LIVE ROCK RULES: Should the rule for live rock be changed.....again?

Are most hobbyists using enough live rock these days?

  • Yes

    Votes: 133 24.1%
  • No

    Votes: 192 34.7%
  • Not sure

    Votes: 216 39.1%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 12 2.2%

  • Total voters
    553

Thespammailaccount

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55lbs of well established pukani rock in a 70 gallon. They just don’t make them like the used too

B51E1528-4708-4E2D-BA96-B08BBF0638DF.jpeg
 

PastorJ

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I new to reefing, but everything I’ve studied and l read I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s more like gardening, the more plants you add the more landscape you lose as well as soil to plant. I feel the same way with beneficial bacteria, the more Coral and fish you add the less landscape you have and so the less areas for beneficial bacteria to thrive
 

fish farmer

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I honestly think there is no real answer for this. You can use a lot less live rock when you have a refugium, oversized skimmer, reactors, etc. You are replacing the live rock with equipment like @revhtree states with how filtration has changed. Now if you dont want to have all that equipment or dont have the space or money for it then you need to have more rock.

I'd like to add to this, regarding the "rule of thumb" for rock. Does the rule ever factor in biomass? More filtration regardless of rock, algae, etc. generally means you can add more biomass, so with less rock, etc., means it can handle less biomass.

I think many problems can come right back to this, I feel some folks may overstock, feed too much, use less than optimal rock and bingo algae problems.
 

The_Skrimp

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When I first started my tank I posted a picture of my scape on a reddit forum. I was surprised at how many comments were telling me I had too much rock. I didn’t even hit one pound per gallon with what I have in there. I like To strike a balance between a good looking scape and enough rock to provide hiding spots for my fish along with an ecosystem to keep a healthy tank. A lot of the tanks I’ve seen since coming back to the hobby hardly have enough rock to maintain a healthy amount of nitrifying bacteria and while that that can be fixed with extra bio media I still think providing enough rock for pods and worms and all the extra stuff Like small inverts that we keep in our tanks is incredibly important. Plus I want to fill my tank up with coral eventually so the more surface area the better.
 

ReefHomieJon

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Depends on what’s in the sump really. It all boils down to how much nitrifying bacteria u have in your system. . U could have a minimial scape in your DT but have more live rock and/or a ton of porus blocks in the sump that can handle the tank bio-load. Your fish do need somewhere to call home tho
 

Brandon McHenry

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I personally think that the hobby has trended away from live rock and instead is using lots of dry rock. I think there is value in adding biodiversity from live rock into our reef tanks. I started and interesting discussion on another thread that I thought would be helpful to add here.

 

Matt Carden

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I agree in the need for real live rock. However it would be extremely expensive to stock a large tank with all live rock. Also the real live rock I've used isn't shaped like the dry rock so aesthetically not as nice for aquascaping.
 

Cell

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A more useful measurement of rock would be that of surface area, as more surface area means more space for nitrifying bacteria to grow. More porous rock has more surface area so you need less of it.
 

Bleigh

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As with so many things, I think it probably depends on the goals of the reefer and what is available. I've had so many issues with pests in "clean" live rock that I have purchased, I'm not sure I would use it again. I think it has been amazing for establishing a stable tank quicker, but I think I would cure my own live rock from dry rock moving forward. Though that necessitates a longer period of cycling. I think it may be worth it to try to avoid some of the pests. Though, not sure how long term the pest free environment could be if a reefer didn't have access to the space and equipment to QT everything long term before putting it in the DT tank. Several things to consider.
 

alton

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With very little rock what do your fish do all day if they have nothing to graze on naturally? While I am at home my fish hang out in a corner waiting for food like puppy dogs. But when I am at work I turn on my Wyze camera and it is fun to watch them graze while picking on rocks and glass for algae. But I am a fish before coral person
 

92Miata

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Rock quantity, rock arrangement, flow, skimming, input, output, refugiums, etc, are all entangled variables. None are independent.

Lots of flow means more stuff gets skimmed/filtersocked/etc, and you need less denitrification/etc. Nothing is independent.
 

Lewism11

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I agree with what some others have said. Bio-load is the determining factor in how much rock to use.
I could put 10lbs of live rock in a 100gal tank if all I want to keep is 2 clowns. Load is everything.
 

hubble

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Of all the tanks I have set up, the best ones were the ones I used live gulf reef rock, a minimum of one pound per gallon. These tanks never seemed to have any problems and the biodiversity was amazing.
 

92Miata

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I agree with what some others have said. Bio-load is the determining factor in how much rock to use.
I could put 10lbs of live rock in a 100gal tank if all I want to keep is 2 clowns. Load is everything.
I've seen very little evidence at this point that live rock surface area is a limiting factor for bioload in most tanks.

We've all seen those big barebottom tanks with 9 million fish and very little rock who still need to dose phosphates and nitrates to keep corals colored up. I think in mature tanks, coral processes more nitrate and phosphate than rock does.
 

RazorRamon

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I think bio media has become more effective. For example bio bricks or plates. This can allow less rock work within the aquarium.
 

flabryth

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Less is in right now...the amount rock and sand is being cut down to drastically. The issues/requirements in the past was most likely tied to the nutrient export methods of the day. Today we have more options so rock/sand beds are not as critical as they once were. Everyone must remember going bare bottom and reduced rock has to be counter with a nutrient export system to allow for the reduced amount of bio filtration.

As technology advances so does our options we just as a community need to understand that. Putting some sand in your sump does not give you remotely the same amount of bio filtration as a sand bed in a display tank...unless it is fluidized. I would imagine you would have to up size you equipment to makeup for this increased reliance on the sump and its components as the chief method of nutrient export.
 
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flabryth

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A long time ago in a galaxy far far away people believed the more live rock you had the better! Some said 2lbs per gallon, some said 1lb per gallon was the ticket and some said pack as much as you can get in your tank! That led to some very interesting...ahem....aquascapes. Rock pile is a better descriptor of them! :p But over the years the hobby has trended away from those rules and you now see tanks with less and less live rock. Filtration has gotten better so many believe less is now more when it comes to rock. But have we trended too far away from live rock? Is it just me or are there more and more algae horror stories? Let's talk about it today!

1. Are most hobbyists using enough live rock these days and what are your thoughts?

2. Do you have any "rules" for live rock when it comes to your reef tank?



@Ricardo Prata's beautifully minimalist aquascaped tank!

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well this looks more like art than the stereo typical reef tank...I like it could see having a tank like this in my bedroom. ..this could not be my main tank. I come from freshwater side of things and am addicted to the fish.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

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