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im wondering....if lava rock aside from being a nice addition as a decor...can be an effective additional biological filter for freshwater set-up???

are we talking about the stuff you put in a barbeque?

Lava rock is porous and has a large suface area, but it will significantly slow down the flow of water in your filter because the holes are not connected and do not go all the way through the rock (it is literally just solidified froth - like pummus but more dense).

Regular foam pads would prove to be much better filter media than lava rock.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I'm assuming that you are talking about using larger pieces as decoration and not as filter media or crushed as a substrate.

The biggest problem with lava rock (and I have used a lot of it over the years) is that it can have many sharp edges which can cut and or cause damage to your fish. If using try to remove these sharp surfaces as best as possible.

Because of its many holes, crannies and crevices it can have a higher amount of bacteria on it as opposed to a smooth surface rock such as granite, but it's overall usefulness in this regard is probably minimal. Another negative factor is because of the many holes, crannies and crevices it can hide uneaten food and other waste materials that can have a negative impact on your water quality.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

If your putting a few big pices in for decor I dont think it will do much filtering but I would put them in anyway.

I have ad lavarock in my tank for almost a year now, and i have had absolutly NO problems with it.

I have quite alot of Lava Rock and have had no problems also. Been using it since I had my first aquarium which I then upgraded to a 4ft one. It has been in my new aquarium for just over a year now. It looks great and is easy to create caves and places for the fish to hide especially my corys.