how much LR/ dry rock can i get away with

[pairenoid]

i have a 20g long and I wanted originally 20 lbs of LR, but it could be up to 8 bucks a pound

i hear i can have dry rock, and it can become live if i mix in some live rock with it, so does that basically mean i can have like 50% dry and 50% live, than over time they all become live?

if that is the case, than that is what i want, so what is a good ratio of dry to lr?

the dry would be the base right? what should i look out for in rocks in general when i go to my LFS, im going this saturday, all things arrive in mail today cept LR which is my last purchase! very excited, will be cleaning sand all day ><

i read some people recommend ONLY using dry rock to avoid critters and algae, but how does it become live than? time is an issue ofc id rather

 

[Beengirl]

For my 30g I used about 80% dry, 20% live. You can use almost all dry if you want and then just put in 1 or 2 pieces of live. You can use all dry, and yes, it will become live over time. It just takes longer. Also, if you want the purple coralline algae, you'll have to introduce it into tank on a piece of LR and it will over time spread to your other rock. For rock, you'll want it to be porous with lots of holes. I like to get interesting shapes, maybe an overhang thing, just cool looking pieces. Have fun!!

 

[obscurereef]

I went with all dry rock, it will just take longer for the coralline algae to cover the rocks, etc. and there won't be any critters (worms and pods) unless you add them from a different source (got a huge population of pods from chaeto morpha!)

 

[pairenoid]

thanks, im confused as to why every one recommends all live rock than when its sooo much more $$

im thinking of doing 50/50 really depends on price and look of things


how much longer does it take for the algae would you say, also i DO want the extra critters

i cant wait for saturday, i just cleaned out all my sand and it was much easier than i thought

im a little worried about my powerhead, it came OPENED and the box looked busted up, but the pieces are clean. Its a koralix 750. When i turned the power on to test it, it grinded really loud, kind of like a HOB with no water inside, is this normal? i could of sworn it was spinning in reverse as well. Not sure if i should return it or just hope for the best once i put water in there. But should it be loud without water? i heard powerheads make no noise, but maybe it just needs to be submerged

 

[Beengirl]

I never tried running a PH out of the water, so I don't know if they make a lot of noise when not submerged. You could put it in a pail of water or a really big bowl of water to test it if you wanted, then you could make sure it's not going in reverse at the same time.
I got all live rock for my 55g, but that was cuz I was anxious and wanted the cycle to go faster. Lol. Like I said, for the 30g I did 80/20, cuz I already had a SW tank, so wasn't as impatient for it to be done.

 

[Convict2161]

I've turned power heads on out of water and some do make noise, some make a lot of noise. My koralia nanos sounded like someone was grinding there teeth. As soon as it went into water is was good.

 

[pairenoid]

thanks, any input on where to put the heater and how to aim the ph in my 20 g LONG

right now im thinking about putting it on the top of one end, and point diagonally down against the wall of the tank or something.

i dont know ill try to get pics in once i get my live rock set up..

also is 20 lbs of live salt going to last me more than a few water changes, including the fact that i need some of that 20

 

[Convict2161]

thanks, any input on where to put the heater and how to aim the ph in my 20 g LONG

right now im thinking about putting it on the top of one end, and point diagonally down against the wall of the tank or something.

i dont know ill try to get pics in once i get my live rock set up..

also is 20 lbs of live salt going to last me more than a few water changes, including the fact that i need some of that 20

The power head placement is something you'll find yourself toying with trust me, I had mine set up high diagonally towards the glass facing upward to agitate the surface. Your have a hang on back filter which will be doing that for you. So you heave to see where the place is for your tank setup.

Example, some have a deep sand bed and a lot of rock work, so there placement will be different then someone with less rock and less sand, so you see it will be different. Ideally you want to eliminate dead spots through out your tank.

Your salt will last you more then a few as its only a 20 gallon long

Once you get situated snap some pics and post them up, would love to see how it comes out.

Also you wanna add the rock first then sand, the reason is this, if you get a goby or something that likes to dig tunnels, sift sand etc the rocks will come down or shift. Placing the rock work first then the sand will help avoid that.

The heater can be placed where ever you see fit. Right side, left side, middle, sideways etc. I've seen some that paint the background black so the heater kinda blends in.

Hope this helps

 

[Beengirl]

I read somewhere that best place to put heater is near the return from the filter. That way water coming in gets heated sooner. Don't know if that's true or not, just throwing it out there.

 

[Convict2161]

I read somewhere that best place to put heater is near the return from the filter. That way water coming in gets heated sooner. Don't know if that's true or not, just throwing it out there.

Your not wrong, I've read that also. I have m heater in chamber 1 o my bio cube, the outtake is chamber 3 with the pump and I have no issues with heat.

This could also be due to the closed system o the bio cube and pump running in the chamber creating heat etc etc etc.

Just wanted to point it out that your not incorrect about that and I to read that.

 

[pairenoid]

thanks, ill toy with the ph, i like the idea of it pointing at the surface but i also need it pointing at the sand

i wanted to buy 2 but i dont like how it looks with 2 so i just bought 1 really strong one :/

i already added 20 lbs of sand, i figured i can just shimmy the live rock in XD, i still have 5 lbs to add so i guess i can work with that

also i have tahitian moon sand so im not too sure abouit sand shifters. The bag itself says "safe for sand shifters like rays bla bla" but i recall other people saying its not safe

personally i cant tell the difference between this and beach sand, it LOOKS more shiny, but literally feels the exact same, i think it would be safe its realllllly soft and feels quite nice