Aquascaping with less live rock???

Carey1465 · 01/29/2013, 01:11 AM

I would like to get some different opinions on some of these ideas about aquascaping. I read a article this morning on aquascaping and rule #1 was less is often. I like the idea on the "rule of thirds" in the fish tank which comes from a rule of photography but my concern is if we go that route, we'll be taking more live rock from the tank. I thought we want more live rock to allow more bacteria and filtration? On top of that, where are the fish suppose to hide if we take more rock out? I have a bare bottom tank with a refugium and I don't like the idea of putting live rock in the sump which can trap detritus. I would love to aquascape my tank like some of these I see on here but worried about the amount of bacteria and filtration. ??????? What are your thoughts?

bshow24 · 01/29/2013, 01:54 AM

I am in no means an expert reefer but what I can chime in is this. I have 2 tanks, one 28 gallon and one 8.

My 28 gallon had about 15 pounds of live rock in it for a while mainly due to the fact I had not had the ability to cure any new stuff. My nitrates in the tank were over 80 ppm for about 12 months straight. Not even a 50% water change could do the trick.

On the 8 gallon nano, my nitrates have never spiked about 20 ppm. This tank has 12 pounds of live rock in it and no type of filtration whatsoever. Just weekly or biweekly water changes and everything stays good.

What I have learned, natural filtration is extremely important, especially if you want to try and keep any type of inverts in your tank. Hope this can help you out a bit!

ImNotLion · 01/29/2013, 05:44 AM

More rock and sand are your best option. They produce natural filtration and it will help your tank thrive. If you go bare bottom I would encourage you to go about 1.5 lbs per gallon maybe 2

rogermccray · 01/29/2013, 09:41 AM

To me this is more of a preference thing, a lot of people like minimalistic aquascapes where others like a tank that looks "full". For that you have to decide which you like better and then plan accordingly.

More rock does mean more filtration, but you can always supplement that with some rock in your sump/fuge so that is not a huge deal (of course that depends on your setup).

Now when it comes to hiding places and things like that it depends on your fish. Some fish like a lot of open space so need you have to have clear spaces for swimming while other fish need a lot of hiding places. You really need to think about that when you set up your scape.

That is just my 2 cents on the subject, hopefully others will chime in so you can get a varied response and make some educated decisions

Palting · 01/29/2013, 10:06 AM

The old rule was 1lb/gallon. Even with this rule there can be a lot of variation and therfore inconsistency of results. Example, there are rocks where a fist size one can weight a pound and there are rocks where you have to fill a bucket to make a pound. Then there's dry weight vs wet weight. So, what is 1lb/gallon to one reefer will not be the same as what it is to another reefer.

I have about 80-100 lbs (dry weight) rock of varying density and porosity in my 150 gallon tank (200 gal system), 1"-2" sandbed, 36X total flow, refugium, and it has served me well for 3 years with 0 nitrates. Then again, I also use a wet/dry sump with two giant biowheels, so who knows, really? LOL!!

So, what I suggest to you is aquascape however you want to, sandbed or not depending on your preference, and see where it goes.

E Rosewater · 01/29/2013, 10:12 AM

Live rock can catch as much stuff in the in the sump as in the DT. You can also put a small CUC in the sump. Or run a filter sock or similiar to collect the detritus before it makes it into the live rock section of the sump.

cloak · 01/29/2013, 11:52 AM

Having more rock does mean more surface area for bacteria to live, but don't forget, the bacteria won't discriminate. It will grow on "everything" that's submerged. The glass, your heater, your skimmer, your return pump, etc will all function as a biological filter. As long as your not going to overstock the tank with a ton of fish & invertebrates, it could run smoothly with regular water changes & a skimmer alone. No sand or rock. JMO.

01/29/2013, 10:06 AM	#5
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	The old rule was 1lb/gallon. Even with this rule there can be a lot of variation and therfore inconsistency of results. Example, there are rocks where a fist size one can weight a pound and there are rocks where you have to fill a bucket to make a pound. Then there's dry weight vs wet weight. So, what is 1lb/gallon to one reefer will not be the same as what it is to another reefer. I have about 80-100 lbs (dry weight) rock of varying density and porosity in my 150 gallon tank (200 gal system), 1"-2" sandbed, 36X total flow, refugium, and it has served me well for 3 years with 0 nitrates. Then again, I also use a wet/dry sump with two giant biowheels, so who knows, really? LOL!! So, what I suggest to you is aquascape however you want to, sandbed or not depending on your preference, and see where it goes. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

01/29/2013, 01:11 AM	#1
Carey1465 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Atlanta, Ga Posts: 251	Aquascaping with less live rock??? I would like to get some different opinions on some of these ideas about aquascaping. I read a article this morning on aquascaping and rule #1 was less is often. I like the idea on the "rule of thirds" in the fish tank which comes from a rule of photography but my concern is if we go that route, we'll be taking more live rock from the tank. I thought we want more live rock to allow more bacteria and filtration? On top of that, where are the fish suppose to hide if we take more rock out? I have a bare bottom tank with a refugium and I don't like the idea of putting live rock in the sump which can trap detritus. I would love to aquascape my tank like some of these I see on here but worried about the amount of bacteria and filtration. ??????? What are your thoughts?

01/29/2013, 01:54 AM	#2
bshow24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 584	I am in no means an expert reefer but what I can chime in is this. I have 2 tanks, one 28 gallon and one 8. My 28 gallon had about 15 pounds of live rock in it for a while mainly due to the fact I had not had the ability to cure any new stuff. My nitrates in the tank were over 80 ppm for about 12 months straight. Not even a 50% water change could do the trick. On the 8 gallon nano, my nitrates have never spiked about 20 ppm. This tank has 12 pounds of live rock in it and no type of filtration whatsoever. Just weekly or biweekly water changes and everything stays good. What I have learned, natural filtration is extremely important, especially if you want to try and keep any type of inverts in your tank. Hope this can help you out a bit!

01/29/2013, 05:44 AM	#3
ImNotLion Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 88	More rock and sand are your best option. They produce natural filtration and it will help your tank thrive. If you go bare bottom I would encourage you to go about 1.5 lbs per gallon maybe 2

01/29/2013, 09:41 AM	#4
rogermccray Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,050	To me this is more of a preference thing, a lot of people like minimalistic aquascapes where others like a tank that looks "full". For that you have to decide which you like better and then plan accordingly. More rock does mean more filtration, but you can always supplement that with some rock in your sump/fuge so that is not a huge deal (of course that depends on your setup). Now when it comes to hiding places and things like that it depends on your fish. Some fish like a lot of open space so need you have to have clear spaces for swimming while other fish need a lot of hiding places. You really need to think about that when you set up your scape. That is just my 2 cents on the subject, hopefully others will chime in so you can get a varied response and make some educated decisions

01/29/2013, 10:12 AM	#6
E Rosewater Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 846	Live rock can catch as much stuff in the in the sump as in the DT. You can also put a small CUC in the sump. Or run a filter sock or similiar to collect the detritus before it makes it into the live rock section of the sump.

01/29/2013, 11:52 AM	#7
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Having more rock does mean more surface area for bacteria to live, but don't forget, the bacteria won't discriminate. It will grow on "everything" that's submerged. The glass, your heater, your skimmer, your return pump, etc will all function as a biological filter. As long as your not going to overstock the tank with a ton of fish & invertebrates, it could run smoothly with regular water changes & a skimmer alone. No sand or rock. JMO.