JP7579901B2 - Artificial live rock precursor, artificial live rock, marine fish tank, and method for producing artificial live rock precursor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an artificial live rock precursor at a stage before microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae attach and grow on the surface or inside, artificial live rock at a stage where microorganisms and algae attach and grow, an aquarium for raising marine fish that contains the artificial live rock precursor or artificial live rock, and a method for producing the artificial live rock precursor.

In recent years, it has become common to place natural stones collected from the ocean floor in aquariums when raising ornamental saltwater fish. These natural stones are generally called live rocks, and microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae attach to and grow on the surface and inside of the natural stones. Many of these microorganisms and algae have water purification properties, so live rocks are known to be able to maintain good water quality in aquariums. Experimental results have also been reported that show that live rocks increase the resistance of saltwater fish to diseases. Furthermore, if protozoa such as plankton and small animals such as crabs live in live rocks, it is known that the ecosystem in the aquarium becomes even closer to a natural ecosystem, and depending on the amount of live rock and the type of saltwater fish, the saltwater fish in the aquarium can live independently without being fed artificially.

Live rock collected from natural corals that exist on the seabed (hereinafter, this live rock may be referred to as natural live rock) was generally used, but because international trade of natural live rock was strictly regulated by the Washington Convention, the mainstream live rock used in Japan was natural live rock collected in Okinawa Prefecture and Tokyo. Okinawa Prefecture and Tokyo are known as some of the leading producers of natural live rock in Japan, where high-quality natural live rock can be collected. However, recently, it has become widely recognized that collecting natural live rock violates various regulations from the perspective of environmental conservation, and it has become virtually impossible to collect natural live rock in Okinawa Prefecture or Tokyo. This has made it very difficult for ordinary marine aquarists to obtain high-quality natural live rock. Currently, the balance between supply and demand for live rock is starting to become significantly out of whack, and the need for substitutes for natural live rock is rapidly increasing. However, until now, only the method of creating seaweed for aquariums described in Patent Document 1 and artificial rocks made from synthetic resins such as FRP (fiber reinforced plastic) have been used, and the reality is that there are no suitable substitutes for natural live rock.

JP-A-10-098963 (Claims, embodiment 1, embodiment 3, embodiment 4, effects of the invention)

In other words, the method of producing seaweed for aquariums described in Patent Document 1 is characterized by fixing seaweed propagation material to a support and growing it there. While this method was effective in producing seaweed that is easy to handle and cultivate in an aquarium, it did not provide a live rock on which microorganisms, algae, etc. can attach and propagate.
This can be seen from the fact that although Patent Document 1 describes immersing the support in seawater, the immersion period is one day. This immersion period is possible if the only purpose is to attach seaweed seeds to the support, but it is too short to allow microorganisms and algae to grow. In addition, although it describes the use of porous ceramics as the support, the shapes of the support are limited to plate-like, spherical, cylindrical, etc., and it cannot be said that it is designed with live rock in mind, which is preferably of a complex shape. Furthermore, the composition of the material of the support and the manufacturing method are not specifically described, and a structure suitable as a substitute for natural live rock is not clarified.

