Rock per Gallon??

[db366]

So I am in the very early stages of planning an upgrade, the tank size is still up in the air all I know for sure is it will be either a 75, 90, 120 4ft long tank. I remember way back when it was like a pound per gallon but that just seems off. I have about 55 lbs of nice marco rock and when it was set up it looked to be about perfect for a 4x2x2 120, would this be enough rock? I really don't want a rock wall, very minimal aquascape, I was thinking two large pillars with some ledges and that would be it.

 

[viperrob]

I was told that ideal is about 1 - 1.5 lbs per gallon. But I was also told that more is good, less can be bad. I upgraded from a 46 gallon bowfront to 125 gallon (72 inches long). At around 150 of live rock currently I still have room to add a bit more without making it look to over crowded and still give my larger fish plenty of space to swim around

 

[jennm]

I wouldn't chase a number as much as make it look like you want it to. That old measure of 1-2 lbs per gallon applied more when the majority of rock available was dense, heavy Caribbean rock. Some rock of other geographical origin is much more porous, and lighter per volume, so if you stuffed enough "pounds" in, you won't have much room left.

Make it look nice - don't over stuff with rock, don't over-stock the tank and you'll be fine.

Jenn

 

[skriz]

Aquascape to make the DT look good and add biological filtration elsewhere.

 

[db366]

Thank ya, so if I were going to be running ~55 lbs of rock what kind of extra biological filtration would I use? Matrix? Would a refugium count as biological filtration? I watch a couple videos on the ecosystem method and I actually like the idea of running both a skimmer and a fuge, just only skimming for 6-8 hours a day. I think they called it the eco plus method.

 

[grouper therapy]

db366;704647 wrote: Thank ya, so if I were going to be running ~55 lbs of rock what kind of extra biological filtration would I use? Matrix? Would a refugium count as biological filtration? I watch a couple videos on the ecosystem method and I actually like the idea of running both a skimmer and a fuge, just only skimming for 6-8 hours a day. I think they called it the eco plus method.

Depends on the bioload. A 500 gallon tank with two tangs needs very little.

 

[swampchamp]

20

 

[swampchamp]

usually 1-1.5 per gallon is a good benchmark

 

[frdagaa]

JennM;704638 wrote: I wouldn't chase a number as much as make it look like you want it to. That old measure of 1-2 lbs per gallon applied more when the majority of rock available was dense, heavy Caribbean rock. Some rock of other geographical origin is much more porous, and lighter per volume...

Jenn

That's why I went a little under 1 lb/gal with vanuatu rock (http://www.livestockusa.org/VANUATULIVEROCK.html">http://www.livestockusa.org/VANUATULIVEROCK.html</a>), working great in my set-up.

I love my rocks. :thumbs: