Never stop having questions

[sagent3000]

i was looking for some milliporas and i found this website and the people were showing off their tanks. and everything i thought i knew was a lie. i used to think that i was supposed to have 1 - 1.5 lbs of rock per gallon. this one guy had a 150 with 100 lbs of rock. how is this possible? then another guy was talking about he drilled holes in his rock and pegged his corals can i do this with just a regular bit or do i need a special bit to do this?

 

[tnyga]

Sure can drill holes...any bit will work (no paddles). As far as rock..some are much more porous than others...You can have two rocks the same size and one a fraction of the weight than the other.

 

[sagent3000]

so i can have a 75 gallon tank with 50 lbs of rock?

 

[ckwatson]

I dont know for sure but I think most of it has to do with surface area for all the good bacteria to grow on so I you can find rock that is very very porous you can have a little less that the average pounds per gallon. If the rock you buy is very dense you will have to buy more pounds per gallon. If this is wrong some one please feel free to correct me.

 

[tnyga]

depending on the rock...why not I have a not so big piece thats like 20 pounds and another 3 times the size thats half the weight

 

[tnyga]

I believe thats correct also CK

 

[mkinna1]

I think the question about the rock it the amount of surface area the rock has. A lot more bacteria can live a a rock with tons of holes that is very large compared to a rock of the same weight, that is dense without holes. Get what I am saying. Different types of rocks call for different weight tank ratios.

 

[drnecropolis]

Yup, its all about surface area. I wish I knew how much area I have. I prefer lots o rock, makes the tank easier on the eyes to me. For example I am short about 20lbs of hitting the 400 lb mark in my 180

 

[drnecropolis]

I'm like you, sometimes I think I'm growing LR, I have a few bad pics on the member gall. I need to up some good ones

 

[skriz]

The more expensive rock eventually ends up being cheaper since it is lighter. So, like everyone has already said, you can have less weight and still be fine. Plus, it's also just a guidline, not a hard set rule.

 

[sagent3000]

you know just when you think you have it all you realize you have nothing http://www.ez-smilies.com/smilies/mad0029.gif" alt="" />

everything you guys have said is the contrary of what i was told and believed becasue it worked that way for me. i liked the way mine looked but the other peoples looked nice too though

 

[xyzpdq0121]

+1 to Barbara for that great post. (Dang I miss Rep points)

Ya the 1.5-2 lb "rule" is a guideline, nothing more... I have seen a great tank run as a 75 gal with no more then about 25 lbs of rock. Now, granted, it had a low bio-load but still... There are other ways to make up the good things that rock does for you, most of them are not used anymore or written about in books.

 

[cameron]

You can always start light on the rock and add more as your nitrates climb. Many people just pack their sumps/fuges full of the stuff so they can have a low rock display but still have all the advantages of a lot of rock filtering.