On the other hand, artificial rocks made of synthetic resins such as FRP are difficult to attach seawater organisms such as microorganisms due to their material and shape, and water purification, which is the most basic function of live rock, cannot be expected. In addition, synthetic resin artificial rocks usually have an appearance far from natural live rock. Furthermore, even if an attempt is made to turn synthetic resin artificial rocks into live rocks by immersing them in seawater, there is a risk that plasticizers that have a harmful effect on seawater organisms will leach out of the artificial rocks and pollute the surrounding environment. Furthermore, even if a synthetic resin artificial rock is successfully turned into live rock, there is a risk that the seawater fish kept in the aquarium will be seriously damaged by the plasticizers eluted from the artificial rocks. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to immerse the artificial rocks in seawater for a long period of time or administer sodium carbonate. Therefore, in view of the above, it is no exaggeration to say that artificial rocks made of synthetic resins are placed solely to enjoy the artificial scenery in the aquarium.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an artificial live rock precursor that is a structure at a stage before microorganisms such as bacteria or algae such as calcareous algae attach to the surface or inside, requires a small amount of artificial rock aggregate, can form a large, lightweight artificial rock, is easy to handle when placed in a saltwater fish tank, and is easy to turn into artificial live rock. It also provides an artificial live rock that has the characteristics of the artificial live rock precursor, an aquarium for saltwater fish, and a method for producing the artificial live rock precursor.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the first aspect of the present invention is a structure including an artificial rock made of a plurality of artificial rock aggregates solidified into a block by cement or adhesive, and a floating body that is embedded inside the artificial rock and has a specific gravity much smaller than that of water and a required volume, thereby having a required buoyancy when immersed in seawater, and the total weight of the artificial rock is greater than the buoyancy of the floating body.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the second aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but is also configured such that the buoyancy of the floating body when immersed in seawater is 40-95% of the weight of the artificial rock.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the third aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but the weight of the artificial rock aggregate used is at least 5% greater than the buoyancy of the floating body in seawater.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the fourth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but the floating body is a plastic container that seals air, and further contains a foamable resin that is formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into small gaps between the artificial rocks surrounding the plastic container and foaming the resin.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the fifth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but the floating body is a block of suitable size and shape made of foamable resin, and further contains foamable resin formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into small gaps between the artificial rocks surrounding the block of foamable resin and foaming the block.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the sixth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the first aspect of the invention, but in addition, the artificial rock is made of artificial rock aggregates stacked and bonded together, and is molded into a shape with a large internal void of a required size, and the floating body is a block of foamable resin that is formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into the large internal voids and the small voids between the artificial rocks and foaming them.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the seventh aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as any one of the fourth to sixth aspects of the present invention, and further has a configuration in which the exposed surfaces of the foamed resin in the small gaps between the artificial rocks are covered with small pebbles or fragments made of a special cement or coated with a thin film of a special cement, so that the surface of the floating body is made to be approximately the same surface as the artificial rocks.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the eighth aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the seventh aspect of the invention, but has a paint applied to the entire outer surface that has a color similar to that of the surface of natural live rock.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the ninth aspect of the present invention has, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, a magnet whose attachment end is supported by the artificial rock or the floating body, and when placed in a saltwater fish breeding aquarium, the magnet comes into close contact with the side of the aquarium opposite the viewing side and attracts a magnet placed from outside the aquarium, thereby having a position fixing function.

The artificial live rock precursor according to the tenth aspect of the present invention has, in addition to the configuration of the seventh aspect of the invention, a suction cup whose attachment end is supported by the artificial rock or the floating body, and which has a position fixing function that allows it to be sucked into the side or bottom of the tank opposite the viewing side when placed in a saltwater fish tank.

The artificial live rock according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention is a structure in the stage where microorganisms and algae have attached and proliferated on the surface and inside of the artificial live rock precursor according to the seventh aspect of the invention by immersing it in seawater for a certain period of time, turning it into live rock.

The saltwater fish tank according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention is a structure that includes the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, as well as an aquarium body and an artificial live rock precursor contained in the aquarium body.

The saltwater fish tank according to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention is configured to include an aquarium body and the artificial live rock according to claim 1 housed in the aquarium body.

The method for producing an artificial live rock precursor according to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a structure at a stage before it becomes an artificial live rock by immersing it in seawater for a certain period of time and having microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae attach to the surface or inside of the structure, and is characterized in that the artificial rock is formed by solidifying artificial rock aggregates into an appropriate mass with cement or adhesive so as to surround an airtight plastic container or a block of foamable resin, which is a floating body having a required volume and buoyancy and capable of floating in seawater, and then filling small gaps between the artificial rocks with foamable resin by injecting a foamable urethane agent and foaming it, and then attaching small pebbles or fragments made of special cement, or applying a thin film of special cement, so that the surface of the floating body is made to be approximately the same surface as the artificial rock.

