Live rock in HOB?

[nygel]

I figure this is the best place to ask this. I think i keep seeing where people take a HOB filter and take out the filter cartridges and then pack the area previously containing the cartridge with live rock. Is this good? Will it work?

 

[nygel]

buh

 

[d0 thy d3w]

yup!! i just built mine liek 2 or 3 days ago..i asked the same thing on here a few the other day..just remember it needs sum type of lighting

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by d0 thy d3w
yup!! i just built mine liek 2 or 3 days ago..i asked the same thing on here a few the other day..just remember it needs sum type of lighting
Live rock does not need light to maintain the beneficial bacteria.
I would not rely on this as the only biological filtration for a tank, but rather as additional filtration. HOB filters aren't large enough to hold the appropriate amount of rocks. It does work with with man-made biomedia though because those products are designed to be much more porous and offer more surface area than rocks.

 

[joojoo]

I think it's best just to double up on the bio-sponge things. When doing maintenance, rinse one and then rinse the other on the next maintenance day. LR, imo, would catch too much debris and be much more difficult to clean.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by joojoo
I think it's best just to double up on the bio-sponge things. When doing maintenance, rinse one and then rinse the other on the next maintenance day. LR, imo, would catch too much debris and be much more difficult to clean.

 

[d0 thy d3w]

Originally Posted by rbaldino
Live rock does not need light to maintain the beneficial bacteria.
I would not rely on this as the only biological filtration for a tank, but rather as additional filtration. HOB filters aren't large enough to hold the appropriate amount of rocks. It does work with with man-made biomedia though because those products are designed to be much more porous and offer more surface area than rocks.
hmmm....guess i had a misconception about that...sorry...i keep a light over mine anyways as im goin to be adding sum sort of macro

 

[d0 thy d3w]

and altho it obviousely would work for complet filtration..its a nice little place for your pods to reproduce

 

[nygel]

yeah, i guess i should have mentioned, its a emperor 280 going on the back of a 5.5 (its the same height as the tank) so, it should work as complete filtration. I will add sand and chaeto too (HOB refuge pretty much)
thanks.

 

[d0 thy d3w]

Originally Posted by nYgel
yeah, i guess i should have mentioned, its a emperor 280 going on the back of a 5.5 (its the same height as the tank) so, it should work as complete filtration. I will add sand and chaeto too (HOB refuge pretty much)
thanks.
i dotn know this filter well as i dont own one..but i doubt youll be happy using sand as it will probably be blown back into the tank and creat a dust clowd

 

[trainfever]

They do it as a means to build a mini refugium. The live rock used is mainly rubble rock which is small broken pieces of live rock. Put some macr algae in it and soon youll have a flourishing mini refugium.

 

[nygel]

so, did some mini-research, possibly fill bottom with sand (probably not for me though) and then pack it with live rock rubble/ chaeto and a small light over it..... good?

 

[d0 thy d3w]

sounds like a plan man!! thats exactly what i did..cept for no sand..and i havent gotten my chaeto yet....cant wait til i see a big increase in pods...i did this just recently...so i dont have a booming load yet lol..