Is this too much rock?

hawk1 · 12/02/2013, 06:34 PM

I have a 38 gallon, and i used the pound per gallon rule of rock, i have about 40 lbs rock. I like the layout, but it looks a bit full from the front to me, there are about 3 more caves for fish in between the rocks that you cant see in this pic. Im just worried i wont have room for corals lol. What do you think? Maybe im just more used to open planted tanks lol.

jrozzi · 12/02/2013, 06:39 PM

in my opinion it is hard to have too much LIVE rock but that doesn't look live. none the less it looks fine to me.

RastaFan · 12/02/2013, 06:42 PM

looks fine, it depends on your preference, some likes a more open sand bed and they pile the rocks upward.

hawk1 · 12/02/2013, 06:45 PM

Well most is dry from macro rocks, and i have a few pieces of live mixed in here and there. This being my first saltwater tank, and tank with rocks. I had planted tanks in the past, so i guess i just got used to the open look of the plants.

Reefnub · 12/02/2013, 06:55 PM

Looks like a perfect amount.

Roger30 · 12/02/2013, 06:58 PM

I did the same, added 40lbs to a 30 gallon, and I agree it looked too much. I ended up with about 25lbs of rock and 20lbs of sand. I got rocks that had the most pores I could find. Tank has been doing ok, only three months old though.

Roger30 · 12/02/2013, 07:08 PM

Oh, I installed a protein skimmer also. Your tank does not look "over rocked"

fishNcars · 12/02/2013, 07:11 PM

Just as long as you have some space in the back so that the water has room to flow

CoralReeForrest · 12/02/2013, 07:11 PM

Personally I think it looks great!

hawk1 · 12/02/2013, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger30

Oh, I installed a protein skimmer also. Your tank does not look "over rocked"

What skimmer are you using? Ive got a Reef Octopus BH100 on mine. Im really pleased with it. Its pulling all kinds of brown and green gunk out just from the live rock die off, and from the cuc being in the tank.

davidfrances · 12/02/2013, 07:14 PM

Looks like the right amount. When you start adding corals it should fill in nicely. The corals can also seed the rock.

IME, dry Marco Rocks seem to go through phases that starts with diatom, cyano, hair, and then bubble algae before settling down to coraline algae. Just be patient.

hawk1 · 12/02/2013, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfrances

Looks like the right amount. When you start adding corals it should fill in nicely. The corals can also seed the rock.

IME, dry Marco Rocks seem to go through phases that starts with diatom, cyano, hair, and then bubble algae before settling down to coraline algae. Just be patient.

Ive already had the hair, my crabs took care of all that. Now its kinda brown spots with some green, and a tiny tiny bit of purple.

devimik · 12/02/2013, 07:18 PM

Looks good to me.

hawk1 · 12/02/2013, 07:21 PM

Here is a close up of the rocks.

bnumair · 12/02/2013, 07:29 PM

looks fine to me.

cab395 · 12/02/2013, 07:30 PM

I wouldn't change it. Looks perfect and will allow the corals plenty of room to fill it out. Good job!

hawk1 · 12/02/2013, 07:34 PM

Thanks everyone! I was worried this being my first try at saltwater! Its so exciting, just today I got excited when I spotted a few of the little tiny feather duster worms on the glass lol. It made me smile to see life popping up

JiveWalker · 12/02/2013, 07:41 PM

Looks good!

Roger30 · 12/02/2013, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawk1

What skimmer are you using? Ive got a Reef Octopus BH100 on mine. Im really pleased with it. Its pulling all kinds of brown and green gunk out just from the live rock die off, and from the cuc being in the tank.

I got the hydor slim skim nano, pretty happy with it too. My tank is an AIO

athompson · 12/02/2013, 09:19 PM

I think it looks great

jpitch · 12/02/2013, 09:30 PM

if you could turn a couple of the rocks a few degrees to and create more gaps it would be perfect!

Bd670 · 12/02/2013, 09:32 PM

looks good to me. You still have a good amount of open up high for fish to swim around in. I think the amount of rock is kinda stock list related as far as open spaced required.

JAnwyl · 12/02/2013, 09:46 PM

I had about 80#'s in a 50 gallon tank + maybe 7 gallons of water in sump.

hoohoohdillyo · 12/02/2013, 10:22 PM

Looks good, I would do as another suggested above and turn a few rocks to make some space in between for water flow, but it really up to you.

basmith · 12/02/2013, 10:54 PM

Looks good

12/02/2013, 06:34 PM	#1
hawk1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 146	Is this too much rock? I have a 38 gallon, and i used the pound per gallon rule of rock, i have about 40 lbs rock. I like the layout, but it looks a bit full from the front to me, there are about 3 more caves for fish in between the rocks that you cant see in this pic. Im just worried i wont have room for corals lol. What do you think? Maybe im just more used to open planted tanks lol.

