Enough Liverock?

[ian09]

So I have a 30 gallon long with a 20 gallon sump that has just about finished cycling. I have 40 lbs of live sand and only 20 lbs of live rock. I would like to maximize the open space in my small tank (36.5''L X 12.5''W X 17''H) and was interested in the minimalist aqauscape route. My plan for my reef tank's future in terms of livestock would be about 5-8 small fish but don't know which just yet (for the sake of my inquiry let's just say the fish will have a pretty heavy bioload). I will also be running a skimmer as well as a media reactor.

Would I need to purchase anymore live rock or am I ok with just the 40lbs of live sand and 20 lbs of live rock?

All feedback is appreciated, thanks!

 

[hollister]

Enough rock to many fish....

 

[duncantse]

I think you have enough LR. You can also put some LR or biofilter media into your sump/Filter. i also like the minimalist look too.

 

[johnc99]

How much rock do you have in total? If it's only 20lbs then I think you'll need more rock. The rock, along with power head type pumps to direct water flow on the rock, performs the bulk of your biological filtration. The rule of thumb is between 1lb and 1.5lb per gallon of water - preferably toward the higher side. If you don't want to spend the money on LR then the reef saver dry rock (from BRS or marcorock) seems to be everyone's favorite. It's lightweight, porous, easy to aquascape stably - and significantly cheaper than LR. Over time it will be colonized by nitrification and de-nitrification bacteria and other organisms from your existing LR.

As for fish - I think 5 might be OK and 8 might too much bioload (depending on your total water volume and efficiency of your skimmer) - even if you choose all nano fish. In my 30G (admittedly sump-less - so a TWV of around 25G but with a skimmer rated for a significantly larger water volume and around 55lbs of rock) I have only 3 fish and I will not be adding any more.

Also remember you will want to have some bioload headroom for a CUC with even more headroom if you decide on corals.

Just my 2c.

 

[ian09]

Enough rock to many fish....

So how much fish do you think would be safe?

I think you have enough LR. You can also put some LR or biofilter media into your sump/Filter. i also like the minimalist look too.

Thanks for the response. I really like the look as well. The 20 lbs, by the way, would be the total including in the refugium. My 20 sump doesn't allow much for the refugium. Just barely enough for some rubble and macro.

 

[Jim.mer]

I think more Rock would be benificial since you've got the room

 

[ian09]

How much rock do you have in total? If it's only 20lbs then I think you'll need more rock. The rock, along with power head type pumps to direct water flow on the rock, performs the bulk of your biological filtration. The rule of thumb is between 1lb and 1.5lb per gallon of water - preferably toward the higher side. If you don't want to spend the money on LR then the reef saver dry rock (from BRS or marcorock) seems to be everyone's favorite. It's lightweight, porous, easy to aquascape stably - and significantly cheaper than LR. Over time it will be colonized by nitrification and de-nitrification bacteria and other organisms from your existing LR.

As for fish - I think 5 might be OK and 8 might too much bioload (depending on your total water volume and efficiency of your skimmer) - even if you choose all nano fish. In my 30G (admittedly sump-less - so a TWV of around 25G but with a skimmer rated for a significantly larger water volume and around 55lbs of rock) I have only 3 fish and I will not be adding any more.

Also remember you will want to have some bioload headroom for a CUC with even more headroom if you decide on corals.

Just my 2c.

I think more Rock would be benificial since you've got the room

Thanks for your responses. I understand the live rock per gallon ratio and the benefits to the system. What I am trying to go for is the minimalist aquascape look. I just wanted some feedback on if my system would handle everything. I understand the more live rock and substrate I have would increase the beneficial bacteria that would be able to live in my tank but I was hoping to have more open room this time around (since this is my 3rd set up). So, does anyone know or have experience with a thriving reef tank with less rock per gallon ratio setup? Or, any of you other hobbyists who have the minimalist rock setup have any advice? Do you just have a refugium large enough to hold all your live rock so that your DT can go with less?

 

[Virtuoso]

If you want a "heavy" bioload you would probably need more rock, I think. One thing you can do is put some rock in your refrigium, if you are planning on having one of those in your sump.

 

[cloak]

I think you'll be fine with the amount of live rock you have. Don't forget, the aerobic bacteria will also be growing on everything else that's submerged. On the glass, the heater, your skimmer, return pump etc. This along with regular water changes and an efficient skimmer and your good to go IMO.

 

[ian09]

I think you'll be fine with the amount of live rock you have. Don't forget, the aerobic bacteria will also be growing on everything else that's submerged. On the glass, the heater, your skimmer, return pump etc. This along with regular water changes and an efficient skimmer and your good to go IMO.

Thanks!