LR Questions

[patriotman]

Hello,
This seems like a great forum, I am looking forward to hanging out here.

I have been away from the hobby for many years but now I have decided to pull my 125 gallon tank out of storage and set it up again.

The reason for this post: I am interested in live rock and live sand. I have not really used them before but from what I am reading I think I am very interested in trying it now.

A few questions:
• When is the best time to introduce the live rock and live sand into a new setup? Should it be in the tank before it cycles?
• I have seen many different answers to this question but I will ask it – How many pounds of live rock and live sand is needed per gallon to be most effective?
• Searching online I have seen many different types of live rocks (Fiji, Caribbean, cured, uncured, etc.). Can someone point me to a site that compares the differences (pro and cons) of each? Any recommendations?

That’s all the questions for now but rest assured that I will have more to come.

Thanks in advance for the help.
Aaron

 

[Clown Monarch]

I can help with #2:

Most will tell you 1.5 lbs per gallon for live rock but I think it depends on the load you intend to keep. My 125 has maybe 80-90 lbs. of LR, 20 corals and about 20 inches of fish and has never registered nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia on any test in the last 6 months. I do also run a wet/dry though.

 

[revhtree]

First Question: IMO best to add all the LR you can right into the new tank. It will help cycle, and get your tank ready for the fun!!

Second Question: Clown is Right. 1.5 to 2.0pds per gallon. It really depends on what you want, and how you want it to look. I would shoot for 1.5 to 2 if possible. You can do some of it just base rock and the rest LR to save money. The lr will seed it.

Third Question: Can't point you to a site, but many people like to get a variety of lr for there tank. It brings diversity. You want to try and get CURED lr. The uncured will have more die off than the cured and will take longer to cycle.

WELCOME TO AA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[patriotman]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

My goal with the live rock and live sand is to have as little as possible but have enough to be effective.

Thanks again,
Aaron

 

[malkore]

Then you'll want a pound of live rock per gallon. I recommend www.liverocks.com personally.

You could also find base rock, or 'dead' rock locally, and add it to increase the total rock weight to 1.5-2gallons. Eventually it will become 'live' rock, seeded with bacteria, adn covered in coraline algae.

The benefit to liverocks.com rock is that you'll get brittle stars and other hitchhikers with your beautiful rock.

 

[lando]

My goal with the live rock and live sand is to have as little as possible

Is there a reason? LR is by far the best biofiltration media for the home aquarium. The more the better. What type you get is really personal preference. However, let me put my plug in for liverocks.com. Wonderful rock, wonderful customer servie and it is all accu-cultured rock. None of it comes from natural reefs. As responsible aquarists it is our duty to conserve what we can of this wonderful natural resource. By the way...
Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!!

 

[patriotman]

The main reason is because I don’t like the look of tanks that are overwhelmed by rocks. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the rocks in the tank but I also don’t want to overdo it.

Thanks for the welcome to the forum.

 

[malkore]

well, this is a 40gallon breeder tank, with 40lbs of live rock

I wouldn't call it 'overwhelmed'...and the fish love it. the wrasse and royal gramma will swim through every gap in the rocks.

(btw that is liverocks.com keys rock, to give you an idea of what it looks like)

 

[MT79]

this is a 40gallon breeder tank, with 40lbs of live rock

That's pretty dense rock then IME.

don’t like the look of tanks that are overwhelmed by rocks

I agree. I don't like tanks that look like they had to shoe-horn the rock in. But in order for the LR to perform it's function, you'll need atleast a pound per gal depending on what type/density. That will still leave plenty of room. Generally you'll need more rock if it is dense, 1.5-2 lbs per gal., b/c it has less surface area for biological filtration processes to take place on. As far as sand goes, there are DSB 5-7+inches, med 3-5 inches, and shallow- less than 3 inches. Most people seem to be using medium sandbeds at this time. They work well IME. Using sand that is about the size of sugar grains works best in reefs. HTH

 

[patriotman]

That looks good to me. I guess 40 lbs of rock sounds like more than it really is.

How to get you get the rocks to stay like that. Do you use some type of adhesive or is it just a balancing act?

 

[patriotman]

Several of you recommended liverocks.com - I will definitely give them a try. Any recommendations on getting the live sand? How do you calculate how much sand is needed? I have a 125 Gal tank, and will want to do the med (3-5 inches) DSB.

 

[revhtree]

Ya lr pds will fool you! Here is my 75g with 155pds of lr.

 

[revhtree]

Here is a link to a sand depth calculator. You just need to know how deep you would like it.

http://aquariumadvice.com/calcs2.php?type=sanddepth

 

[patriotman]

Any recommendations of a website to get the live sand?

 

[lando]

You can always go to Home Depot and get sm Southdown play sand. Then find a reputable LFS that you trust and ask them for a couple of pounds of LS from one of their reefs. In time...it iwll all become LS. You can save a lot of money this way and have more to spend on LR.

 

[zuzecawi]

Now, I'm pretty out of date on aquarium keeping, but it used to be said that you shouldn't keep more than 3 in of sand in depth because it would harbor anaerobic bacteria... does live sand have enough burrowers to keep this from happening? I've seen so called livesand at the lfs that looked anything but living, what defines true live sand?

 

[patriotman]

The LFS is not much of an option for me. We only have a couple here and I do not have a good feeling about them. I could probably make some good money opening my own store... humm...
Anyway - money is not that much of an issue. I just want to do it right and easy the first time.

 

[got bait?]

That looks good to me. I guess 40 lbs of rock sounds like more than it really is.

Weight is really deceiving. Really varies with the type of LR you get.

I run sumpless and fuge less (have lots of macros in main) so I use 2lbs. per gal. and not prolems either, that being said, I'll test off the charts tonight I'm sure.

 

[patriotman]

I run sumpless and fuge less (have lots of macros in main) so I use 2lbs.

Fuge less? What do you mean by that?

 

[got bait?]

Fuge less

No refugium.