how much LR?

[animalcracker885]

Had my first SW aquarium up for a month now

Everywhere i read says i need approx 1.5lbs of liverock per gallon of water. my question is how do i know how much liverock i have without taking it all out and putting it on a scale?

 

[pat8you]

haha don't worry your lfs will be sure to weigh it carefully. The sell it by the lb so they will make sure you know how many pounds you have. Just about anywhere LR is sold its sold by weight. doesn't have to be that exact either. Just around 1.5lbs per gallon. Some people go less because they like a more open look to the tank and add additional filtration and some go way more because they have heavier loads in their tank.

 

[austinsdad]

Can you take a pic of the tank so we can see the rock:tank ratio?

 

[amkelly]

the 1.5lbs/ per gallon is not necessary its just a recommendation. quite frankly i think it is overrated because when you have that much rock in your tank it takes up to much space. also i would do research on the type of fish you are going to be having in your tank. the reason for this is because you want to make your tank seem like the environment that your fish would be living in, in the wild. In example a clownfish doesnt need a lot of rock because they live in lagoons which are mainly water and sand. just do some research and see what you like. 1.5 isnt necessary like i said before

 

[CaptainAhab]

As has been said, it's a guideline but it's a guideline that's pretty accurate if you are going to rely on it for your sole bacterial filtration. If you'll supplement the bacterial filtration somewhere else or don't plan on being close to fully stocked then the guideline can be reduced.

However, IMO, the nicest looking 'reef' tanks have close to that amount

 

[CatatonicBug]

Had my first SW aquarium up for a month now
my question is how do i know how much liverock i have without taking it all out and putting it on a scale?

Can the place you purchased the tank and LR from from tell you how much you got?

 

[melosu58]

I have 200 lbs of LR in my 125. I always suggest 1.5 - 2 lbs per gallon. I have plenty of swimming space and esp. plenty of surface area on the LR for the beneficial bacteria that is needed for the cycle. and BTW all LR does not weigh the same. You might get some rock that is heavy and you might get some that is light. The key as I said is surface area on the rock. HTH

 

[cmor1701d]

Where did you get the LR from? Ask the source and you should know. Caribean rock is less porous than Pacific rock so it weighs more, but doesn't have as much surface area for the bacteria.

As CaptainAhab said the guidelines for LR are actually pretty accurate. You can get by with less weight of pacific, but you should still maintain about 1 pound per gallon for a FOWLR tank and go for the 1½ for a reef. I have about 185 pounds of LR + 15 pounds of LR rubble in my 125 and sump and the fish have plenty of room and hiding places.

 

[roka64]

You can save some cash by seeding it with base (dead, white) rock or lace rock.

 

[animalcracker885]

i bought the rock at different times so it wasnt all together. I bought some at petco too which sells it by the piece not by the pound

here is a picture of the tank
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=114&pictureid=847

 

[pat8you]

I guess i stand corrected. I've never heard of it being sold by the piece. By the look of the tank your going to need quite a bit more rock in there. If i had to take a stab at it i would say double or a smig more then you have in there now. Someone else take a guess too though cuz i'm far from poisitive

 

[austinsdad]

I'd say easily 3x the amount your currently have. Don't be afraid to lean it against the back side of the tank either. Keep 2.5" away from both sides for easier cleaning with a magnet. Rock is gonna give you more surface area for that beneficial bacteria to live. Cuts nitrates too.

Gonna do reef or fish only?

 

[cmor1701d]

You need 2x - 3x more rock. Get mostly base rock and some additional LR. Put the base rock under what you already have.