Live Rock Debate...

[ChiTownRomeo]

So at a local reef club meeting, a guy said he believes that less rock is better. In his 75 gallon he has one big piece of LR and a small LR island on each side. the big piece he sais he uses for alot of coral placement and the islands he uses for misc corals such *** gree star polyps. He says it allows for better water flow and more fish space to swim and any other coral he wants on his sand bed. Anyone agree with this theory that less rock is better?

 

[Supa Belle]

I have a 90 gal tank with 85 lbs of live rock it just depends on your aqua scapeing

 

[Mr. Crabs]

Good question. I think the old rule of thumb on the amount of Live Rock needed was created by retailers looking to sell live rock.

I like less is more. When I had a reef, I liked large corals with a minimum amount of rock to serve as an anchor. It just looks great and gives swimming room for fish. Beneficial bacteria and such are going to live on all surfaces of the aquarium from the walls, to the filter inlets, to you name it. Right now I have a 180 with 100lbs of rock and it's more than enough for me, the fish, and swimming room.

 

[tonedogz]

I always like a good amount of live rock. I think it looks nice give the fish plenty of hiding spots, gives the fish a natural looking environment, they love to pick at it and it gives a good biological filter. I've never heard anyone say that less rock was better.

 

[MacDracor]

The pounds per gallon rule applies mostly to the Berlin method of filtration. If you are using a different filtration method, less rock does provide benefits such as swimming area and sand bed availability. I would use that sort of setup for a shark (assuming the massive minimum tank size is used) or ray, or other such animals that require large sand bed area.
However, I rely largely on my rock for filtration, so the 1-2 pounds per gallon rule applies.

 

[PurplePolyp]

I have a 90 gallon with 120 pounds of live rock. I have never had any problems with water quality and I don't have a sump, refugium, or protein slimmer. The fish have plenty of swimming room and hiding spots also.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

I think it's more to your liking, like was stated bb will grow any where.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Good examples are lfs little rock or fake coral to display fish or corals. They keep more in there sumps then in display.

 

[MacDracor]

They won't grow anywhere. Lol. They have specific requirements like any other life form. In an issue if TFH, there was a fascinating study of different types of filtration media including images from a scanning electron microscope to identify bacteria species. Rock is so valuable because it provides massive surface area of varying textures to allow for great bacterial biodiversity.
But again, if you are not relying on the rock as your primary filtration, then the amount becomes largely cosmetic, and for specific animals.

 

[MacDracor]

Very good point on the sump! I have roughly three pounds of rubble in my sump along with a remote deep sand bed. If you don't want a lot in the display but have room in the sump, it's a best if both worlds situation.

 

[oyf709]

I personally run 100lb of LR in my 60g tank and everything works well. The only thing people need to remember about running this type of setting is to have some kind of setup to keep water flow under all the LR. I found that with PVC pipe drilled with many holes and place in the sand and have LR sit on top of them works very well. 1)is that you lift up the LR and the water can flow under the sand that will not create "dead spot" 2) is that connect those PVC to a small power head and now you have the entire sand bed water flow issue take cared of.

 

[Supa Belle]

I have a 90 gallon with 120 pounds of live rock. I have never had any problems with water quality and I don't have a sump, refugium, or protein slimmer. The fish have plenty of swimming room and hiding spots also.

Wow how u have it scaped it don't look like 120 pounds nice aqua scapeing tho I like it

 

[HovaRockz]

I have a 90 gallon with 120 pounds of live rock. I have never had any problems with water quality and I don't have a sump, refugium, or protein slimmer. The fish have plenty of swimming room and hiding spots also.

Looks great love the scape

 

[PurplePolyp]

Thanks! I changed it 10 times in my first few weeks while it was cycling.

 

[HovaRockz]

Might want to get you a skimmer

 

[PurplePolyp]

I just picked one up a couple days ago. It's a Coralife 125g super skimmer.

 

[HovaRockz]

Great...very promising tank...

 

[Ausfish]

The pounds per gallon rule applies mostly to the Berlin method of filtration. If you are using a different filtration method, less rock does provide benefits such as swimming area and sand bed availability. I would use that sort of setup for a shark (assuming the massive minimum tank size is used) or ray, or other such animals that require large sand bed area.
However, I rely largely on my rock for filtration, so the 1-2 pounds per gallon rule applies.

+1 on that! When LR is your main filtration I wouldn't start saving here!