Too little LR???

[AndrewD]

I have put in about 12-15 lbs. of LR in a 55 gallon aquarium. I do not want a reef tank, but a fish only with plenty of swimming room. Is this too little, will it be a detriment in the long-run. Everyone keeps talking about 1-1 & 1/2 lbs. per gallon, but in my opinion that seems to crowd the space. Any opinions, thoughts? Thanks for the help.

 

[quarryshark]

You could go with a denser rock. Would get you the amount you need and take up less room.
The rock at http://www.liverocks.com is pretty dense.
I would at least shoot for the 1 lb per gallon, 1.5 would be better.

 

[grimlock3000]

What is in the tank for livestock? What other filtration do you have? Weekly water changes?

The most important aspect of LR is that is provides biological fitlration to break down wastes (especially nitrates). Without the LR, you need another way to remove the nitrates (like water changes), especially if you have inverts, corals, or sensitive fish.

 

[RocketSeason]

Your fish will want Plenty of structure to swim around and through. plus, skittish fish will freak out in an open area.

Many SW fish live very close to rock creavices. so recreating that environment is the best way to go.

Even if you are using a different form of filtration.

-Matt

 

[gozetec02]

Keep in mind too that most of the fish that we buy at the LFS are fish that live around tropical reefs and seldom go into the open water where they would be gobbled up by a larger fish. And just like RocketSeason said creating a lifelike environment is best for the fish and plus you will add tons of nitrifying bacteria to take all the ick out of the water so you will in turn have a cleaner tank. I know LR is really expensive but IMO well worth the cost.

 

[lando]

It really depends on the primary use of the LR. If you are using it for aquascaping or to provide your fish with places to hide then put in as mush or as little as you like. If you are relying on it to provide biological filtration (the best way to go) then you will need 1.5-2 lbs/gal. A end goal for your 55gal should be 80-110 lbs of LR.

 

[guitarded]

i agree with lando. if you prefer the look of an open tank with a little LR, then i think that's okay. however, you should find an alternate method for bio filtration like a wet/dry with bio-balls or something similar.

 

[grimlock3000]

Even without LR, you still need to provide sufficient area for all of your fish to hide and feel safe. Just keep in mind that not having LR is not an excuse to have a wide open tank where you can always sell all the fish. Like gozetec02 said, most of these fish we buy never venture into open waters and always stay within inches of hiding places. Not providing them safe place can cause stress.

 

[RocketSeason]

I still say that very little aquascaping is stressful on fish.

 

[spongeynip]

I agree. If you have a good filter system, less LR is needed. But a fish definitely feels more comforatable if it has more live rock to live in which is why LR amounts should be proportional to the size of the tank. Thats why in the wild they hang around reefs or in rocks, not in the open ocean. And If you want more for them to swim in, get them LR with caves and openings throughout like I did.
Hope this helps
-Trent

 

[RocketSeason]

example: My Purple Firefish is a skitish fish by nature, In a tank with almost no aquascaping, she would probibly spend the majority of her time near the bottom and very close to the rocks. but because I have a fair amount of structure in my tank, She will swim around virtually anywhere she pleases knowing full well that if a predator were to come near her, she can shoot off into a cave and to saftey.

I only have 40 lbs of dense rock in my 37 gallon, but I have been able to arrange it in a way that offers shelter, has some height, and also allows a good amount of swimming room for my clowns who are not so skitish.

 

[swissfish]

If you don't want the tank to be crowded then get a sump and put LR into it to untill you get to the 1.5

 

[RMPD109]

LR in the sump will help with the bio filtration but you still need to consider the stress of the tanks inhabitants. As previously stated the fish etc. need the rock(or other obstacles) for the security.