is it possible to have too much live rock?

new2reef2 · 12/17/2015, 06:30 PM

hey all i finally got my 35 gallon up and running salinity in check sand is in. now time to add LR. i have approx 30 lbs of dry in the tank. I found a deal on LR and the person will only sell it as a lot of 50LBs. I have a sump under the tank also. would having all that rock between my display and sump be too much?

Sk8r · 12/17/2015, 06:42 PM

Lol---only if the fish can't swim---but even then, there are a lot of fish that live in rock caves and holes. I keep extra rock in my sump. It comes and it goes in the design.

Psychomantix · 12/17/2015, 06:51 PM

Anything is possible...

new2reef2 · 12/17/2015, 07:08 PM

perfect where I am live rock usually goes for 7-8$ a Lb. i picked this stuff up from a established clean tank for 3$ a lb. now time to cycle the tank. hopefully it will be cycled for boxing day sales. to get a CUC or clown or 2 for it.

goliwala · 12/17/2015, 07:21 PM

Watch out for dead spots in the tank when you have a lot of LR. Make sure LR is not blocking flow and trapping gunk.

new2reef2 · 12/17/2015, 07:25 PM

i have pretty decent flow in the tank. i am going to try and put most of the LR in the sump and keep the display tank more open.

Also now when cycling with live rock do I just add it and wait or is there any additives i should add. when i got the tank it came with 3 viles of Ammolock start. i could not find to much info on the stuff and how to use it.

Drewl117 · 12/17/2015, 07:41 PM

I used to have a 75 gallon system that I bought used and I started it with dry rock. I had at least 80lbs of rock in there. It looked nice but over time I always had an algae issue. The rock was packed so tight the power heads couldn't move the water in there and it trapped all kinds of junk. Like stated above don't put in to much... You will have problems!

Psychomantix · 12/17/2015, 08:46 PM

With 50lb of LR, your tank should be pretty close if not done the nitrogen cycling part. Just test for a week to be sure, then you can probably add livestock. However, your tank will go through many other cycles (other than the nitrogen) as it matures and stabilizes.

CStrickland · 12/17/2015, 09:21 PM

with 30# already in youre probs fine. It's just about getting it to look nice and have good places for coral to go. It's tempting in the beginning to fill up the tank but try to think of the coral as the last piece of your aquascape.

For me as long as theres enough spots for fish to sleep and it looks good, that's all you need. You an grow enough bacteria to process all your tank's ammonia on pretty minimal rocks, the extra in the sump can just cause problems by trapping all the poop that lands there. Like after a certain amount it's actually working against you. I disagree with the whole more is merrier position on rock. You see a lot of threads where people have their sumps chock full of sand and rock and algae, and they are fighting nitrates.

[unless youre trying to grow pods for a mandarin, then some rock piles are good pod-condos, you just have to clean up after them]

toothybugs · 12/18/2015, 06:31 AM

You could always sell the extra...

shifty51008 · 12/18/2015, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Lol---only if the fish can't swim---but even then, there are a lot of fish that live in rock caves and holes. I keep extra rock in my sump. It comes and it goes in the design.

+1

I have a 75 gal with about 50lbs of totoka rock in the display tank but also have 200 lbs of rock in my sump.

new2reef2 · 12/18/2015, 02:57 PM

with some playing around i managed to fit it all in lots of room in the display with nice aquascape and then my sump is jammed pack im going to try and sell all the extra in the one part of the sump because i want to eventually put a skimmer there. so now that the LR is in the do i just wait for it to cycle or should i start feeding the tank food daily. il check my parameters tomorrow morning that will be about 24 hours since the rocks been in the tank. The rock went through about a 2 hour transport outside of water in a bag with some paper towel on it,

lifeoffaith · 12/18/2015, 03:01 PM

My personal opinion is that it is about aesthetics mostly. If you can fit more in your sump where it isn't seen and make the display look cool, then go for it. Of course you can block flow and such which you'll also want to take into consideration.

Psychomantix · 12/18/2015, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by new2reef2

with some playing around i managed to fit it all in lots of room in the display with nice aquascape and then my sump is jammed pack im going to try and sell all the extra in the one part of the sump because i want to eventually put a skimmer there. so now that the LR is in the do i just wait for it to cycle or should i start feeding the tank food daily. il check my parameters tomorrow morning that will be about 24 hours since the rocks been in the tank. The rock went through about a 2 hour transport outside of water in a bag with some paper towel on it,

You can test for a few days if you like but I assume your tank is pretty much done cycling if you got 50lb of LR from an established tank.

shifty51008 · 12/19/2015, 02:11 PM

An easy way to tell if your getting enough flow through the rock is wait a couple weeks and take a turkey baster and blow around at the rock and see how much stuff comes off.

ca1ore · 12/19/2015, 04:25 PM

Of course not all rock is created equally, but I have consistently been able to work a perfectly functional bio filter with much less than a pound per gallon on average. I agree that is mostly about aesthetics and swimming room.