12/02/2013, 06:55 PM	#5
Reefnub Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: California Posts: 750	Looks like a perfect amount. __________________ 200G SPS Dominated 60x30x26

12/02/2013, 07:11 PM	#8
fishNcars Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Omaha Nebraska Posts: 102	Just as long as you have some space in the back so that the water has room to flow __________________ Big Dreams, Small Pockets

12/02/2013, 07:18 PM	#13
devimik Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: KC, KS Posts: 637	Looks good to me. __________________ Mike D Coral Beauty, Green Filefish, One Spot Foxface, Springeri Dottyback, 2 Ocellaris Clowns, Yellow Watchman Goby, Flame Hawkfish, Spotted Mandarin Current Tank Info: 90g Softie Reef, 150# live rock, 30g sump w/refugium, Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO, Octopus NWB 150 Skimmer, Mag 950 return, Maxspect 120w Razor 10K LED light X2, BRS Phosphate Reactor; Apex Lite

12/02/2013, 07:29 PM	#15
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	looks fine to me. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

12/02/2013, 06:39 PM	#2
jrozzi Moved On Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 580	in my opinion it is hard to have too much LIVE rock but that doesn't look live. none the less it looks fine to me.

12/02/2013, 06:42 PM	#3
RastaFan Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Bay area Posts: 141	looks fine, it depends on your preference, some likes a more open sand bed and they pile the rocks upward.

12/02/2013, 06:45 PM	#4
hawk1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 146	Well most is dry from macro rocks, and i have a few pieces of live mixed in here and there. This being my first saltwater tank, and tank with rocks. I had planted tanks in the past, so i guess i just got used to the open look of the plants.

12/02/2013, 06:58 PM	#6
Roger30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 339	I did the same, added 40lbs to a 30 gallon, and I agree it looked too much. I ended up with about 25lbs of rock and 20lbs of sand. I got rocks that had the most pores I could find. Tank has been doing ok, only three months old though.

12/02/2013, 07:08 PM	#7
Roger30 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Granada Hills Posts: 339	Oh, I installed a protein skimmer also. Your tank does not look "over rocked"

12/02/2013, 07:11 PM	#9
CoralReeForrest Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Redding,Ca Posts: 1,010	Personally I think it looks great!

12/02/2013, 07:14 PM	#11
davidfrances Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Parkville, MO Posts: 666	Looks like the right amount. When you start adding corals it should fill in nicely. The corals can also seed the rock. IME, dry Marco Rocks seem to go through phases that starts with diatom, cyano, hair, and then bubble algae before settling down to coraline algae. Just be patient.

12/02/2013, 07:21 PM	#14
hawk1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 146	Here is a close up of the rocks.

12/02/2013, 07:30 PM	#16
cab395 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Northeast Posts: 324	I wouldn't change it. Looks perfect and will allow the corals plenty of room to fill it out. Good job! __________________ 38 Gallon Reef Tank with softies, LPS, and SPS. Current Tank Info: 38 gallon reef tank

12/02/2013, 07:34 PM	#17
hawk1 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: South Carolina Posts: 146	Thanks everyone! I was worried this being my first try at saltwater! Its so exciting, just today I got excited when I spotted a few of the little tiny feather duster worms on the glass lol. It made me smile to see life popping up

12/02/2013, 07:41 PM	#18
JiveWalker Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Chucktown Posts: 184	Looks good! __________________ 90 AGA \| 20+ G Sump \| Berlin 25-250 \| Photon 48 \| Rio 2500+ \| UltraClear 250WD \| WP25

12/02/2013, 09:19 PM	#20
athompson Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 233	I think it looks great

12/02/2013, 09:30 PM	#21
jpitch Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Middle Island, NY Posts: 908	if you could turn a couple of the rocks a few degrees to and create more gaps it would be perfect!

12/02/2013, 09:32 PM	#22
Bd670 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 57	looks good to me. You still have a good amount of open up high for fish to swim around in. I think the amount of rock is kinda stock list related as far as open spaced required.

12/02/2013, 09:46 PM	#23
JAnwyl Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: El Dorado Hills, CA Posts: 239	I had about 80#'s in a 50 gallon tank + maybe 7 gallons of water in sump.

12/02/2013, 10:22 PM	#24
hoohoohdillyo Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Saint Pete, FL Posts: 261	Looks good, I would do as another suggested above and turn a few rocks to make some space in between for water flow, but it really up to you.

12/02/2013, 10:54 PM	#25
basmith Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 76	Looks good