I want to put rock in my fish tank so my fish can swin around then. I have a 38 gal. and i know i need like 30 lbs. of gravel. But i want to add like 50 to 60 lbs. of big rocks as well. is that going to be to much?
2007-09-30 04:58:59 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
That wouldn't be too much. For saltwater tanks, 2 lbs of Atlantic or Carribean live rock is used per gallon of water for biological filtration. If what you have is a freshwater tank, the rock might be even more dense, so it would take up even less space than the lace rock/travertine/aragonite used in saltwater.
Just figure out how much of the tank volume is actually taken up by water, so you have an idea of dosing should you ever need to medicate your fish. If you just go by the 38 gallon instead of the actual water volume, you might give too high of a dose.
2007-09-30 18:08:05 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as your fish have room enough to swim, and you factor in the rocks to your bio load you can add as many rocks as you want. You probably do not need 60 libs of gravel. In my opinion a good amount of gravel is about an inch and a fourth.
If you are looking to keep live plants it is definetley your best bet is to get plant substrate/fertilizer. Although it is a few dollars extra it is totally worth it because it will keep your plants alive and healthy. the special plant fertilizer can be put in the tank two different ways 1)on the bottom covered by aquarium gravel or 2) mix the two together. both methods work well, it's just a matter of perference.
2007-09-30 06:32:50 · answer #2 · answered by Alison B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're going to do live plants, you need at least a pound or two of substrate (gravel or whatever on the bottom) per gallon. If you're not going to do plants, just put in as much as you think looks good.
As far as making caves and stuff, there is no set standard for freshwater. Just put in as much as you think looks good! A big, solid, round rock will weigh much more than a rock of the same size that is porous (has holes in it).
So, basically what I'm trying to say is, do whatever looks good to you. It's your tank!
Good luck.
2007-09-30 05:48:28 · answer #3 · answered by dotman10 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every gallon of water you have in your tank needs one pound of gravel. If you ever plan on cleaning your ank then yes that is too much. Try to put less rocks in the tank so it won't be as heavy.
2007-09-30 05:16:32 · answer #4 · answered by Rosenheimgirl6 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