Thoughts on Tonga vs Tampa LR

[o2zen]

My current Tampa LR has a ton of color and life on/in it but I picked up some nice Tonga tightly packed branch and I'm curious which would be the better LR for my system?

I thought at first I had two much Tonga but now that I have built a few ideas out of it in the space I have available, I see I don't have enough which is ok for now since I have a ton of LR rubble in my wet/dry which I am changing out to a protein skimmer in a week or so anyway.

Ok the point being, in my 29gal cube I have 40 pounds Tampa LR and 10+ pounds rubble in the wet/dry. I have 22 pounds of Tonga and I’m curious which would be better for the life of my tank.

I can pick up some more Tonga if I need more but I wanted to ask which was better and why first.

So I was playing with the idea of building up the entire back wall of my tank with the Tonga almost to the surface and I wanted to hear thoughts on that as well.

I am new to the whole aquascaping thing. Post pics of your rock set up yeah post pics. We all love pics.

 

[A.T.DAWG]

I second pics becuase im looking for ideas for my 75

Andrew

 

[DaddyJax]

First difference that comes to mind is Tampa LR is very dense while Tonga and others like Fiji is pourous and light. Also the Tampa/Gulf rock are shaped like boulders while you get some very unique and decorative designed shapes from the others. 50lbs of Tonga is like 75-10lbs Tampa/Gulf rock in size. The thing you are trying to acomplish with LR is microorganizisms and pods for filtration so you want as many places for them to live and multiply. Also you want to have as much surface area as possible for water to pass thru and so on. Also alot of the "life" that comes with Tampa/Gulf rock are unwanted such as Mantis shrimp and aptasia and the colors are usually sponge that dies off and my foul tanks. This is not to say that Tonga and other rock doesn't have these but just not to the extentas Tampa/Gulf. This may be that most people put the Tampa rock into their tanks and dont expect a cycle.

This is just my opinion, I am not trying to offend anyone.

 

[Warnberg]

I have a tendancy to agree with DaddyJax....

 

[DaddyJax]

Btw I meant to say 50lbs of Tonga is like 75-100lbs Tampa/Gulf rock in size.

 

[o2zen]

Current LR setup is 40 pounds in the display with 10+ rubble in the wet/dry.

This is the current LR (tampa is 20 lbs of it).

This is part of what I am thinking of adding to the tank by replacing the white rock from above and most likely all of the tampa rock as well.

I like the way this looks. This is 22 pounds of Tonga.

What do you guys think. The Tampa has a ton of life on it already and none of the bad stuff. Already had to deal with the nasty isopods that wanted to eat my Clowns.

I can pick up more of the Tonga. In the images the Tonga at the highest point is almost coming out of the water (inches away). I am thinknig this setup with a smaller shelf of Tonga in front of this for more coral placement.

 

[o2zen]

Thats 5 different pieces of Tonga that all fit together like a puzzle. I love how it stacks and is solid afterwards.

 

[wsurf4me]

I have had both types over the years and have to say I like the Tonga much more. Tonga branch has more diversity in shape and size, as Daddy Jax said Gulf rock tends to be more like boulders. Check out the Tonga shelf or Fiji rock as well.

 

[o2zen]

I will check into those. The pictures do not show it but I love all the places for fish to hid or to place corals in the Tonga.

 

[laserjim]

o2zen, Where did you get that Tonga? Local? Looks sweet !

 

[ladyfsu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9090939#post9090939 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DaddyJax
Also alot of the "life" that comes with Tampa/Gulf rock are unwanted such as Mantis shrimp and aptasia and the colors are usually sponge that dies off and my foul tanks.

The aptasia from the Gulf is the Curly Cue and doesn't spread like the Pacific kind from what I've read. In my zillions of tanks between home and school, I have Gulf rock and might have about 10 aptasia's all together and they haven't spread. Usually just one that just gets bigger when you feed it.

I don't have any of the Pacific rocks and they are definately lighter and the pieces or cooler looking. I still am a fan of the Gulf rock though because I like all the bivalves, sponges, brittles and crabs on them. I do expect the cycle though, and I do NOT have any of the fancy corals everyone else here has. The more weird critters for me the better but that certainly is a personal preferance.

 

[o2zen]

Tonga was from a local reefer downsizing. Tampa was local as well and is ton of life which is the only thing holding me back right now from the total swap.

I swapped the Tonga out to see how it fits and I was right. It is alittle too big right now. I am debating on what to do. As is this will leave me with 22 pounds of Tonga and 10+ of Tampa Rubble in the wet/dry.

I am not sure that is enough for that I want to do.

 

[o2zen]

So this is how the Tonga looks in the tank. I could not go as high as I wanted so I had to spread the rock out more.

I tossed in one small chunck of the Tampa rock to help seed the worms alittle if they will. I also moved over all the small algae bits I could get off the Tampa rock.

Hows it look?