Rock questions for 6ft tank

[Stevenlatham01]

Going to be getting a 6ft x 2ft x 2ft tank with a 4ft sump and was wondering how many lbs of rock I will need. I have read the live rock sticky thread and it suggests about 1lbs per gallon. As my tank with sump would be 200g that's works out to 200lbs which seem a lot and would cost a fortune.

So my first question, is the 1lbs per gallon once the tank is fully stocked? Or can I get say 100lbs to start with and then add to it once my stocking and fish grow? I was thinking about stacking most of the rocks into a pile in one side of the tanks and leaving the other side empty. I do want some easy to keep corals eventually.

Secondly, to keep costs down what percentage of live rock to standard (dead) ocean rock would I need? I'm thinking of getting some Real Reef Rock and Life Rockâ„¢ by CaribSea to seed my dead ocean rock. Would this would take longer to cycle the tank? What would you suggest as a good ratio? I don't want any pests in my tank so don't want live rock from the ocean. Can you seed it with pods?

Thirdly, anyone used Cermedia Marine Pure Rock blocks? Is it worth getting?

Eventually will stock the tank with:
2 clown fish
Blue Surgeon Tang
Royal gramma
Fire Angel
Yellow tang

 

[mcgyvr]

#1-The X per gallon is pretty "generic" and one can certainly get buy with less "good quality/porous" rock or need more not as "good" rock..

I'm currently running with about 1/2lb per gallon and doing just fine so far..
And yes you can add more rock at anytime provided you cure it if needed or ensure its good and live already or use good clean dry rock.

#2-You can start a tank with 100% dry rock or 100% live rock or any combination in between.. dry rock will be "live" rock in a very short period of time and the basic benefits to live rock are.. already established with bacteria and depending on the source may include some very neat "critters/life" on it besides the bacteria..
Downsides to live rock are that you may getting bad hitchhikers.. (usually not a problem that can't be solved fairly easily IMO but certainly can be)
Don't rush a cycle.. Just let it happen.. Really no need for bacteria in a bottle,etc.. let nature do its work.. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby.. Remember that...

#3-Yes many do throw a marine pure block or whatever in their sump.. IMO its just more rock.. It serves the same purpose.. Its just been manmade to basically be guaranteed to be very porous to allow it to sustain a lot of bacteria due to its surface area/ability to allow low oxygen areas required by denitrification proces,etc..

#4- You are building a 200G system.. Its GOING to take time/money and keep taking time/money for its lifespan.. be sure you are ready for that...

 

[JZinCO]

mcgyvr gave you good answers. I'll add some tidbits

1- Consider the eventual aquascape you like. I would advise anyone to take time and look at others' tanks through photos, videos or in person. I personally have one island and one sloping wall of rocks in my 6' tank. It's sort of a mix between the bommies vs wall of rocks look. This will have a huge impact on the # of rock you need. Consider perusing this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2217633
Also, if you have a source for rocks I would recommend either buying less than you think you need to see how it goes or buying a sample and seeing how much volume you get for a set amount of lbs. Believe me, having more rock on hand makes you tempted to use it for better or worse aesthetically (ask me how I know).

2- If you are not going full on aquacultured rock, I suggest it is easier to work with dry rock to get the aquascape you will enjoy. Then seed it with a touch of live rock or live sand. It's gonna take some time to fiddle with rock placement and for cycling to occur anyhow. No need to rush the process by buying all live rock, in my opinion.

3- MarinePure or similar products are good if you are stocking heavy or will minimally aquascape. Otherwise, I think there is diminishing return on additional bacteria space.

4- Some might disagree but I see no reason to get it all done at once. Sure, adding in small batches of rocks periodically might mean you have minispikes of ammonia, nothing waterchanges can't handle. Also, it's very likely you will find yourself wanting to add a little here or take away a little there. It's naive to think one puts in all their rocks at once and calls the aquascaping done.

 

[bif24701]

I have about 100 pounds of BRS Pukani and a few other "Live" pieces I got here and there.

I also have 3 MarinePure blocks in my sump.

https://youtu.be/8io3Mp78xCc


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