"Live Rock Per Gallon Rule" - Under, Over or Just Right?

[KrisReef]

I am on a private Caribbean Island now looking out at quite a few un inhabited coral Islands each one capable of suppling enough live rock to supply every salt water hobbies in the world without making a dent.

it’s just that the infrastructure isn’t available to make it happen

they mine this stuff to build roads and houses and I doubt it is in short supply. This is a rich Island but the poor Islands would do well if they could sell rock as they are starving especially since they can’t take fish or corals any longer

it’s just a commercial commodity and it is renewable

I really hate you right now Paul! I’m stuck in my living room answering the phone and now I read that you are on a rock in the Caribbean- life is so unfair.

But I have been to a similar location and observed the same thing. There were south facing beaches with piles of “Dead Rock” that was constantly being cast onto shore by the prevailing surf and natural reef erosion. All someone would have to do is walk out one that mile of beach every morning and collect the ton of live rock that was thrown out of the ocean before it dried out and stunk like the LFS I used to visit in Sacramento.

It’s not legal because people don’t believe what you are seeing and talking about.

BTW: We have bean clams in SoCal that come in Billions on the beaches. They are easy to shuck and the fish love them.

Home Depot Bucket with a Quarter for scale.
Obviously my harvesting is not sustainable

 

[mindme]

Real live rock from the ocean not only provides a natural environment for your reef inhabitants, but beneficial microorganisms like detritus eating critters and beneficial bacteria.

And a bunch of pests when you can buy detritus eating critters yourself. Beneficial bacteria will come in on your coral in addition to what is available in the bottle.

It's a rock in an aquarium, it's no more natural than anything else.

All done at a cheaper price as well.

 

[mindme]

I used about 80lbs of dry rock in my 180g tank.

I just got finished building a 24g cube, and I used about 15lbs of dry rock in it.

I'm not even sure how I could fit 2lbs of dry rock in my tanks and still have room. Even 1 lb would still be pretty full.

 

[MONTANTK]

I tend to follow 1/2 pound per gallon. Nothing worse than a tank that has too much rock

 

[Belgian Anthias]

Why transporting calcium carbonate rock from the Caribbean or from an other tropical place? it is limestone available everywhere. Lime stone , ancient shell banks , maerl ( Halimeda, algae), cocolites ., It is mined and available all over the world. The filtration capacity depends on what grows on it. To introduce local tropical diversity one does not need the rock, Just harvest the periphyton growing on it and deliver it as fast as possible.

' a live rock',? A healthy piece of coral with it's substrate is the best a live rock available, it contains all diversity needed for growing corals. (see the coral holobiont) All the rest is competition.

What is best for introducing a coral? Put it on a cleaned and sterile piece of rock or put it on fresh live rock from the Caribbean?

 

[LiverockRocks]

I used about 80lbs of dry rock in my 180g tank.

I just got finished building a 24g cube, and I used about 15lbs of dry rock in it.

I'm not even sure how I could fit 2lbs of dry rock in my tanks and still have room. Even 1 lb would still be pretty full.

Thousands of successful tanks are built on ocean aquacultured live rock.
Not here to argue.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Watching what surprises were on or grew out of the wild Florida live rock that I first set up my tank with was one of the best early pleasures of my reef tank.

 

[WVNed]

I only have 510 pounds. I will have to get some more.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

Great thread! Like everything in this hobby, what you put in your tank is based what you expect to get out of it. The amount of live rock needs to be based on the amount and type of filtration methods being used, types and amount of livestock you want, and the amount of time you’re willing to put into your tank. I stocked my tank with live and dry rock as much as I could so 1/2 the tank is filled with rocks which provide caves, crevasses, overhangs, shady spots, etc. which like @PaulB said is important for fish to feel safe and hunt. I rarely see my fish but know they’re happy because the paired fish are constantly breed.
(side view)

I personally like the “natural” look and enjoy looking in the nooks and crannies of my tank to see what’s growing but I also can appreciate the clean minimalist BB tanks that are more popular today. As long as you understand the function of bacteria in your tank and all the details of various filtration methods and how they work and interact with your tank then you should be good to go!

 

[The_ReefB0y_FOX24]

I have a 24 gallon with 14.2 pounds of live rock.

 

[mindme]

Thousands of successful tanks are built on ocean aquacultured live rock.
Not here to argue.

