Amount of LR for Prop Tanks??

ftnirishfan · 03/06/2006, 08:57 AM

My system runs 74 gallons.....what is the standard for determining the amount of LR I need for this system being it will only be used for propagation? I will only have one or two fish and the system is barebottom. I was thinking 75lbs,......more? less?

Mr.Furious · 03/06/2006, 11:38 AM

75lbs sounds fine... on the majority of systems if the rock is placed under the egg crate and dosent receive light there will be no coralline clogging the pores in the rocks which will help the filtration. Even if this isnt how your setting up your system 75lb should be fine.

ftnirishfan · 03/06/2006, 12:52 PM

I was planning on just putting it in my sump. But thanks.

XeniaMania · 03/06/2006, 12:57 PM

Yeah, I was thinking of placing it in the sump as well. If you break up the rock, into rubble like 2x2" pieces or smaller, you can probrably get away with smaller amounts(increased surface area). I mean, those warehouse facilities don't exactly have 30000lbs of rock because they're running 30000 gallons.

tonkadawg · 03/07/2006, 06:17 AM

Yeah, I am running maybe 40 lbs of rock in my sump with a total system volume of 75-80 gallons.

XeniaMania · 03/07/2006, 11:17 AM

Besides....they say 1" of fish per 5 gallons of water, but I don't know what's the rule of thumb for coral...

I've seen some tanks that look like 10" of coral per gallon.

tekknoschtev · 03/07/2006, 12:03 PM

While I'm adding live rock as I find it cheap, and agrocrete rocks as I make it and cure it, my end goal is about 100-110lbs in my system. I figure that after I finish redoing my sump and fuges this week that it will be running at about 130 gallons. I'm going to have two fuges on the system, one with macro algaes and a few mangroves (mangroves more for decoration than nutrient export, though every little bit helps) and the other full of live rock mostly smaller sizes for mounting frags to. In the sump I'll have the rest of the live rock to make up the difference.

XeniaMania · 03/07/2006, 12:21 PM

The thing about mangroves is that you should supplement your tank with more magnesium since they utilitize that to pump salt out of their system. Lower magnesium makes it harder to maintain calcium levels.

03/06/2006, 08:57 AM	#1
ftnirishfan Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hainesport, NJ Posts: 249	Amount of LR for Prop Tanks?? My system runs 74 gallons.....what is the standard for determining the amount of LR I need for this system being it will only be used for propagation? I will only have one or two fish and the system is barebottom. I was thinking 75lbs,......more? less?

03/06/2006, 11:38 AM	#2
Mr.Furious Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 166	75lbs sounds fine... on the majority of systems if the rock is placed under the egg crate and dosent receive light there will be no coralline clogging the pores in the rocks which will help the filtration. Even if this isnt how your setting up your system 75lb should be fine.

03/06/2006, 12:52 PM	#3
ftnirishfan Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hainesport, NJ Posts: 249	I was planning on just putting it in my sump. But thanks.

03/06/2006, 12:57 PM	#4
XeniaMania Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 1,627	Yeah, I was thinking of placing it in the sump as well. If you break up the rock, into rubble like 2x2" pieces or smaller, you can probrably get away with smaller amounts(increased surface area). I mean, those warehouse facilities don't exactly have 30000lbs of rock because they're running 30000 gallons.

03/07/2006, 06:17 AM	#5
tonkadawg Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Springfield VA Posts: 454	Yeah, I am running maybe 40 lbs of rock in my sump with a total system volume of 75-80 gallons.

03/07/2006, 11:17 AM	#6
XeniaMania Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 1,627	Besides....they say 1" of fish per 5 gallons of water, but I don't know what's the rule of thumb for coral... I've seen some tanks that look like 10" of coral per gallon.

03/07/2006, 12:03 PM	#7
tekknoschtev Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: SCS, MI Posts: 2,037	While I'm adding live rock as I find it cheap, and agrocrete rocks as I make it and cure it, my end goal is about 100-110lbs in my system. I figure that after I finish redoing my sump and fuges this week that it will be running at about 130 gallons. I'm going to have two fuges on the system, one with macro algaes and a few mangroves (mangroves more for decoration than nutrient export, though every little bit helps) and the other full of live rock mostly smaller sizes for mounting frags to. In the sump I'll have the rest of the live rock to make up the difference.

03/07/2006, 12:21 PM	#8
XeniaMania Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 1,627	The thing about mangroves is that you should supplement your tank with more magnesium since they utilitize that to pump salt out of their system. Lower magnesium makes it harder to maintain calcium levels.