The method for producing an artificial live rock precursor according to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a structure at a stage before it becomes an artificial live rock by immersing it in seawater for a certain period of time and having microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae attach to the surface and interior of the structure, and is characterized in that the artificial rock is formed by stacking and bonding artificial rock aggregates to a shape having a large internal gap of a required size that can generate a required buoyancy, and during and/or after the forming process, a foamable urethane agent is injected into the large internal gaps and the small gaps between the artificial rocks to foam, forming a foamable resin into a float , and small pebbles or fragments made of special cement are attached to the float or a thin film of special cement is applied to the float so that the surface of the float is approximately the same surface as the artificial rock.

The method for producing an artificial live rock precursor according to the 16th aspect of the present invention has the same configuration as the 14th or 15th aspect of the invention, but also includes applying a paint having a color similar to that of the surface of natural live rock to the entire outer surface.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an artificial live rock precursor that is a structure at a stage before microorganisms such as bacteria or algae such as calcareous algae attach to the surface or inside, requires a small amount of artificial rock aggregate, can form a large, lightweight artificial rock, is easy to handle when placed in a saltwater fish tank, and is easy to turn into artificial live rock. It is also possible to provide an artificial live rock, a saltwater fish tank, and a method for producing the artificial live rock precursor that have the characteristics of the artificial live rock precursor.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an artificial live rock precursor according to a first embodiment of the present invention installed in an aquarium. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state in which an artificial live rock precursor according to the second embodiment of the present invention is installed in an aquarium. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state in which an artificial live rock precursor according to the third embodiment of the present invention is installed in an aquarium. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the state in which an artificial live rock precursor according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is installed in an aquarium. FIG. 13 is a front view of an artificial live rock precursor according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes the artificial live rock precursor, artificial live rock, saltwater fish tank, and method for producing the artificial live rock precursor according to the present invention with reference to the drawings.

The artificial live rock precursor is a structure at a stage before microorganisms such as bacteria or algae such as calcareous algae attach to its surface or interior. The basic structure of the artificial live rock precursor of this embodiment is a structure including an artificial rock and a floating body that is embedded inside the artificial rock and is not visible from the outside.

The main objectives of the present invention regarding artificial live rock precursors are, compared to conventional artificial live rock precursors consisting only of artificial rock, (1) to reduce the amount of artificial rock aggregate used, thereby reducing raw material costs, (2) to be significantly lighter in weight while maintaining the same volume, making it easier to carry, (3) to generate large buoyancy in an aquarium filled with seawater, making it easy to move and fix, and (4) to make it easier to create original appearances.

Artificial rocks are made by solidifying a required amount of artificial rock aggregate into chunks of suitable shape and size using special cement and/or adhesives such as epoxy. The artificial rock aggregate can be one or more of the following inorganic aggregates: pebble-sized natural stone, crushed stone, gravel, or sand, and ceramic porous bodies. A mixture of sand, special cement, and water can easily be turned into pebble-sized chunks of various sizes and shapes just before it hardens, and these pebble-sized chunks can be used in place of natural stone or crushed stone.

The floating body is a plastic container such as a PET bottle of the desired size with air tightly sealed inside, and/or a foamed resin body, which is buried inside the artificial rock so that it cannot be seen from the outside. The foamed resin body includes urethane foam or polystyrene foam. There are various shapes and sizes of plastic containers, so select one that is appropriate for the shape and size of the artificial live rock precursor. The plastic container and the foamed resin body can be used in combination, without having to select one or the other. The foamed resin body can be either a foamed block body or one that is foamed by injecting a foaming agent.

Adhesives such as special cement and/or epoxy are used that harden the required amount of imitation rock aggregate quickly and have adhesive strength that does not deteriorate even in water.

The larger the proportion of floating bodies in the artificial live rock precursor, the less artificial rock aggregate is required, which leads to cost savings and makes the artificial live rock precursor lighter and easier to transport. However, when immersed in seawater stored in an aquarium, the buoyancy is too great, causing the floating bodies to float in the seawater and to sit unstably on the bottom of the aquarium, so it is important that the proportion of floating bodies in the artificial live rock precursor is not too large.

