What is live rock?
How to aquascape a reef tank?
The rock itself is not alive, but the rock provides a substrate for many beneficial critters including de-nitrifying bacteria important to the overall filtration system.
Aquascaping:
Support your live rock aquascape using PVC pipe, acrylic rods, nylon thread rods, epoxy, zip ties, etc.Mounting live rock on acrylic rods saves space, helps to avoid rock slides, and allows for more varied designs and arrangements, and more swimming room for fish with channels and overhangs. Without the connecting rods, more rocks is required to pile high enough to get desired heights, and any movement or changes can cause a slide more easily.
Consider seating the base of your live rock on the tank floor, egg crate, or PVC supports. If placed on the sand, and the sand was removed from underneath (by flow, or digging animals), your rock work could give way and cave-in.
Also, water flow could be improved beneath and around the base of your rock scape with supports of some sort.
Types of Live Rock
Fiji Branch, generally smaller than Tonga Branch
Tonga Branch
Tonga Kaelini