Lofty question about LR, possibly requiring area calculation

[swordfish]

I have about 10.5 pounds of LR in my 7 gallon AGA. It seems it does a fine job of keeping all water parametsra as they should be, I've never had any problem with anything being too high or too low.

 

The tank, with everything in it including the LR, holds right about 5 gallons of water. So is it best to figure you need about 1.5 pounds of LR per gallon at a water volume of five gallons or seven? Or is there a happy medium at, say, putting in 1.5 lb. LR as though the tank was 6 gallons?

 

Now, an even more baffling question: Assume you have two tanks of equal size, say, 7 gallons each when completely empty. You put three big chunks of LR into one tank which weigh a total of 10 pounds. In another tank of the same size you put the same weight in LR, only this LR is in 6 smaller pieces. Is the second tank with the smaller pieces going to have more LR surface exposed to the water (and this have more effective filtration) than the first tank? Or would there be no difference?

 

Interesting...

 

Jeff

[Rocket_155]

Just as a general rule most people use either 1 or 2 lbs per gallon.

 

The second configeration with 6 smaller pecies of rock would be better, due to surface area is greater on multiple small objects then on one larger object.

Thus offering more area for bacteria to live.

IMO go for the 6 smaller peices.

[onthefly]

Think of it in terms of BioBalls! You don't put one big one in, you put hundreds of smaller ones! Much more SA!!!!

 

Example: lets assume you put in a piece that has a 5" radius (sorry for the perfect sphere over simplification)....that's an surface area of 314 sq in. Now add 20 pieces with a 2" radius....more or less about the same size "mound" of LR in your tanks......that has a SA of 1005 sq in. 3x as much!