mvh pets Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 what is the bare minimum of reef saver rock i can use to aquascape a standard 20 gallon aquarium. filteration should not be much of a concern as i have a canester filter packed full of bio media rated for a 70 gallon and will upgrade to a sump very soon, and i have a 1.5 inch sand bed. i was recommended 0.5 kg/ 1 lbs per gallon but can i go much lower than that. its a fish and invert only system and i will not be adding coral as its illegal in my area. thanks! Quote Link to comment
debbeach13 Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 I am old school and believe that rock will be a major part of your filtration. It used to be a standard of 1 to 1.5 lb.'s per gallon was the normal. Today with bio media blocks, rings, cubes and spheres many people use these and they are very successfully using a lot less rock. Since you plan on a sump just get enough rock to provide a scape you like and provide some caves and places for the fish and inverts to retreat to if needed. 3 Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 Deb beat me to it, but here's what I was typing: An exact number will be hard to come by; there are a number of variables such as the porousness of the rock and overall surface area (including tank walls, equipment, bio-media, and grain size of your sand). Also, the larger the bio-load, the more surface area will be needed to accommodate the required nitrifying bacteria colonies. Although, years ago, the 1lb/gal guideline was widely accepted, it's been proven that an average bio-load can be maintained with less than 1lb of rock per gallon of water (without any additional bio-media). With additional bio-media, it's certainly "possible" to keep a marine tank with no rock at all. However, there are other benefits to having rock in your tank (like to support bio-diversity and food sources for fish and inverts, or to add aesthetic value, hiding places for fish, and anchors for macroalgae, coralline, and even corals). 3 Quote Link to comment
Murphs_Reef Posted March 17, 2021 Share Posted March 17, 2021 PLUS a marine tank regardless of coral needs rock.. it looks ace if nothing else 👍🏼 Quote Link to comment
mvh pets Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 thanks! will around 6 to 8 lbs work for the tank? Quote Link to comment
seabass Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Again, we don't know all the variables; however, with the additional bio-media that you mentioned, I don't foresee a problem given a light bio-load. Quote Link to comment
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