For this reason, it is advisable to set the buoyancy of the floating body in seawater of the artificial live rock precursor to, for example, 95% or less at the upper limit and 40% or less at the lower limit of the weight of the artificial rock. To achieve this, first set the volume of the artificial live rock precursor, and then measure the volume of the floating body and the magnitude of the buoyancy in seawater to correspond to this, and set the weight of the artificial rock aggregate to be at least 5% greater than the buoyancy of the floating body. As a result, to construct an artificial live rock precursor of the present invention having the same volume as a conventional artificial live rock precursor of, for example, 20 kg, it is possible to reduce the amount of artificial rock aggregate used to, for example, 5 kg or less, and the above-mentioned object of the present invention can be achieved.

Even if the weight of the artificial rock aggregate is 5% greater than the buoyancy of the floating body in seawater, the artificial live rock precursor may float due to the buoyancy of the floating body in seawater, or may fall over or overturn. One of the causes of the problem is when the center of gravity of the artificial rock aggregate is at the upper side of the floating body and the moment due to the buoyancy exceeds the moment in the opposite direction due to the weight of the artificial rock. Therefore, in order to avoid the above problem, the weight of the artificial rock aggregate is configured to be 5% or more greater than the buoyancy of the floating body in seawater, and the center of gravity of the artificial rock aggregate is configured to be at the lower side of the floating body and the moment due to the buoyancy is configured to be less than the moment in the opposite direction due to the weight of the artificial rock. The moment due to the buoyancy is the product of the distance from the center of action of the buoyancy to the center of gravity and this buoyancy, and the moment in the opposite direction due to the weight of the artificial rock is the product of the horizontal distance from the center of gravity to the corner on the tipping side of the ground surface and this center of gravity. The actual solution is to immerse the provisionally completed artificial live rock precursor in seawater and, if there is a problem with it floating due to buoyancy or tipping over or overturning, to increase the required amount of artificial rock aggregate by gluing it to the underside of the floating body so that the moment in the opposite direction caused by the weight of the artificial rock becomes larger.

When using pebble-sized natural stones or crushed stone as artificial rock aggregate, it is a good idea to use instant adhesive such as epoxy to connect the stones one by one, creating a structure with gaps between the stones to make the artificial rock lightweight. It is also a good idea to inject a foaming resin into the gaps between the stones to make a foamed resin body. In this case, the injected foam also generates buoyancy, so the weight of the artificial rock aggregate must be set taking this buoyancy into account. This foaming resin includes urethane foam or polystyrene foam. The exposed parts of the foamed resin in the gaps between the stones can be made to look like part of the artificial rock by applying mortar. Note that instead of mortar, small pebbles or pieces made of mortar can be attached.

When gravel is used as the artificial rock aggregate, pouring a mixture of gravel, special cement, and water in the usual way will not result in a structure with gaps, so the gravel and cement mixture is placed so that it occupies a position below the floating body and becomes part of the artificial rock. Similarly, when sand is used as the artificial rock aggregate, it can also form part of the artificial rock. To create a structure with gaps, it is necessary to create a shape in which a cavity appears inside the mixture just before it hardens.

When sand is used as the artificial rock aggregate, a mixture of sand, special cement, and water can be layered on the outer surface of the float to a thickness of, for example, 2, 3 mm to 10 mm to form part of the artificial rock, and the exposure of the float can be concealed. This can be done by applying it with a trowel, or by rolling the float on the mixture in a container so that the float adheres thinly to the outer surface of the float. Furthermore, a method can be used in which a mold slightly larger than the float is prepared, the bottom of the mold is filled with the mixture thinly, and then the float is placed inside the mold and the mixture is filled around the float, which is a narrow space inside the mold.

