How much rock?

I was wanting to know how much live rock I should use? I am getting a 46 gal tank, but am only going to spend about $50 on live rock right now, which will get me about 10lbs. Can I add more later with no problems or should I try and get as much as I can now?
Thanks
 

sistrmary

Member
As long as it's already cured or there are no fish/inverts it will be fine. In a tank that size, I wouldn't add too large a piece of uncured LR. Or you could always cure it in a bucket/garbage cans :D Throw in a powerhead and a heater and you're set.
Personally, I'd ideally go for 70-75lbs of LR...but I'm a LR addict...its my favorite part of saltwater. You would do well by getting 50lbs or so.
 
The rule of thumb is 1.5 lbs per gallon, which would be about 69 lbs for a 46 gallon tank.
You can add more over time. I would do it one piece at a time and only cured rock from your LFS. That is the expensive way to get LR IMO. Check out the various web sites before you buy, you can get a much better deal on the web. SWF.com even has free shipping and their rock is great. Consider buying some on line as your initial addition, then add from your LFS with coral purchases.
 
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