Ok, that's one part of the story.

How many of them contained pests and how many of them were unsuccessful and/or had real troubles as a result?

What you should say is - you aren't here for honest discussion, you just want to promote the upside while ignoring anyone who mentions the downside.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Honestly I don't think most people really need a "rule of thumb" when deciding how much live rock to add since you probably don't need very much if you're just trying to meet your nitrification needs but I'd say if it's good quality live rock from the ocean extra never hurts if you're aiming to establish as natural a microbiome as possible

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ok, that's one part of the story.

How many of them contained pests and how many of them were unsuccessful and/or had real troubles as a result?

What you should say is - you aren't here for honest discussion, you just want to promote the upside while ignoring anyone who mentions the downside.

You can count mine in the no apparent pest category, and it had lots of desirable things.

 

[atoll]

Looking back the live rick rule was another myth in the hobby.i mean within reason with live rick more is well more. I don't care for the minimalistic reefscapes, tried it binned it quickly.
I am a BIG believer in live rock esp over fake but then I am a believer in mother nature knows best. I mainly have small fish that feel at home with plenty of live rock to graze upon.

 

[mindme]

You can count mine in the no apparent pest category, and it had lots of desirable things.

Well I guess we are at 50% then. I once bought a piece of live rock that was the size of my fist, to "seed" my tank years ago.

It had a mantis shrimp in it that killed multiple fish.

Lucky for me, I saw it going in and out of that rock and was able to remove the rock to get it out, as it was such a small one and not attached to the rest of the rocks. But if I had done my entire landscape that way, and it had been another spot, I'm not sure how I could have gotten it out.

If I were to cement the rock the way I do my dry rock, I'm not sure it would have been possible to get him out at all.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I didn't weigh my rock because I collected all of it in the sea but I believe you should have as much rock as you can fit while leaving plenty of room for fish to hide so it should be in a kind of lace work.

Not just for filtration or water conditions but for food and fish health. Many fish like copperbands, randalls gobies, mandarins, 6 line wrasses and the majority of fish we keep need or like to hunt. In a bare tank or something with very little rocks it isn't easy. Except for the copperband I don't have to feed most of my fish as they have plenty of places to find food. Copepods are a very important part of the food chain and even if you have fish that don't eat them, they are important.

Hiding where we can't see the fish is also very important for fish health and IMO one of the reasons for a disease forum. If we can see the fish, they can see us, and they don't like us even if we consider ourselves very good looking. ;Meh

My own tank is loaded with rock but very little of it actually touches the gravel on the bottom. I can see through many places right through to the back and fish can traverse the many tunnels and caves and keep out of sight.

I like your live rock source! Personally it's always seemed like a good idea to try to recreate as natural a microbiome as possible in any tank (not just for the nitrifying bacteria) and live rock seems to be the best way to do this.

 

[mindme]

I like your live rock source! Personally it's always seemed like a good idea to try to recreate as natural a microbiome as possible in any tank (not just for the nitrifying bacteria) and live rock seems to be the best way to do this.

If something doesn't have a food source, it will die off.

 

[mindme]

I didn't weigh my rock because I collected all of it in the sea but I believe you should have as much rock as you can fit while leaving plenty of room for fish to hide so it should be in a kind of lace work.

Not just for filtration or water conditions but for food and fish health. Many fish like copperbands, randalls gobies, mandarins, 6 line wrasses and the majority of fish we keep need or like to hunt. In a bare tank or something with very little rocks it isn't easy. Except for the copperband I don't have to feed most of my fish as they have plenty of places to find food. Copepods are a very important part of the food chain and even if you have fish that don't eat them, they are important.

Hiding where we can't see the fish is also very important for fish health and IMO one of the reasons for a disease forum. If we can see the fish, they can see us, and they don't like us even if we consider ourselves very good looking. ;Meh

My own tank is loaded with rock but very little of it actually touches the gravel on the bottom. I can see through many places right through to the back and fish can traverse the many tunnels and caves and keep out of sight.

Copepods have nothing to do with live rock or dry rock. They will end up in everyone's tank regardless.

Even though you claim to be taking in new fish all the time, and you never lose fish, your pictures always look near fish less with only a few fish in them.

 

[WVNed]

Add me to the no pest category too please