what to do with a bunch of live rock

[nivenethan]

So I'm getting ready to stock my tank with live rock but have a question. Here's my deal.
1. 300 gallon display
2. 180 gallon sump
3. 150 gallon rubbermaid
4. 50 gallon fuge separate from sump

I don't want 400-500 lbs of live rock in my display tank. I would like to put about 200 lbs in my display and the rest (200-300lbs) in the 150 gallon rubbermaid.

So....if I put a bunch of liverock in the rubbermaid do I need to run lights over it?
If so what type would you recommend? Any better ideas/suggestions appreciated.

Thanks,

 

["Umm fish?"]

You don't have to run lights over the rock. You'll get a lot more life to survive out of your rocks if you do, both good and bad. Sure, some life survives without light, just on the dissolved organics from your display, but most life depends at the basis on plants and their photosynthesis. So, if you light it you'll do a better job of providing for plants' and animals' needs.

At any rate, I've run both. In the unlit sumps, I'd find sponges, aiptasia (they don't need light), and a few animals. In the lit sumps, I'd get algae growth and the algae mats would be full of all kinds of worms, crustaceans, and lots of other stuff.

Depends on what you think you'll need.

 

[Ed Reef]

You will be fine without lights for your rocks....plus you will get tons of pods as well!!



But still that's one hell a lot of rocks you got there!!

 

[nivenethan]

So if I was going to run some light what would you recommend? T5's during the night when display lights are off?

Thanks,

 

[Ed Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14954337#post14954337 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nivenethan
So if I was going to run some light what would you recommend? T5's during the night when display lights are off?

Thanks,

If you want to run lights is more for algae growth, I guess....not sure if it will be easier to add a ball of cheato in there and you can used a simply 24x T5 for light.

I don't see the point in lighting all the LR in there as it will be a waste of electricity IMO

 

["Umm fish?"]

Again, depends on what you want. You'll have 'pods of various sorts in a tank without lights. You'll have _more_ in a tank with lights because the animals will have more food. You'll also have more diversity, again because there will be more food. I've done both--even tied to the same display tank--and I prefer to run with lights because I want the diversity. Algae is food for a large variety of very small creatures.

But, if all you want is a place to grow some bacteria and sponges, run it without lights. Kind of a shame to have that much live rock and to just use it for bacteria condos though, IMO. Better to use base rock or, heck, anything else for that sort of application.

If you run lights over the live rock, I would run their light cycle opposite the cycle of your tank lights so you can help to balance the pH.

 

["Umm fish?"]

BTW, even just shop fluorescents with grow bulbs are good enough for algal growth. Well, depending on the water depth.

 

[nivenethan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14954947#post14954947 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by "Umm, fish?"
Again, depends on what you want. You'll have 'pods of various sorts in a tank without lights. You'll have _more_ in a tank with lights because the animals will have more food. You'll also have more diversity, again because there will be more food. I've done both--even tied to the same display tank--and I prefer to run with lights because I want the diversity. Algae is food for a large variety of very small creatures.

But, if all you want is a place to grow some bacteria and sponges, run it without lights. Kind of a shame to have that much live rock and to just use it for bacteria condos though, IMO. Better to use base rock or, heck, anything else for that sort of application.

If you run lights over the live rock, I would run their light cycle opposite the cycle of your tank lights so you can help to balance the pH.

So with 500 gallons of water what's the minimum amount of live rock would you go with? Display is 300 gallon, but don't want a boatload of rock in the display. I was planning on doing some aquascaping in the display with dry rock and supplementing with live rock in the sump. Maybe a few pieces of lr in display to get the diversity rolling in there. Ideas? Suggestions?

Thanks,

 

["Umm fish?"]

So with 500 gallons of water what's the minimum amount of live rock would you go with?

Well, you could "get away" with none. You wouldn't have much diversity in your tank, though. Enough that you feel comfortable with it? I don't know a pounds per gallon rule. Depends on your tank set up, your style of reefkeeping, etc. What are you going to keep? Are you going to have a sandbed? Etc....

 

[nivenethan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14958505#post14958505 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by "Umm, fish?"
Well, you could "get away" with none. You wouldn't have much diversity in your tank, though. Enough that you feel comfortable with it? I don't know a pounds per gallon rule. Depends on your tank set up, your style of reefkeeping, etc. What are you going to keep? Are you going to have a sandbed? Etc....

No deep sand bed..shallow, just enough to cover the bottom. SPS, LPS, fish...a mix.

 

["Umm fish?"]

Then you need lots of rock or something else in the sump to add surface area, probably. Sand beds give tons of surface area for bacteria.

 

[stylolvr]

I think the general rule of thumb is 1-2 pounds per gallon, but I have known systems to be very successful with less than that. You may want to just load up the Rubbermaid if you aren't doing a big sand bed - you have to have something to filter the water!