Live Rock- the amount or the flow

gaubow · 01-26-2006, 12:38 PM

I was wondering if I took 40lbs or so of live rock from my main display and put it into my sump if my filtration would change. The display obviously has alot of flow, and my sump has barely any. So if I need more flow in my sump to make the live rock "work" better, wouldn't it stand to reason that the more flow you have in the display, the less rock would be needed?

Can anyone shed some light on this for me? My 90 is getting crowded and I was hoping to free up some room, as there is no live rock in my sump now.

Little Luey · 01-26-2006, 12:49 PM

IMO it should not affect how it performs, but you could always get like 15lbs more to compensate just in case.

Little Luey · 01-26-2006, 12:51 PM

Where in Chicago are you?
I lived on the south side for a number of years until I got married and moved to NW Indiana.

gaubow · 01-26-2006, 01:50 PM

bolingbrook, just south of naperville. thx 4 the reply

Woodstock · 01-26-2006, 01:50 PM

The rule of thumb for the amount of live rock needed is 1 - 1.5 lbs of rock per gal of water. It doesn't matter if the rock is in the display or the sump and the more flow you have the better!

mps9506 · 01-26-2006, 02:10 PM

More rock isn't always better IMO. I've seen tanks stacked with rock and stacked with detrius and nastiness behind the rock where there was no flow.
That just defeats the purpose of using live rock.

Same deal with the sump, if you have a lot of crap building up in the sump, adding rock to it won't help. Either add filter media to remove detius from the water before it enters the sump and change out regularly, or clean the sump out often. I prefer using filter media.

If you don't have a ton of livestock in the tank then you don't need a lot of live rock in there IMO.

cheeks69 · 01-26-2006, 02:41 PM

Quote:

More rock isn't always better IMO.

Absolutely, in particular if you have a DSB. I have 80 lbs. of LR in my 110 gal total and love it, and no detectable nitrates. If you decide to go on the lightside of LR then use a more pourus rock.

Dragon Wrasse · 01-26-2006, 03:21 PM

Do you have a light cycle on your sump?? if not you might want to think about adding one, if you want to keep the things that need light alive on your rock.

gaubow · 01-26-2006, 04:34 PM

I have a very small coral life light on a timer. I had heard that it is better to have some light in there when the main tanks lights go out, for ph sake. I am not too concerned with sustaining much life on things in the sump. Noone ever sees that but me.. it's in the basement in a storage room.

So what i am getting is that it is ok to go ahead and move some of the rock to the sump and it should be no big deal.

cheeks69 · 01-26-2006, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaubow

So what i am getting is that it is ok to go ahead and move some of the rock to the sump and it should be no big deal.

Correct ! Of the 80 lbs. of rock I have 15 lbs. are in the sump

01-26-2006, 12:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
gaubow Star Polyps Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: chicagoland Posts: 161 View Gallery Karma Komment	Live Rock- the amount or the flow I was wondering if I took 40lbs or so of live rock from my main display and put it into my sump if my filtration would change. The display obviously has alot of flow, and my sump has barely any. So if I need more flow in my sump to make the live rock "work" better, wouldn't it stand to reason that the more flow you have in the display, the less rock would be needed? Can anyone shed some light on this for me? My 90 is getting crowded and I was hoping to free up some room, as there is no live rock in my sump now.

01-26-2006, 12:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
Little Luey Scopas Tang Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 432 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Live Rock- the amount or the flow IMO it should not affect how it performs, but you could always get like 15lbs more to compensate just in case. __________________ Little Luey 20Gal, 30 lbs. Live rock. 1 yellow goby 1 firefish 1 rainsford goby 5 turbo snails 1 feather duster 1 devil's hand leather 1 sea grass colony 2 Zoantoids colonies

01-26-2006, 12:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
Little Luey Scopas Tang Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 432 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Live Rock- the amount or the flow Where in Chicago are you? I lived on the south side for a number of years until I got married and moved to NW Indiana. __________________ Little Luey 20Gal, 30 lbs. Live rock. 1 yellow goby 1 firefish 1 rainsford goby 5 turbo snails 1 feather duster 1 devil's hand leather 1 sea grass colony 2 Zoantoids colonies

01-26-2006, 01:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
gaubow Star Polyps Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: chicagoland Posts: 161 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Live Rock- the amount or the flow bolingbrook, just south of naperville. thx 4 the reply

01-26-2006, 01:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Live Rock- the amount or the flow The rule of thumb for the amount of live rock needed is 1 - 1.5 lbs of rock per gal of water. It doesn't matter if the rock is in the display or the sump and the more flow you have the better! __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

01-26-2006, 02:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
mps9506 Totally stoked dude Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 7,518 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Live Rock- the amount or the flow More rock isn't always better IMO. I've seen tanks stacked with rock and stacked with detrius and nastiness behind the rock where there was no flow. That just defeats the purpose of using live rock. Same deal with the sump, if you have a lot of crap building up in the sump, adding rock to it won't help. Either add filter media to remove detius from the water before it enters the sump and change out regularly, or clean the sump out often. I prefer using filter media. If you don't have a ton of livestock in the tank then you don't need a lot of live rock in there IMO. __________________ Mike "The Bandwith Bandit" Help Build Reefpedia Premium Membership Available! Support Reef Sanctuary Sponsors

01-26-2006, 03:21 PM	#8 (permalink)
Dragon Wrasse Harlequin Tuskfish Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 991 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Live Rock- the amount or the flow Do you have a light cycle on your sump?? if not you might want to think about adding one, if you want to keep the things that need light alive on your rock. __________________ *Member "Crabs Are Evil" Society* "A wise man learns more from a foolish question, then a fool learns from a wise answer" - Bruce Lee _____________________________ 75 gal SeaClear II Reef Tank (softy tank) - Coralife 125 Super Skimmer - Little Giant 2-MDQX-SC - Angstrom 2537 UV 15W - HOB Refugium - Eheim Pro 2228 - Red Sea Wave Maker w/Maxi-Jet 600 (X4) - 100 lbs Live Sand (DSB) - 100 lbs Live Rock - 260W PC lighting - 470nm lunar lights (X15) - AquaController II Custom 75 gal Starphire glass tank (SPS/LPS tank) - Custom 24 gal Refugium - Tuzne Wave box - JBJ Chiller - 390W PC lighting - 175W MH (X2) - Knop Cal. Reactor - AquaController 3 Pro - Aqua C Skimmer - Phosban Reactor - 18W Turbo-twist UV sterilizer - Sump - Sony Computer 5 gal Nano Hospital Tank - Eheim 2213 - Red Sea Prizm Skimmer - Live sand - Live Rock - Built in Refugium - 36W PC lighting

01-26-2006, 04:34 PM	#9 (permalink)
gaubow Star Polyps Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: chicagoland Posts: 161 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Live Rock- the amount or the flow I have a very small coral life light on a timer. I had heard that it is better to have some light in there when the main tanks lights go out, for ph sake. I am not too concerned with sustaining much life on things in the sump. Noone ever sees that but me.. it's in the basement in a storage room. So what i am getting is that it is ok to go ahead and move some of the rock to the sump and it should be no big deal.

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