The artificial live rock precursor is made by applying a mixture of sand, special cement, and water to the outer surface of the float to a thickness of 2-10 mm and drying it to form part of the upper part of the artificial rock, and then connecting the above-mentioned multiple pebble-sized natural stones and crushed stones one by one with adhesive to form a structure with gaps between the stones as part of the lower part of the artificial rock, placing a part of the upper part of the artificial rock on top of a part of the lower part of the artificial rock, and further connecting both together with adhesive or mortar made by mixing special cement and water. This results in a structure in which the float is covered with a thin part of the artificial rock on the upper part and the main part of the artificial rock on the lower part, and it is possible to prevent the artificial live rock precursor from floating due to the buoyancy of the float in seawater, or from falling sideways or capsizing. If a foamed resin body of an appropriate size is used as part of the float and placed at the required position of the artificial live rock precursor, the magnitude and working position of the buoyancy of the float in seawater can be appropriately adjusted.

When the floating body is made of foamed resin, for example, a three-dimensional whale shape can be carved out of a foamed resin block, and mortar can be applied to the outer surface to simulate a part of artificial rock, which can then be used as the upper part of the artificial live rock precursor. This allows the artificial live rock precursor to be created in a variety of shapes, which can increase interest.

When the float is made of foamed resin, multiple sheets of foamed resin can be glued together to form a square tube with the axis running horizontally, with both open ends arranged on the left and right when viewed from the front of the tank, with holes drilled in the front, and the outer and inner surfaces can be coated with mortar to simulate a section of artificial rock, which can be installed as the upper part of the artificial live rock precursor. This can provide a habitat and passageway for tropical fish, increasing its interest.

Also, multiple pebble-sized natural stones and crushed stones can be used as artificial rock aggregate to occupy the lower part of the artificial live rock precursor, and an adhesive can be used to form a mass with gaps between the stones. A foaming resin can be injected into the gaps between the stones to create a foaming resin body that becomes part of the floating body. In this case, mortar can also be applied to the exposed parts of the floating body in the gaps between the stones to simulate part of the artificial rock.

As a final finishing touch, the artificial live rock precursor can be given a finish that closely resembles natural live rock by applying a paint to the entire exterior surface that has a color similar to that of natural live rock.

The artificial live rock precursor can be fixed by attaching a magnet to the artificial rock, facing an external magnet facing the outer surface of the aquarium or a rust-resistant metal plate with magnetic attraction attached to the inner surface of the aquarium with an adhesive, and magnetically attracting the external magnet or metal plate. Alternatively, a suction cup can be provided instead of the magnet to be fixed. In this way, when placed in a saltwater fish breeding aquarium, the artificial live rock precursor is tightly attached to the side of the aquarium opposite the viewing side. A conventional artificial live rock precursor weighing, for example, 20 kg, was too heavy to be held by a magnet or a suction cup, but the artificial live rock precursor of the present invention can be significantly lighter in weight by providing a floating body, even if it has the same volume as a conventional artificial live rock precursor weighing, for example, 20 kg. Furthermore, the floating body generates buoyancy in seawater, so that it can be held by a magnet or a suction cup.

The artificial live rock of the present invention is the above-mentioned artificial live rock precursor that is left immersed in seawater on the beach for a certain period of time, for example 6 months, so that microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae adhere to the surface and interior of the artificial live rock precursor. When the artificial live rock is pulled out of the seawater and dried, the microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae die, so it is necessary to keep it immersed in seawater.

The saltwater fish tank of the present invention comprises an aquarium body, the above-mentioned artificial live rock precursor or artificial live rock housed and arranged inside the aquarium body, and seawater. This also includes cases where tropical fish live in the tank for sale.

[First embodiment]
The first embodiment is shown in Fig. 1. In the first embodiment, the rear surface of the artificial live rock precursor 100 is made flat (vertical) with mortar and adhered to the rear wall of the aquarium K as the adhesion part 3, and the artificial live rock precursor 100 is supported in the aquarium K by magnetically attracting a magnet 5 embedded in the adhesion part 3 and a magnet 6 facing the outer surface of the aquarium K. A large space S is generated below the artificial live rock precursor 100.

