I am very interested in saving money for my other equipment, so im thinking through the idea of not buying all live rock. In a 55 gallon tank could i have about 70 lbs base rock then as little as 5 lbs live rock? I have plenty of time for it to seed through the entire tank. Is it possible for the beneficial bacteria on the rock to die, if so how would i know whats going on?
Base/Live Rock
- Thread starter pph_2ppr
- Start date
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thanks i was wondering also if i made a SMALL, mayb as little as 1/2 gal, refuge could i put a couple lbs of rock in there so the macro algae will have something to grow on. could this also allow me to keep inverts in there to keep the algae in check?
MT79
Aquarium Advice Addict
The general rule of thumb for adding LR and base rock is 30% LR to base. That will ensure good bio-diversity in the tank and aid long term success. With out that micro-fauna diversity, the LR will become laden w/ detritus and nutrients. You'll basically have bio-balls in your aquarium. I would suggest using as much LR as you possibly can to seed the base.
im planning on making one that hangs on the back so the lines will only be a couple inches long....i do have a 10 gallon sump on my tank though.. shouldnt a clean up crew be able to take care of the build of of detritus and nutrients?
MT79
Aquarium Advice Addict
Not in all the nooks, crannies and holes in the rock. I don't think a fuge that small will make any difference on a 55. Can you upgrade the sump to a 20 and add a fuge to it?
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree with Mike, a 20g upgrade and add the fuge there would be a far better plan then a 1/2g fuge. You just wont have the space for enough macro to grow to really make a difference.
I was looking on ebay and found a fuge, would the dimensions 24"L x 4"W x 12"H be large enough? i thought the point of a fuge was not how big it is, but that there is some algae to take nutrients out of the water?
That`s one of the benefits but another benefit is added water volume. Also I agree with MT that more LR will be better. I have 200 lbs in my tank and all of it was cured LR. The more LR the better but your plan will work also. It`s just not the best case senerio but it will work as the nitrifying bacteria that grows on the rock is why it`s called LR.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
I spent a lot of time reading on fuges and different ways of filtering a reef tank. From what I have read the bigger your sump/fuge is the better it will benefit your tank. My tank is 72g, my fuge is 20g, I think the more water volume and the more room you have for macro to grow the better it will benefit your tank. If you have the room I would go with the larger tank in stead of what will get by. You will be glad that you did in the end!
that makes more sense. thanks i have no room to add on a refuge that big because there is VERY limited space under the tank, i can barely fit the 10 gallon sump under there. i would like to have a mini-fuge so i can get some macro algae and a few mini-brittle starfish
I will be making a trip to the ocean in a couple weeks and was wondering if i could pick rocks out when im there? I no its not a good idea to get them from close to the surface but i could go down deeper to get the rocks.....thoughts?
are rocks from the ocean suitable for home aquariums?
looking on the internet i found out the collection of wild live rock is ILLEGAL,.....thanks for telling me guys!
are rocks from the ocean suitable for home aquariums?
looking on the internet i found out the collection of wild live rock is ILLEGAL,.....thanks for telling me guys!
