How much Live Rock is required?

It is very important to have the correct amount of live rock. Some people have gotten carried away with the idea that if some is good, more must be better. This is not true! As with all concepts of reef keeping, balance is very important here. If you don�t have enough live rock, natural internal filtration will be ineffective, because the bacterial colony on the rock will be inadequate to perform the task. Or, if you have too much live rock, you will have dead spots on it. These are areas of live rock that are covered with other rock, blocking some surfaces from light and water circulation. These dead spots are likely to trap waste, sediment, uneaten food, and many other products you would otherwise remove regularly. When waste products accumulate in these areas, they will be a sure food source for micro-algae, which will thrive, causing diminished water quality.

This is referred to as �stacking� the rock, and it should be avoided at all costs.

The correct amount of live rock to have in a reef tank is between a minimum of 1 pound per gallon and a maximum of 1.75 pounds per gallon. Somewhere in the middle, like 1.35 pounds per gallon, would be ideal. Do not exceed 1.75, unless you want to turn some quality live rock into base rock, which would take at least a year to recover and resemble what it was before other rock was stacked on top of it.

How Much Live Rock is required in an Aquarium?

Live Rocks are a huge breakthrough in the aquarium world, which facilitate home aquarists to bring up and propagate marine animals that were once considered impossible in captivity. �Live Rock� is a term given to rocks, which are composed mainly of Limestone and decomposing Coral Skeletons. Live Rocks mimic the process of Biological Filtration of a Saltwater Aquarium. They are usually covered with beneficial Coralline Algae, Sponges, tiny Invertebrates, & Bacteria. These rocks are necessary for the survival of marine life as they balance the Ecosystem, owing mainly to the food availability and Biological Filtration. In addition, these Live Rocks provide natural habitat to the fishes in a tank, while also serving as Aquarium Decor. As a result, Live Rocks are necessary in any type of Marine Aquarium, be it a Standard model, Fish Only or Reef Types.

But how much Live Rock is required in an aquarium? How do we make that out? Most aquarists believe that a quantitative or a proportional balance is necessary while choosing the quantity of Live Rock to be kept in a tank. More is not always merrier in this case because having too many Live Rocks can lead to the formation of Dead Spots. These Dead Spots, over a period, accumulate waste materials such as sediments and food particles, in them, which act as a source of food for Micro Algae and help them flourish. This in turn affects the quality of water in the aquarium and the survival of aqua life therein. At the same time, not keeping enough Live Rocks in the tank can hamper the process of Biological Filtration, as the beneficial Bacterial colony on the rock will not be adequate to perform this function.

There are various formulas and opinions to ascertain the right amount of Live Rocks to be used in an aquarium. The amount of Live Rock that is required in an aquarium depends on various factors such as, the size and the shape of Tank, Live Stock levels, Aquarium Filter set-ups, etc. Then the quantity of Live Rocks you need in a tank depends on the density of the rock, as some Live Rocks are denser than the others are. For example, Indo-Pacific Rock is said to be much lighter than the Caribbean (Florida/Mexico) Rock, and the pieces of Coral Rubble type rocks, which are generally collected from outside the Reef are considered much lighter than the Inshore Rocks that are broken off in larger solid pieces.

The quantitative requirements of Live Rocks may also vary from one aquarium to another, since no two aquariums are same. In the case of a Reef Aquarium, the required quantity is more in comparison to any other type of Marine Aquariums, including the Standard or the Fish Only Aquarium. Most aquarists in this case agree to the ratio of 1.25 to 1.75 Pounds per Gallon of water. In addition, since a Reef Tank holds a smaller fish load than any other Marine Tank types, its water quality stays high for long. Therefore, this amount of Live Rock is usually considered enough in a Reef Aquarium. A Seahorse Aquarium is almost similar to a Reef Tank, since the Bio Load of these tanks is also low, as fishes are not compatible with Sea Horses. Fish Only Aquariums however are comparatively different from both, Reef Tanks and Seahorse Tanks. The Bio Load in Fish Only Aquariums is high as more number of fishes are kept in the tank. In this case, therefore, you will need a substantial amount of Live Rocks. To sum up, you can get maximum benefit from the Live Rocks by keeping their proportion in the tank moderate, in order to allow a free flow of water throughout the rockwork.

Once your aquarium setup is operational with Live Rocks, you should initially monitor the system for the pollutants such as, Ammonia, Nitrates, and Nitrites. Allow the Aquarium Filtration System to settle down steadily with time, and to adapt to the Bio Load it has to deal with. Therefore, take care to stock your aquarium accordingly.

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