The artificial live rock precursor 100 is made in a state that is 90 degrees different from the specified state to be placed in the aquarium K. First, mortar is formed into a flat plate with a thickness of, for example, 10 mm on a release pallet to provide a contact portion 3, and before the contact portion 3 hardens, a small-sized crushed stone, imitation rock aggregate 1a, is inserted into one side. After the contact portion 3 hardens, the imitation rock aggregate 1a is layered one after another using an adhesive to create the imitation rock 1, and a floating body 2 made of a block of foamed urethane or foamed polystyrene is provided so as to be embedded inside the imitation rock 1, and a foamable resin 4 is formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into the gaps between the imitation rock aggregates 1a and foaming it, and then mortar is applied to the outer peripheral surface and dried, and then a paint having a color similar to the surface of natural live rock is applied. The floating body 2 can be of any size and shape. Furthermore, the appearance of the imitation rock 1 can be given a desired shape. For example, a protrusion 9 is provided by cement on the outer surface of the imitation rock 1 formed by layering the imitation rock aggregates 1a. The protrusions 9 are designed to mimic the appearance of coral, and may be any suitable shape, such as needle-like or fan-like. By repeatedly kneading sand, special cement, and water, and then pulling it up when it begins to harden, a suitable shape, such as needle-like or fan-like, can be created. After this hardens, it is attached to the outer surface of the artificial rock 1 with adhesive. The protrusions 9 are also made of artificial rock aggregate, and constitute part of the artificial rock 1.

The rear part of the artificial live rock precursor 100A is in close contact with the rear wall of the tank K, and the artificial live rock precursor 100 is contained and held in the tank K by the magnet 5 embedded in the contact part 3 and the magnet 6 attached to the outer surface of the tank K. Since the floating body 2 is embedded in the artificial rock 1, less artificial rock aggregate 1a is required, the artificial rock 1 is lightweight and easy to carry, and the magnets 5 and 6 can support the artificial rock 1 in a floating state above the bottom of the tank K. When seawater is poured into the tank K, the weight of the artificial rock 1 is reduced by the magnitude of the buoyancy of the floating body 2, and the support by the magnets 5 and 6 becomes even more stable.

The formation of the foamable resin 4 serves to fill the gaps between the artificial rock aggregates 1a and increase buoyancy, but it is not necessary to form the foamable resin 4 and then coat the exposed surface with mortar. In this case, when burying the floating body 2, it is better to conceal the outer surface of the floating body 2 by coating it with mortar in advance so that the presence of the floating body 2 cannot be seen.

[Second embodiment]
The second embodiment is shown in FIG. 2. The second embodiment is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in that a large space S is created under the artificial live rock precursor 100A, and the difference is that the floating body 2A is made of two bottles in which air is sealed. The rear part of the artificial live rock precursor 100A is in close contact with the rear wall of the tank K, and the artificial live rock precursor 100A is contained and held in the tank K by the magnet 5 embedded in the contact part 3A and the magnet 6 facing the outer surface of the tank K. The gaps between the artificial rock aggregates 1a are filled with foamable resin 4A, and mortar is applied to the exposed surface of the foamable resin 4A and dried, and color paint is applied to the entire surface of the artificial rock 1A.

[Third embodiment]
Fig. 3 shows the third embodiment. The third embodiment shows the state in which an artificial live rock precursor 100B is contained in an aquarium K. The artificial live rock precursor 100B is constructed almost the same as the artificial live rock precursor 100A shown in Fig. 2, and is held at the rear part of the aquarium K by magnets 5 and 6. The difference from the second embodiment is that the artificial live rock precursor 100B is installed at the bottom part of the aquarium K, the adhesion part 3B made of mortar is formed into an L-shaped surface and adheres to the bottom part and rear part of the aquarium K, and the space Sb is hole-shaped. The artificial live rock precursor 100B is composed of an adhesive portion 3B, an artificial rock 1B, a floating body 2B formed by bonding two bottles buried in the artificial rock 1B in a front-to-back arrangement and applying mortar to the periphery of the bottles and drying them, a foamable resin 4B formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into the gaps between the artificial rock aggregates around the artificial floating body 2B and foaming them, and a coating film formed by applying mortar to the exposed surface of the foamable resin 4B and drying it, and further applying a paint having a color similar to the surface of natural live rock to the entire surface of the artificial rock 1B and the mortar.