12/17/2015, 06:30 PM	#1
new2reef2 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 41	is it possible to have too much live rock? hey all i finally got my 35 gallon up and running salinity in check sand is in. now time to add LR. i have approx 30 lbs of dry in the tank. I found a deal on LR and the person will only sell it as a lot of 50LBs. I have a sump under the tank also. would having all that rock between my display and sump be too much?

12/17/2015, 06:42 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Lol---only if the fish can't swim---but even then, there are a lot of fish that live in rock caves and holes. I keep extra rock in my sump. It comes and it goes in the design. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/17/2015, 09:21 PM	#9
CStrickland Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New England, U.S. Posts: 4,595	with 30# already in youre probs fine. It's just about getting it to look nice and have good places for coral to go. It's tempting in the beginning to fill up the tank but try to think of the coral as the last piece of your aquascape. For me as long as theres enough spots for fish to sleep and it looks good, that's all you need. You an grow enough bacteria to process all your tank's ammonia on pretty minimal rocks, the extra in the sump can just cause problems by trapping all the poop that lands there. Like after a certain amount it's actually working against you. I disagree with the whole more is merrier position on rock. You see a lot of threads where people have their sumps chock full of sand and rock and algae, and they are fighting nitrates. [unless youre trying to grow pods for a mandarin, then some rock piles are good pod-condos, you just have to clean up after them] __________________ If you're havin tank problems I feel bad for you, son. I got 99 problems but a fish ain't one Current Tank Info: 3/2016 upgrade to 120g. Chalk bass, melanurus, firefish, starry blenny, canary blenny, lyretail anthias, engineer gobys, kole tang. Softies / LPS / NPS. <3 noob4life <3

12/19/2015, 02:11 PM	#15
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	An easy way to tell if your getting enough flow through the rock is wait a couple weeks and take a turkey baster and blow around at the rock and see how much stuff comes off. __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

12/19/2015, 04:25 PM	#16
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	Of course not all rock is created equally, but I have consistently been able to work a perfectly functional bio filter with much less than a pound per gallon on average. I agree that is mostly about aesthetics and swimming room. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

12/17/2015, 06:51 PM	#3
Psychomantix Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Canada Posts: 120	Anything is possible...

12/17/2015, 07:08 PM	#4
new2reef2 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 41	perfect where I am live rock usually goes for 7-8$ a Lb. i picked this stuff up from a established clean tank for 3$ a lb. now time to cycle the tank. hopefully it will be cycled for boxing day sales. to get a CUC or clown or 2 for it.

12/17/2015, 07:21 PM	#5
goliwala Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 46	Watch out for dead spots in the tank when you have a lot of LR. Make sure LR is not blocking flow and trapping gunk.

12/17/2015, 07:25 PM	#6
new2reef2 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 41	i have pretty decent flow in the tank. i am going to try and put most of the LR in the sump and keep the display tank more open. Also now when cycling with live rock do I just add it and wait or is there any additives i should add. when i got the tank it came with 3 viles of Ammolock start. i could not find to much info on the stuff and how to use it.

12/17/2015, 07:41 PM	#7
Drewl117 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: NH Posts: 507	I used to have a 75 gallon system that I bought used and I started it with dry rock. I had at least 80lbs of rock in there. It looked nice but over time I always had an algae issue. The rock was packed so tight the power heads couldn't move the water in there and it trapped all kinds of junk. Like stated above don't put in to much... You will have problems!

12/17/2015, 08:46 PM	#8
Psychomantix Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Canada Posts: 120	With 50lb of LR, your tank should be pretty close if not done the nitrogen cycling part. Just test for a week to be sure, then you can probably add livestock. However, your tank will go through many other cycles (other than the nitrogen) as it matures and stabilizes.

12/18/2015, 06:31 AM	#10
toothybugs In Memoriam Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: The smallest county in Illinois Posts: 1,986	You could always sell the extra...

12/18/2015, 02:57 PM	#12
new2reef2 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 41	with some playing around i managed to fit it all in lots of room in the display with nice aquascape and then my sump is jammed pack im going to try and sell all the extra in the one part of the sump because i want to eventually put a skimmer there. so now that the LR is in the do i just wait for it to cycle or should i start feeding the tank food daily. il check my parameters tomorrow morning that will be about 24 hours since the rocks been in the tank. The rock went through about a 2 hour transport outside of water in a bag with some paper towel on it,

12/18/2015, 03:01 PM	#13
lifeoffaith Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Grand Rapids MI area Posts: 737	My personal opinion is that it is about aesthetics mostly. If you can fit more in your sump where it isn't seen and make the display look cool, then go for it. Of course you can block flow and such which you'll also want to take into consideration.