How much base rock?

Well I'm going to be starting a 75g RR fowlr soon and I was wondering, how much base rock I should add? Id like to give the inhabitants a bit of room to swim around so I don't want to go with the traditional 1.5x per gallon. Any suggestion on how little I could put in and still have a healthy tank? Thanks.

EDIT: I will have a snowflake eel in the tank so the tank will need some rock...

 

it depends on what HW you are running.

The point of the rock is to give your tank enough real estate for the bacteria to colonize in sufficient numbers to keep your params in check. (ammonia/nitrite, etc.)

The dirtier your inhabitants (like an eel) the more filtration you need. Whether you accomplish this by having extra rock, larger CuC, having extra hardware filtration, or some combo there of is up to you...

 

75 lbs of quality rock would likely be enough in a well filtered system with low bio load, good flow, and consistent maintenance.
You can always add baserock to your sump - it serves the same purpose in your sump in terms of bacteria performing biological filtration both aerobic and anaerobic. This will allow you to keep your biological filtration high while providing lots of room for your fish to swim.

 

I just set up a 125gal put 100lbs from reefcleaners asked john for some big pieces got what i asked for and could probably use another 50lbs. After the hundred of base I add four pounds of live. Get it from reefcleaners and order 50lbs and shipping is free. start with that you can always add more.

 

keep in mind that dry rock will be lighter than live rock, simply because it's not saturated with water yet. So, 50 lbs of dry rock will turn into something like 60-75lbs of live rock over time.

 

Well the tank will have a filter sock, an oversized skimmer, and a 29g sump/fuge. Ill probably start with 75lbs of base and add a peice of lr from my other tank. The substrate will most likely be sand. I've heard bad things about crushed coral...

 

You've heard second hand myths IMO.

 

Crushed coral is bad new for a reef tank. I know because I had it in my first tank.
Unless you want to gravel vac it once every week or so u will have nitrate problems. I did and so did my buddy. We both switched to sand and those problems went away.
Imo crushed coral substrate is a no go.

 

I've been running with CC and 0 nitrates for over 2 years. I have never vacuumed my cc. Not once.

There are a zillion reasons you can have nitrates. Folks are quick to point at CC but I am aware of no actual data that suggests CC somehow raises nitrates.

All I have seen is the regurgitation of that myth with no actual evidence.

Is CC somehow going to catch more detritus than the rock itself? Is the CuC for some mysterious reason unable to clean CC substrate? Does CC force the owner to overfeed, use poor water, etc.?


The idea behind this, of course, is the idea that CC will capture more detritus. So what if it does (and I am not saying it does). Most of us aren't running filters anyway but are skimming the surface. Who cares if the CC catches, the rocks, or if it just settles somewhere? What's the difference?

You should have a CuC that's tailored to your system. If your system happens to be CC, you'll have to get a CuC w/that in mind. But that CuC doesn't care if it's eating detritus from the substrate or the rocks.


There is nothing supporting the idea that CC raises nitrates. I do not doubt folks have had high nitrates with CC - and as I'm sure you're aware, many folks have out of control nitrates with sand and/or bare bottom as well. CC is a scapegoat. A red herring.


If it was such a given, as people seem to think, it would have been impossible for me to keep my tank in this condition. For the record, I do not run a refugium or anything. I have around 90lbs of LR in my 55 and an HOB skimmer. I don't do WC. My nitrates and phosphates have been 0 for a very long time. I am either using magic or nitrates do not spontaneously spawn from CC.

 

Well ok then lol, well put. So I'm gonna ask a dumb question now, would using cc as a substrate give more room for beneficial bacteria to thrive than sand?