Has anyone tried this approach? I saw someone's sps tank on here (forgot whose it was) and he/she doesn't have any LR whatsoever. The tank looks incredible with all healthy, vibrant sps. Though I'm sure in lieu of LR the owner probably applies great husbandry + other means such as Zeo, carbon dosing, etc.
Has anyone gone no live rocks?
- Thread starter johnvu713
- Start date
nossalucard
New member
Yes! I have. When I first converted to bare bottom (black starboard) I did it because I kept experiencing weird stuff killing my corals. I knew we had a ton of bristle worms and a weird snail that looked like it had a toenail on its back, and just crazy crap in my sand and LR. First we pulled the sand over 2 weeks, and then we pulled the LR over 2 more weeks. I didn't worry about this because I have a small aqua clear 150 loaded with purigen packet for chemical, and Eheim Substrat for bio filtration. I NEVER saw any parameter swing at all.
After all was done, we still saw occasional bristle worms that we caught with a trap, and now all seems well. I only dose aragamilk twice a week, calcium stays at 440-460, 6 stage RO/DI for coloramines, now 0 TDS( used tap for 6 months before), Reef octopus BH1000, 2 koralia 750's, reef breeders photon 24, all on a 40 breeder (lps/softies). Also, my corals seem to do better at about 20 on the Nitrates ..... LOVING BARE BOTTOM!!!
Stock: green welso brain, green favia, 8 head branching hammer, blue Xenia, shrooms, frogspawn, gsp ( trying to cover bottom with the gsp growth), coco worm, 7 inch deresa clam, 6 inch crocea clam, and anthelia. Coralline is coming back as well BIG TIME!!!
After all was done, we still saw occasional bristle worms that we caught with a trap, and now all seems well. I only dose aragamilk twice a week, calcium stays at 440-460, 6 stage RO/DI for coloramines, now 0 TDS( used tap for 6 months before), Reef octopus BH1000, 2 koralia 750's, reef breeders photon 24, all on a 40 breeder (lps/softies). Also, my corals seem to do better at about 20 on the Nitrates ..... LOVING BARE BOTTOM!!!
Stock: green welso brain, green favia, 8 head branching hammer, blue Xenia, shrooms, frogspawn, gsp ( trying to cover bottom with the gsp growth), coco worm, 7 inch deresa clam, 6 inch crocea clam, and anthelia. Coralline is coming back as well BIG TIME!!!
ReeferCraig
New member
I would love to see a pic of the set up. I'm intrigued by this for my next set up
franklypre
New member
galleon has a tank that is BB with little to no liverock and some nice brown sticks.:lol:
nossalucard
New member
No sticks(SPS?), no sump even. I had always been told that bristle worms were good, but my tank seems to be doing better with less of them. I dare not say they are eradicated though..... Surely some were fireworms but I no longer need(no sand) nor desire them.:bounce3:
ormet
Just one more frag
Denadai's plastic rock reef was what made me try the no LR approach:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1920386
My 18g nano had no LR. Only plastic rocks. It was not a stellar success but not a failure either. I had problems with color and growth on my SPS but then again who doesn't as a complete newbie?
I carbon dosed a little and vacuumed detritus weekly, just as i do in my current BB reef.
I feel i lost the battle against GHA in that tank ... altho that might have to do with neglect as i worked on my 65g upgrade during the GHA incident.
I have a little movie of it here, 6 months old:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exMeKKQf1kM
Im going 100% dead rock when rebooting my 65g in a few weeks.
Many, if not all, reefers i know tells me the LR is the key to a successful reef tank. But not a single one has been able to tell me why. Ive had some voodoo answers regarding "critters in the LR equals biological loops that creates stability" but thats bullshit to me, reefs are not critter driven, they are bacteria driven. But if everyone says it is the key well then maybe it is. The only thing i feel LR has given me in my current setup is more different types of algae and pests. But my colors and growth is much improved .. is it the LR or is it just me being a better reefer?
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1920386
My 18g nano had no LR. Only plastic rocks. It was not a stellar success but not a failure either. I had problems with color and growth on my SPS but then again who doesn't as a complete newbie?
I carbon dosed a little and vacuumed detritus weekly, just as i do in my current BB reef.
I feel i lost the battle against GHA in that tank ... altho that might have to do with neglect as i worked on my 65g upgrade during the GHA incident.
I have a little movie of it here, 6 months old:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exMeKKQf1kM
Im going 100% dead rock when rebooting my 65g in a few weeks.
Many, if not all, reefers i know tells me the LR is the key to a successful reef tank. But not a single one has been able to tell me why. Ive had some voodoo answers regarding "critters in the LR equals biological loops that creates stability" but thats bullshit to me, reefs are not critter driven, they are bacteria driven. But if everyone says it is the key well then maybe it is. The only thing i feel LR has given me in my current setup is more different types of algae and pests. But my colors and growth is much improved .. is it the LR or is it just me being a better reefer?
@Nossalucard
I googled last night and there were a few nice looking mixed reef tanks with no sump. Just HOB skimmers.
@Ormet
Did you check for Po4? Maybe the plastic rocks you got could be the culprit. I once had nutrient loaded LR that leach too much carp into my system thus creating a mess. I, too, think reefs are mostly driven by bacteria though critters don't hurt either.
Rovster
I'm sure Zeo works. It's just too confusing for a newbie like myself as to what to add.
I googled last night and there were a few nice looking mixed reef tanks with no sump. Just HOB skimmers.
@Ormet
Did you check for Po4? Maybe the plastic rocks you got could be the culprit. I once had nutrient loaded LR that leach too much carp into my system thus creating a mess. I, too, think reefs are mostly driven by bacteria though critters don't hurt either.
Rovster
I'm sure Zeo works. It's just too confusing for a newbie like myself as to what to add.
phantomg23
New member
i saw a tank on here where the guy just used acrylic rods and let the sps grow on them. it got good flow throughout the colonies
ormet
Just one more frag
Undetectable on hanna. I'm pretty sure it was detritus buildup on rocks due to lack of husbandry and cuc. I never did baste the rocks for instance.
I used the same manufacture of rocks as denadai
/sent from phone
phantomg23
New member
i dont remember the name of the thread sorry
