How much live rock to put in a Saltwater Tank?

Question

I have a 55 gallon saltwater tank, with sand Ocean Direct™ Caribbean Live Sand, How much live rock shoud I buy to put in my tank. I just want to have Fish and invertbrates. I eventually want to have 2 false percula clowns and a goby, a few crabs and a starfish, if that makes any difference in how much I should buy

Answer 1

To get the maximum biological filtration, you'll want 1 lb per gallon if you use rock that has a Pacific origin (Fiji, Tonga, Marshall Islands, etc.), or 1.5-2 lb per gallon if it's Atlantic or Carribean. The difference is in the porosity and surface area for bacteria to colonize.

Also, when you add the rock, you should add it first, so it sits directly on the bottom of your tank. If you set it on top of the sand, fish and inverts that dig will burrow under it, possibly causing the sand to shift and the rock to topple over. This doesn't mean you'll have to remove the sand, but push it out of the way when you add the rock so it does sit on the bottom.

When you place the rock, do so in a way that there's a maximum of space between the pieces so water flows through well. The purpose of the rock is biofiltration, so you want a maximum of area on each rock exposed to the water - not stacked like a brick wall. Try to have each piece supported by three points from below so it's stable and doesn't rock. And keep in mind the size of the fish and inverts you want to keep when selecting the size of the rock - fish like to wedge themselves into the spaces at night for security, and animals like urchins will try to plow through any opening they can. You want the openings to "fit" your fish, but you don't want the rock to be small/light enough that the animals can knock it over.

Answer 2

Copperhead's post is right on.

I'm only adding another example of stocking, I've got just over 60 lbs worth of Fiji rock in my 46 gallon.

Answer 3

rule of thumb is 1 pound per gallon. but it never hurts to put more in. i have a 33 gallon with about 40 lbs of rock

but if you are going fish only you might not need as much

Answer 4

as much as you want.