[Fourth embodiment]
4 shows the fourth embodiment. The fourth embodiment shows the state in which an artificial live rock precursor 100C is accommodated in an aquarium K. The artificial live rock precursor 100C is a substantially flat plate of mortar that is in close contact with the bottom surface of the aquarium K, an artificial rock 1C that is stacked by bonding small-sized crushed stones and has gaps, a floating body 2C consisting of two bottles 2C1, 2C2 and a cylindrical body (foamable resin) 2C3 that is bonded to a foamed resin plate and has holes at both ends and the middle of the front, a foamable resin 4C that is formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into the gaps between the artificial rock aggregates in the artificial rock 1C and foaming it, and mortar is applied to the exposed surface of the foamable resin 4C, dried, and further a paint having a color similar to the surface of natural live rock is applied to the entire surface of the artificial rock 1C and the mortar. The bottles 2C1 and 2C2 and the foamed resin cylinder (foamed resin) 2C3 are preferably embedded in the artificial rock 1C after a thin film of mortar is applied to the inside and outside surfaces. The cylinder (foamed resin) 2C3 becomes a habitat for tropical fish and a passageway for them to migrate. There is a recess Sc at the top of the front of the artificial rock 1C, and this recess Sc also becomes a habitat for tropical fish and a passageway for them to migrate.

[Fifth Example]
FIG. 5 shows the fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment shows a state in which an artificial live rock precursor 100D is accommodated in an aquarium K. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the artificial live rock precursor 100D is first formed with a substantially flat plate of mortar to adhere to the bottom surface of the aquarium K, and then an artificial rock aggregate is stacked on top of the adhesion portion 3D by bonding to provide an artificial rock 1D having three internal cavities C1, C2, and C3. Then, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the three cavities C1, C2, and C3 are provided with foamable resin formed by injecting and foaming a foamable urethane agent into the gaps between the artificial rock aggregates in the artificial rock 1D, and foamable resin 4D formed by injecting and foaming a foamable urethane agent is provided in the gaps between the artificial rock aggregates in the artificial rock 1D. Mortar is applied to the exposed surface of the foamable resin 4D and dried, and further a paint having a color similar to the surface of natural live rock is applied to the entire surface of the artificial rock 1D and the mortar.

In the fifth embodiment, a foamed resin model, such as a whale shape 7, is provided on top of the artificial rock 1D. The whale shape 7 may be either carved out of a foamed resin block or foamed by injecting a foaming agent into a mold, and is provided with an integral base 8, with a mortar coating applied to the outer surface which is then colored, and the base is attached to the artificial rock 1D. When the water tank K is filled with seawater, buoyancy is generated in the whale shape 7. The whale shape 7 may also be a replica that does not generate buoyancy.

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an artificial live rock precursor that is a structure at a stage before microorganisms such as bacteria or algae such as calcareous algae attach to the surface or inside, requires a small amount of artificial rock aggregate, reduces costs, is large in volume and lightweight, can have holes penetrating the inside of the artificial rock and recesses on the outer surface, is easy to handle when placing it in a saltwater fish tank, can be held in a floating state with a magnet to provide space below the artificial rock, and is easy to turn into artificial live rock. It is also possible to provide an artificial live rock precursor that has the characteristics of the artificial live rock precursor, a saltwater fish tank, and a method for producing the artificial live rock precursor.

100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 100D... Artificial live rock precursor 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D... Artificial rock 1a... Artificial rock aggregate... Floating body 2, 2A, 2B, 2C
2D1, 2D2, 2D3...Floating body (foam resin)
2C1, 2C2... Bottle 2C3... Cylindrical body (foamable resin)
3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D... Close contact part 4, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D...
5, 6: Magnet 7: Whale shape 8: Base 9: Projection C1, C2, C3: Hollow portion K: Aquarium S, Sb: Space

Claims (16)

