ok another stupid question, I think at this point I have seen and recognize what a reef tank is. I mentioned I wanted to start with just a plain SW set up but people here are advising me to go with "fish and live rock". Please explain to me the difference between reef and fish w/ live rock and why people are advising me to go in that direction? What is live rock I'm assuming it,s not live coral !
live rock vs. reef
- Thread starter BIGSSSS
- Start date
cbrguy
New member
Live rock is just "rock" that has beneficial bacteria on it. It comes from a reef and is usually very porous. You can also get base rock with is dry rock that once placed in an aqauirum will turn into live rock. If you go with a Fish and live rock you won’t need as much light and you can keep more types of fish. With a reef you will not be able to keep as many fish and you will need much more light and equiment
seapug
Premium Member
Live Rock is essentially limestone based rock that is collected from reefs. It's basically the fused skeletons of dead corals that is porous and contains various types of beneficial bacteria and microfauna that are part of a healthy captive ecosystem. There are often beneficial snails and hardy coral polyps as well. Liverock can establish a population of bacteria in a tank that keep your water clean, fish fed and helps maintain a natural ocean-like pH. Like CBR guy said, any calcium based rock that is kept with wild collected live rock for a period of time will eventually harbor the same bacteria and microfauna.
yes but you can get it on-line also
http://www.pacificeastaquaculture.com/ShowProductCategory.aspx?CategoryId=5
Tswifty
New member
A good generic estimate is about 1lb of LR per gallon, and you want a decent amount of flow through your tank. I use 2 hydor koralia 3's on my 55g FOWLR on opposite ends of the tank pointed at each other. Also probably a 2-3" sand bed of medium grade argonite sand.
That's a pretty generic start for about any type of saltwater tank.
FOWLR - Fish Only With Live Rock simply means you are not keeping corals.
Live rock and the sand bed serve as the primary biological filter for you tank.
That's a pretty generic start for about any type of saltwater tank.
FOWLR - Fish Only With Live Rock simply means you are not keeping corals.
Live rock and the sand bed serve as the primary biological filter for you tank.
Tswifty
New member
If you go the LR direction you can get away without the HOB filter, however they are nice if you do not utilize a sump/filter sock to remove particles from your water...
As far as the protein skimmer goes... this is a necessity... and not one you want to skimp on... If someone tells you to buy a seaclone, walk away and don't listen to another word they say...
Check out: AquaC, Euro-Reef, or Octopus NW skimmers...
2 areas you def get what you pay for:
1. Lights
2. Skimmer
As far as the protein skimmer goes... this is a necessity... and not one you want to skimp on... If someone tells you to buy a seaclone, walk away and don't listen to another word they say...
Check out: AquaC, Euro-Reef, or Octopus NW skimmers...
2 areas you def get what you pay for:
1. Lights
2. Skimmer
All you do is add coral and the necessary things to provide the water quality and light needed to go from FOWLR (fish and live rock) to reef. Granted, you may to pull some of the inhabitants out from the FOWLR to be able to have a reef because some fish and inverts don't go well with a reef environment. Generally, one of the largest changes will be the lighting needed.
If you start with a good skimmer and are able to maintain the needed parms such as calcium, alk, and mag along with clean water the main addition would be the correct lights and coral to shift to a reef from a FOWLR setup.
Reef= coral in addition to FOWLR
FOWLR= fish and live rock
Fish only= no rock that can host bacteria with fish
If you start with a good skimmer and are able to maintain the needed parms such as calcium, alk, and mag along with clean water the main addition would be the correct lights and coral to shift to a reef from a FOWLR setup.
Reef= coral in addition to FOWLR
FOWLR= fish and live rock
Fish only= no rock that can host bacteria with fish
many corals contain zooxanthellae, a photosynthetic algae that lives symbiotically within the coral....by providing adequate light,these algae produce nutrients which in turn feed the coral....so you sort of have to treat it like a plant....not enough light and the coral dies...that and corals are a lot less forgiving to poor water quality than fish... and they pull calcium out of the water to build their skeletons....so the principles are the same for either but corals need more precision on their conditions and usually additional equipment to monitor and achieve those conditions
Mrramsey
NEO Reefer
IN Short:
FOWLR (Fish Only with Live Rock)
Tank, Live Rock (filtration), Sump or HOB Filter, Light for you to see the fish
Reef:
Tank, Live Rock, Corals, Fish if desired, Sump, Protein Skimmer, High Quality lighting that can support coral growth etc (by far not the complete list as it depends on what you are doing)
Reef tanks require more in the area of lighting and water conditions whereas a FOWLR is a little more forgiving and a simpler setup to maintain. Thus some poeple start with a FOWLR and move up to a reef.
FOWLR (Fish Only with Live Rock)
Tank, Live Rock (filtration), Sump or HOB Filter, Light for you to see the fish
Reef:
Tank, Live Rock, Corals, Fish if desired, Sump, Protein Skimmer, High Quality lighting that can support coral growth etc (by far not the complete list as it depends on what you are doing)
Reef tanks require more in the area of lighting and water conditions whereas a FOWLR is a little more forgiving and a simpler setup to maintain. Thus some poeple start with a FOWLR and move up to a reef.
chilli_reef
New member
Holy 8 year old thread bat man lol !!
But hey at last they are searching on their own
But hey at last they are searching on their own
