Live Rock - Amount

[astokl12000]

I was wondering what is the recommended amount of live rock you should have in your reef aquarium? I have a 210 gallon tank. The question is this: As you put live rock in it displaces the water. Does that mean you need less live rock? Please advise.

Adam

[sihaya]

I hate the __ lbs/g rules, but for lack of any other way to give a suggestion... I'd recommend starting with 1lb/g and going from there. Honestly, I think all you really need is enough to place your corals (with room for them to grow) and to make caves for your fish and any swimming invertebrates.

[Ninong]

That's one of those personal preference decisions. Obviously, if you're going to have a sand bed, then the sand bed will add to the biological filtration capacity of the system.

Another factor to take into consideration is that some live rock is much lighter than other live rock. For a 210-gal tank, somewhere between 200-250 lbs would be more than adequate. If you want more, that's strictly a matter of personal preference.

[CSeaSee]

I agree- everything depends on your bioload and personal preference. The best "rule" I've read (which still isn't that great) is to fill 1/3 to 2/3 of your tank w/ LR- that large variability depending on how dense your rock is, I believe.
BTW, denser=less porosity=more rock necessary, right? B/C the less dense rock has more space for bacterial colonization?

[astokl12000]

Thank you all for the advice. Very helpful. This board is great.