Live rock and wet/dry

CloruroDiSodio · 12/25/2008, 10:06 PM

Hi all,

I'm planning on starting a saltwater tank again (fish and hardy inverts) after many years and I wanted to get your opinion on filtration. It seems like live rock is what people are doing these days. I was thinking of having an external wet/dry filter (bioballs) that was also supplemented with live rock in the main tank. I thought this way if something went haywire with the live rock I could always back it up with the wet dry. Dumb idea? Also, can someone please explain the "care" I would need for cured live rock placed directly into the main tank. I'm assuming nice flow and lighting, anything else.

Thanks again!

jon99 · 12/25/2008, 10:26 PM

Forget the wet/dry and the bio balls. It causes nitrates to build up and creates algae problems. Your live rock and a good skimmer will do the majority of your filtering. You can add some sort of mechanical filtration like a filter sock and some chemical filtration like carbon later (or not at all). Live rock doesn't require any special care other than proper water conditions: temp, pH, alk, calcium are the main parameters you will need to keep up with. Good flow is not necessary for liverock, BUT does help keep algae at bay and eliminates dead spots where detriatous accumulates. Lighting also doesn't need to be anything fancy for liverock. Actually sometimes too much lighting such as from very bright metal halide bulbs causes the coraline algae on the rocks to bleach. I had best looking liverocks under plain flourecent bulbs when I first started. Now with the metal halides the liverock is only covered with coraline algae in areas that are shaded by corals from direct light.

WaterKeeper · 12/26/2008, 12:58 AM

I fully agree. The place for LR is in the tank, not a trickling filter (aka wet/dry).

nmbeg · 12/26/2008, 02:48 AM

also see this thread:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1537431

CloruroDiSodio · 12/26/2008, 07:33 AM

Thank you all, looks like Live rock will be the way I'm going!

thanks

12/25/2008, 10:06 PM	#1
CloruroDiSodio Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New York Posts: 597	Live rock and wet/dry Hi all, I'm planning on starting a saltwater tank again (fish and hardy inverts) after many years and I wanted to get your opinion on filtration. It seems like live rock is what people are doing these days. I was thinking of having an external wet/dry filter (bioballs) that was also supplemented with live rock in the main tank. I thought this way if something went haywire with the live rock I could always back it up with the wet dry. Dumb idea? Also, can someone please explain the "care" I would need for cured live rock placed directly into the main tank. I'm assuming nice flow and lighting, anything else. Thanks again!

12/25/2008, 10:26 PM	#2
jon99 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Atl Ga Posts: 817	Forget the wet/dry and the bio balls. It causes nitrates to build up and creates algae problems. Your live rock and a good skimmer will do the majority of your filtering. You can add some sort of mechanical filtration like a filter sock and some chemical filtration like carbon later (or not at all). Live rock doesn't require any special care other than proper water conditions: temp, pH, alk, calcium are the main parameters you will need to keep up with. Good flow is not necessary for liverock, BUT does help keep algae at bay and eliminates dead spots where detriatous accumulates. Lighting also doesn't need to be anything fancy for liverock. Actually sometimes too much lighting such as from very bright metal halide bulbs causes the coraline algae on the rocks to bleach. I had best looking liverocks under plain flourecent bulbs when I first started. Now with the metal halides the liverock is only covered with coraline algae in areas that are shaded by corals from direct light. __________________ Current tank: 210 gallon mixed reef 2x250w radium, 1x400w radium, 2x vortech mp40, 2 seaswirls. 40 gallon frag tank 250w radium, vortech mp10, seaswirl. 55 gallon sump w/ remote DSB, turf scrubber, SR Current Tank Info: 210 in the works

12/26/2008, 12:58 AM	#3
WaterKeeper Bogus Information Expert Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 16,147	I fully agree. The place for LR is in the tank, not a trickling filter (aka wet/dry). __________________ "Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29

12/26/2008, 02:48 AM	#4
nmbeg Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 894	also see this thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1537431

12/26/2008, 07:33 AM	#5
CloruroDiSodio Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New York Posts: 597	Thank you all, looks like Live rock will be the way I'm going! thanks