Excess Live Rock. Where to put It?

AKL1950 · Jun 30, 2022

Good Morning

I felt I needed to add some more rock to my Aquascape so I could create some caves for the fish to hide in or sleep at night. Didn’t know how much I needed so I got two large pieces of cured rock and busted them up to make smaller pieces to construct the caves. Worked great, but I’ve got about 10 lbs left over and want to preserve it.

Is it still common practice to put live rock in the sump? About half of it is 1-3” pieces of rubble and a couple of larger pieces. My sump has three sections. First is the filter sock area (two 7” filter socks), middle area is the largest with skimmer and the UV filter pump and last is the return pump and return line from the UV system. If I ever need it, the center section would also house a GFO reactor.

Should I put rock in the sump or just dry it out and save it for later use?

Jetson

livinlifeinBKK · Jun 30, 2022

Is it live rock from the ocean or live rock made from dry rock soaked in bottled bac at your LFS? If it's live rock from the ocean I'd definitely put it in the sump for the biodiversity...if it's just dry rock soaked in bottled bac for a few weeks I'd probably try to keep it in the sump if convenient but if you have a better idea for the space I wouldn't beat myself up over it

Tuan’s Reef · Jun 30, 2022

lol. i have the same problem. I have lots of rock , 80 pounds for 50G tank. So i put as much as i can in the sump. Its extra filtration that you can swap out. I have the rest of my rock in a 20G tank. I'm sure it will come to good use in time. If you can, try and keep it wet with power head. A brute trash can will work.

Big Smelly fish · Jun 30, 2022

I put in extra rock in sump. But for me raising fry I never know when I will have to set up a system in a hurry and I have rock in hand .

jpark457 · Jun 30, 2022

I have some soaking in “tough totes” behind my heating and AC in the mechanical room in my basement? I found an awesome deal on pukani rock someone was selling second hand, for under $0.50 / lb and know I eventually plan on turning a 75 g freshwater tank to Salt. I just used WC water and figure it’s a jump start for whenever I go for a bigger tank to try to start getting past some of the dry rock troubles.

fishguy242 · Jun 30, 2022

I would never kill live rock, sump it...

Eagle_Steve · Jun 30, 2022

If it was me, I would put it under the filter sock in that section of the sump. Worst thing is that it provides a home for pods lol.

Tuan’s Reef · Jun 30, 2022

I think the collective have spoken....sump it! lol

shakacuz · Jun 30, 2022

sump. under the filter sock?

Lost in the Sauce · Jun 30, 2022

Eagle_Steve said:
If it was me, I would put it under the filter sock in that section of the sump. Worst thing is that it provides a home for pods lol.

Exactly what I was thinking.

AKL1950 · Jun 30, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
Is it live rock from the ocean or live rock made from dry rock soaked in bottled bac at your LFS? If it's live rock from the ocean I'd definitely put it in the sump for the biodiversity...if it's just dry rock soaked in bottled bac for a few weeks I'd probably try to keep it in the sump if convenient but if you have a better idea for the space I wouldn't beat myself up over it

Well, this is a little over the top, but my “local fish store“ is World Wide Corals in Orlando. It’s cured Caribsea rock from their big vat at the store.

Guess I can put the rubble in the sump. I also have a 10 gallon system that’s pristine (never been used). It’s for a hospital tank if I ever need one. I could crank it up, put the big pieces in it and ghost feed it. If I ever need it for a hospital tank, I could take the rock out and keep it in a bucket with a pump.

should I net bag the rubble in the sump or just lay it on the bottom?

Jetson

Eagle_Steve · Jun 30, 2022

AKL1950 said:
Well, this is a little over the top, but my “local fish store“ is World Wide Corals in Orlando. It’s cured Caribsea rock from their big vat at the store.

Guess I can put the rubble in the sump. I also have a 10 gallon system that’s pristine (never been used). It’s for a hospital tank if I ever need one. I could crank it up, put the big pieces in it and ghost feed it. If I ever need it for a hospital tank, I could take the rock out and keep it in a bucket with a pump.

should I net bag the rubble in the sump or just lay it on the bottom?

Jetson

I would just lay it out under the filter sock. The flow through there should keep anything from building up around it, and the filter sock should actually stop stuff before it can even think of building up.

If you have room for the larger rocks in the skimmer section, you could also place them there instead of in the other tank. I have a few larger rocks in my skimmer section, just for a ohh crap I need to setup a tank for a coral QT of a tank breakdown buyout or something else.

livinlifeinBKK · Jun 30, 2022

I

AKL1950 said:
Well, this is a little over the top, but my “local fish store“ is World Wide Corals in Orlando. It’s cured Caribsea rock from their big vat at the store.

Guess I can put the rubble in the sump. I also have a 10 gallon system that’s pristine (never been used). It’s for a hospital tank if I ever need one. I could crank it up, put the big pieces in it and ghost feed it. If I ever need it for a hospital tank, I could take the rock out and keep it in a bucket with a pump.

should I net bag the rubble in the sump or just lay it on the bottom?

Jetson

t doesn't matter who your LFS is, it matters how much biodiversity the live rock contains. I maintain that live rock from the ocean holds MUCH more biodiversity and is therefore more valuable than dry rock that has been sitting in bottled bac for a few weeks..

Eagle_Steve · Jun 30, 2022

livinlifeinBKK said:
I

t doesn't matter who your LFS is, it matters how much biodiversity the live rock contains. I maintain that live rock from the ocean holds MUCH more biodiversity and is therefore more valuable than dry rock that has been sitting in bottled bac for a few weeks..

This may be the case, but the OP is simply asking what he should do with it, not is it more biodiverse than this or that.

With any rock, it also provides homes for other critters and even "vat" rock still has the ability to process ammonia, etc.

With that said, more "vat" rock, not being as biodiverse is better than less, no? Less diversity means more is needed to help?

livinlifeinBKK · Jun 30, 2022

Eagle_Steve said:
This may be the case, but the OP is simply asking what he should do with it, not is it more biodiverse than this or that.

With any rock, it also provides homes for other critters and even "vat" rock still has the ability to process ammonia, etc.

With that said, more "vat" rock, not being as biodiverse is better than less, no? Less diversity means more is needed to help?

Sorry, just didn't think my post was "over the top" yes, like I said I'd put it in the sump

AKL1950 · Jun 30, 2022

Great! The system is a WaterBox 220.6 and the sump design is a little off. The filter sock chamber is divided. Goes through the first sock, under a baffle then into the second sock. If I put a tight micron sock in the first slot, it starts overflowing over the baffle, so I’m actually only using one sock in the second chamber. I could put a mess filter in the first slot and all the rock under it in that first chamber With it. I think the flow would still work correctly.

Thanks

Jetson.

Eagle_Steve · Jun 30, 2022

AKL1950 said:
Great! The system is a WaterBox 220.6 and the sump design is a little off. The filter sock chamber is divided. Goes through the first sock, under a baffle then into the second sock. If I put a tight micron sock in the first slot, it starts overflowing over the baffle, so I’m actually only using one sock in the second chamber. I could put a mess filter in the first slot and all the rock under it in that first chamber With it. I think the flow would still work correctly.

Thanks

Jetson.

A little detritus in not a horrible thing either. It is food for pods, so helps them a bit.