Help with choosing live rock, please!

[alizar185]

I've read Carribean is the best choice due to it's porosity. 2nd being Red Sea, and 3rd, indo Pacific. Is there any truth to this? And also is 2.2 lb's of live rock per gallon too much? Many more questions if anybody has an ear!

 

[Sparks]

carribian tends to be very dense tho (equals more money for less space and surface area in your tank). since we're all looking for rock that "appears" the biggest, i like tonga shelf(makes little caves and overhangs very easily) and tonga branch pieces and some stuff i've seen recently out of fiji too that is low density. Usually the hitchhiker life, like encrusting sponges, off rock from the indo pacific usually is more colorful than carribean rock too.

Not sure about 2.2lbs per gallon, i guess it depends on the size of the tank...like 22lbs in a ten gallon would probably not even fit. Personally I'd go with 1.5max(for tanks 20gallons and larger) unless the rock was really dense.

 

[alizar185]

Thanx sparks, I also wonder when they suggest a certain poundage per gallon, that must mean wet rock, eh? I mean all live rock is dealt wet right?

 

[Sparks]

Thanx sparks, I also wonder when they suggest a certain poundage per gallon, that must mean wet rock, eh? I mean all live rock is dealt wet right?

I think the pound of live rock per gallon is a rough rule when trying to aid in natural filtarion/denitrification. Some people like the rock to be no higher than about halfway up total heighth of the tank, some like it much higher

at the place i work at, we weigh it out of the water real quick, then re-submerge it in a plastic bag when you leave the store.

 

[NaH2O]

Here is a link to one of our sponsors that sells my favorite kind of live rock: Frag Farmer - Pukani Live Rock. This stuff is very porous and light - made for great aquascaping in my tank.

definately a guideline with regards to pounds per gallon. You don't want to stuff your tank so full that it hinders flow and circulation in the tank. I have approx 140 pounds in the tank part of my 120, with 50 pounds scattered between the sump and fuge. I think when I consider the total water volume...i'm just at 1 pound per gallon.

 

[mojoreef]

Hmm the list seems to be backwards?? the carib rock like sparks says is very dence and thus doesnt have as much filtration ability. also it was dry rock at one time (so more nutrients) and then dumped in the canal. Lots of algae, mantis and crabs, which is ok if you are looking for that but for most folks it leads to lots of trouble down the line. Red sea is a decent rock but usually expensive. Indo is about the best, most figi rock is porities and tends to be round boulders. Marshalls was always the best, very pourious, light and neat shapes, but the pukani has replaced that imo.

Good luck

Mike

 

[BCT182]

You don't want to stuff your tank so full that it hinders flow and circulation in the tank.

I made that mistake in my first reef. I piled about 90 lbs into a fifty gallon and leaned it up against the back of the tank building up and out. After that putting corals on top of all the rock I had no flow. Detritus, rotting food, maybe a lost fish... All just jack your nutrient levels and the only way I could get back there was to pull the tank apart.

 

[Angelscrx]

I got pukani mixed in with fiji and the pukani is the way to go. Very light and porous. I grabbed a peice I figured was about 5 lbs and ended up being 2.4lbs. I liked that!