First Dumb question

KentuckyKenny · Feb 16, 2021

OK thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Here's my first dumb question. what is the difference between live rock and coral?

ThePurple12 · Feb 16, 2021

That’s pretty dumb! Haha, no worries. :D Live rock is made up of dead coral, basically part of the reef. Coral is a living animal that encrusts onto the rock, dies off over time, and becomes part of the live rock.

Fred2482 · Feb 16, 2021

Welcome! Coral is an animal, live rock is a rock with living things on it.

KJ · Feb 16, 2021

+1 Above Welcome to R2R!!!

Gernader · Feb 16, 2021

Welcome to R2R!! +1 to @ThePurple12‘s post.

saturn13 · Feb 16, 2021

I'd say (not scientific) coral is a living organisim, Live rock is a rock with organisims living within/on it, ranging from bacteria to alage, inverts and coral.

CanuckReefer · Feb 16, 2021

KentuckyKenny said:
OK thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Here's my first dumb question. what is the difference between live rock and coral?

Hi Kenny. The difference in my mind would be LR is like a functional living filter for your tank . Filled with little bugs, worms, all kinds of cool stuff, some of it made from the skeleton of dead coral. Coral is actually alive itself in a different manner, relying on different organisms (zooathelae for some) symbiotically, light, (darkness for some), food in various forms, to assist it in staying that way.
Someone else will have their own interpretation, which is likely more in depth.
Welcome to the board!

Sebastiancrab · Feb 16, 2021

No question is too dumb. I learn something here almost every day! Welcome to the gang from Nashville!

CMMorgan · Feb 16, 2021

Welcome to the fishy family, @KentuckyKenny! There are no dumb questions.
A live rock as described above is a vessel for nitrifying bacteria and a vital component of your reef tank filtration.
Your sump provides mechanical nd in some cases chemical filtration, whereas the live rock is biological filtration.
Live rick may be made out of dead coral, old calcified rock dug out of the earth when canals were dug or in the case with Florida... quarries were dug in land that was once under water. (pretty much the whole state.) There are also artificially made live rocks.
You did not ask but the thing that makes live rock different from dry rock is simply the live bacteria. You will see many posts referencing dry rock. This is simply a form of rock that becomes live by growing it's colony of nitrifying bacteria. It takes time. Aquacultured live rock is typically rock that is placed beneath the gulf of mexico (for example) to develop that bacteria and hopefully grow some coralline algae and become a host to inverts, algae and corals before it is harvested and sent to your tank.
Costs vary... cheapest being dry rock and most expensive being aquacultured. If you have a friend with an established tank, you may get them to do you a favor and throw some rock in their sump for you for a couple of months.
The coral may utilize live rock as a vessel to attach or seek protection. Likewise, sponges, algae, fish and inverts will use it in the same manner.

I hope this answers your question.... keep asking!! We are here to help!!

Sebastiancrab · Feb 16, 2021

Kenny, suggest you check out Bulk Reef Supply videos on Youtube. They cover an awesome amount of topics. Also, there are good articles here.

ThePurple12 · Feb 16, 2021

What really explained it for me was the book “The Marine Reef Aquarium”. Might be available at your local library.

MERKEY · Feb 16, 2021

Hello and welcome to R2R!

iMi · Feb 16, 2021

Stand on the floor and imagine you’re a coral. The floor is the live rock. Where your feet start is the coral :D

All kidding aside, welcome. If there is a place on the internet that will help you be successful, this is it. Welcome!