Marine pure as main reef rock?
- Thread starter Elo500
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oseymour
Euphyllia Addict
Where did you read that rating? I wouldn't trust that number, if it's from the manufacturer something they give ratings for products under perfect/optimal conditions.
I wouldn't trust a single marinepure block as my main area for nitrifying bacteria in a 120.
heathlindner25
New member
The best technology in Reef keeping in the last 20 years has been the use of live rock....just saying.
Put a few pieces of live rock in with dry rock or marine pure or similar, and all turns into ''live rock'
On there website it says recommend size http://www.cermedia.com/marinepure-technical.php. And on brs product page they respond to a question about size...
Generally speaking the 8x8x1 plate is enough surface area to handle a 100g tank on its own, so you should have the ability to remove quite a bit of rock. Just make sure to do it slowly so that the tank has time to adjust and the bacteria that are getting removed have time grow in their new substrate.
Answer by: Bulk Reef Supply on Jul 20, 2014 12:35:00 PM
So I was just double checking with reef central here. I was looking to an alternative to buying 150# of dry Rock. If I can put 50# in the dt and a marine pure plate in the sump, that would save some $.
Generally speaking the 8x8x1 plate is enough surface area to handle a 100g tank on its own, so you should have the ability to remove quite a bit of rock. Just make sure to do it slowly so that the tank has time to adjust and the bacteria that are getting removed have time grow in their new substrate.
Answer by: Bulk Reef Supply on Jul 20, 2014 12:35:00 PM
So I was just double checking with reef central here. I was looking to an alternative to buying 150# of dry Rock. If I can put 50# in the dt and a marine pure plate in the sump, that would save some $.
HefeWeizen
New member
It becomes LR. It's massive surface area certainly reduces the amount of LR you will need.
I have seen plenty of tanks that do not conform to LR minimums. Just want to put that out there.
I have seen plenty of tanks that do not conform to LR minimums. Just want to put that out there.
BRS actually sent off Marine Pure Block and Several types of live rock to a lab for testing. The only live rock that had more porosity was the Figi and not by much to make much of a difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtbsCPlBnQg
It sounds like the OP is just trying to use less LR in the main Display and supplement the difference in his sump with a Marine Pure Block.
oseymour
Euphyllia Addict
Ahh now I see where you are coming from.
In an old 3 foot 50 gallon tank, I used about 80 pounds of the BRS Reef saver rock to aquascape the tank. In my new 75 gallon 4 foot tank, less than 50 pounds of Pukani did the trick.
If you are using a porus rock such as Pukani in the main tank and a MarinePure block in the sump to supplement you should be fine. If you are going to stock on the heavy side, you'll need more rock or more MarinePure blocks.
Yes I was trying to figure out the balance using both marine pure and real rock. Your example makes sense. I watched the video and have a better understanding of the capacity of different rocks. I also just found the huge thread in reef chemistry section covering all this. Thanks!
Sadly Pukani is not as porus as you think. It was half as porus as Figi rock and marine pure. Pukani and the BRS reef saver are about the same as far as most surface area and porosity.
8” x 8” x 4” is what you want.
Figi was 1.14 sq meters per gram
Marine Pure 1.06 sq meters per gram
BRS reef saver 0.515 sq meters per gram
Pukani 0.512 sq meters per gram
Tonga 0.10 sq meters per gram
Last edited:
SeattleReefer
New member
Get the 4 inch blocks, the 1 inch is prone to break and provides no nitrate control.
ReefCowboy
New member
Use 1 8x8x4 and you should be fine. The 8x8x1 is too thin, you need thicker medium so the anaerobic bacteria can settle. Water has to be able to go through the block, passing through this anaerobic bacteria that processes no3.
The artificial rock(purple)being used by many now(including me) has horrible porosity, which makes me believe the marine pure should do most of the biological hosting of the processing bacteria in my tank. Marine pure is the real deal.
The artificial rock(purple)being used by many now(including me) has horrible porosity, which makes me believe the marine pure should do most of the biological hosting of the processing bacteria in my tank. Marine pure is the real deal.
mpsteve
New member
That is what he is doing which is why I said it's fine. I have about 70 pounds of rock in my display and a marine pure block in sump and my system is fine. 120g tank
oseymour
Euphyllia Addict
Those numbers are from the test where they ground of the rock and tested it. I think the second test is more telling because it tells you how much of the rock is actually available to use and able to hold water. That's where the BRS Reef Saver rock failed miserably.
Doesn't make sense to have surface area if it cannot hold or filter tank water.
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Spartanman22
New member
I've operated this way for several months now (7-8). My 50 gallon system has maybe 17 lbs of rock and 1 8x8x4 block in the sump. My system is overstocked by conventional standards and fed heavily. I am currently at the point where I'll ghost feed and dose amigos to try and keep my nitrates above 0.0 mg/L. The stuff definitely works. The porosity and surface area is insane on these things.
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jerzeedevl
New member
I currently have a 150 that is overstocked and fed heavily. Sometimes I just leave the pieces of squid and crab in for a whole day if they aren't eaten right away. I have about 70lbs of live rock and 2 marine pure blocks. My nitrates are always at zero too. I love those blocks.
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