So, 20,000 may be a bit extreme. To go back to your rock versus coral argument, I agree that the Pacific corals and rock have more biodiversity, they are just not older. I have always thought this this was counterintuitive and it has always facinated me.

 

[mikeatjac]

We agree. The disruptive nature of the earth's crust and climate would prevent any single center of life from lasting to long. However, and I think we agree, the Pacific Ocean has more centers of life and therefore able to support life longer as one center is destroyed another center survives. So the center may not be that old but the life form is.