A structure at a stage before microorganisms such as bacteria or algae such as calcareous algae attach to its surface or inside,
An artificial rock formed by solidifying a plurality of artificial rock aggregates into a mass with cement or adhesive;
a floating body that is embedded in the artificial rock and has a specific gravity much smaller than water and a required volume, thereby having a required buoyancy when immersed in seawater,
An artificial live rock precursor, characterized in that the total weight of the artificial rock is greater than the buoyancy of the floating body. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 1, wherein the buoyancy of the floating body when immersed in seawater is 40-95% of the weight of the artificial rock. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 1, wherein the weight of the artificial rock aggregate used is 5% or more greater than the buoyancy of the floating body in seawater. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 1, wherein the floating body is a plastic container sealed with air, and further includes a foamable resin formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into small gaps between the artificial rocks surrounding the periphery of the plastic container and foaming the small gaps. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 1, wherein the floating body is a block of foamable resin having an appropriate size and shape, and further includes a foamable resin formed by injecting a foamable urethane agent into small gaps between the artificial rocks surrounding the periphery of the foamable resin block and foaming the small gaps. The artificial rock is formed by stacking and bonding artificial rock aggregates, and is formed into a shape having a required size of internal large voids;
2. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 1, wherein the floating body is a block of foamed resin formed by injecting a foaming urethane agent into the large internal voids and the small voids between the artificial rocks and foaming the foamed urethane agent. The artificial live rock precursor according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the exposed surface of the foam resin in the small gaps between the artificial rocks is decorated so that the surface of the floating body is approximately flush with the artificial rocks by attaching small pebbles or fragments made of a special cement or by applying a thin film of a special cement to the exposed surface of the foam resin in the small gaps between the artificial rocks. 8. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 7, wherein the entire outer surface is coated with a paint having a color similar to that of the surface of natural live rock. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 7, further comprising a magnet whose attachment end is supported by the artificial rock or the floating body, and which, when placed in a saltwater fish tank, comes into close contact with the side of the tank opposite the viewing side and is attracted to a magnet placed from outside the tank, thereby providing a position fixing function. The artificial live rock precursor according to claim 7, further comprising a suction cup having an attachment end supported by the artificial rock or the floating body, the suction cup having a position fixing function that allows the suction cup to be sucked to the side or bottom of the tank opposite the viewing side when placed in a saltwater fish tank. An artificial live rock precursor according to claim 7 that has been immersed in seawater for a certain period of time, causing microorganisms and algae to attach to and grow on the surface and inside of the precursor, forming a live rock. A saltwater fish tank comprising an aquarium body and the artificial live rock precursor according to claim 7 housed in the aquarium body. A saltwater fish tank comprising an aquarium body and the artificial live rock according to claim 12 housed in the aquarium body. A method for producing an artificial live rock precursor, which is a structure in a stage before it becomes an artificial live rock by attaching microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae to the surface or inside of the structure by immersing it in seawater for a certain period of time, comprising:
A method for producing an artificial live rock precursor, characterized in that the artificial rock is formed by solidifying artificial rock aggregates into a suitable mass with cement or adhesive so as to surround an airtight plastic container or a block of foamable resin, which is a floating body having a required volume and buoyancy and capable of floating in seawater, and then filling small gaps between the artificial rocks with foamable resin that is expanded by injecting a foamable urethane agent, and then attaching small pebbles or fragments made of special cement, or by applying a thin film of special cement, so that the surface of the floating body is approximately the same surface as the artificial rock. A method for producing an artificial live rock precursor, which is a structure in a stage before it becomes an artificial live rock by attaching microorganisms such as bacteria and algae such as calcareous algae to the surface or inside of the structure by immersing it in seawater for a certain period of time, comprising:
This method for producing an artificial live rock precursor is characterized in that: artificial rock aggregates are stacked and bonded together to form an artificial rock with a large internal gap of a required size that can generate a required buoyancy; during and/or after the formation, a foamable urethane agent is injected into the large internal gaps and the small gaps between the artificial rocks to form a foamable resin that serves as a float ; and small pebbles or fragments made of special cement are attached to the float or a thin film of special cement is applied to the float so that the surface of the float is approximately the same as the artificial rock. The method for producing an artificial live rock precursor according to claim 14 or 15, further comprising applying a paint having a color similar to that of the surface of natural live rock to the entire outer surface.

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