lb of feathers vs. lb of beef

[bguile]

We all know that a lb is a lb no matter what the object, but does that also apply to LR? I've read different books, posts and have talked to many different people that recommended anywhere from 3/4 to 1.5 times the total water volume of a system in lbs of rock. So is 3 pieces of rock equalling 75lbs the same as 25 pieces of rock totalling 75lbs? Is our aim surface volume or just weight?

I'm asking b/c I am planning the build of a 210 display and would like to leave as much swim room as possible but want to have enough rock for filtration and placement of a few corals.

[Ninong]

Unlike a rose, live rock by any other name is not the same and may not smell as sweet either. Some live rock is much more porous and less dense than other live rock. For that reason, 60 lbs of Marshall Island or Kaelini live rock might occupy as much space in an aquarium as 70 lbs of Fiji or 100 lbs of Gulf of Mexico aquacultured live rock.

I don't care for dense live rock myself. I prefer the light, porous live rock from the South Pacific. When deciding how much live rock you need, you have to think in terms of the volume of space you want it to occupy rather than its weight. As far as I'm concerned, 25 lbs of live rock that occupies the same space as 40 lbs of another type of live rock is not only lighter (and possibly cheaper in total cost) but better.

I have used Kaelini, Tonga Branch and Fiji Buna Branch. I loved the Kaelini and the Tonga Branch. I did not like the Fiji Buna Branch. If I were setting up a 210-gal tank, I would probably start out with something like 150 lbs of Kaelini (or similar) and 50 lbs of Tonga Branch. You can always add more rock later on if you think you need more. I started with too much live rock and had to take some out. I had 175 lbs of live rock in a 120-gal tank and that was way too much. Even after I reduced it to 150 lbs, it was still a little too much. This is one of those personal preference things.

[CSeaSee]

Unlike a rose, live rock by any other name is not the same and may not smell as sweet either.

My live rock never smells at all sweet! It just smells like the ocean...

[Ninong]

Unlike a rose or Romeo, that which we call live rock by any other name is not the same.

I hope they don't let you teach English lit?

[Minh Nguyen]

My live rock never smells at all sweet! It just smells like the ocean...

Really?
Mine stunk up to high heaven.

[CSeaSee]

I hope they don't let you teach English lit?

Only if they really, really need an internal sub!!

[bguile]

I agree with you on your points Ninong and it is also a personal preference of mine. I remember your thread from setting up your tank, it was pretty much my model for setting up my first tank. I like rock that has texture and is more porous over dense rock. It looks much better AND gives you a lot of holes and openings to mount coral to. I asked because as I was getting into the hobby and reading books there was always emphasis on the weight of the rock in your system vs. the type or volume and it seemed to be further backed up by requirements on certain fish. A mandarin, for instance, was said to need at least 75lbs of rock in a 6 month tank obviously for copepod population but I never really understood why the weight of the rock mattered. Anyway, thanks for your input. I already have an idea of the type and look of the rock I want to see what others' insights were before causing myself a problem that would be difficult or tedious to correct.