live rock or live sand?

[lbannie]

I'm starting a 30 gallon tank, Can I use just live sand? Or do I need live rock also....or both? Or live rock and regular sand?

I was hoping for live sand and using fake coral decorations, is that possible??

 

[geoj]

Yes you can do it. Just test the water and don’t over stock the tank. This is something that is sometime forgotten no mater how much LS and LR you have there is a limit to its ability to offset the waste.

 

[flower]

+1 And WELCOME to the site!
Fake coral will seed just like rock. However, algae is a way of life and it looks good on live rock, but awful on expensive fake corals. You can't clean the fake coral or you kill the bacteria that live on it.
Live rock with some base rock to seed is really the best way to go. It is cheaper, and will look better in the end.

 

[lbannie]

Thanks guys, so if I use LS and LR in my 30 gal, how many pounds of each do I use??

 

[ibew41]

are you using live sand or rock to cycle the tank or using it as a filter?If you are using it to cycle then either 1 will work you dont need both

 

[ibew41]

to use live rock in filtration about 1 1/2 lbs per gal

 

[ophiura]

While it is possible to use sand and fake corals, I will add that there is no substitute for live rock and it can work wonders for fish health, IMO. It provides natural grazing opportunities and overall establishes a more normal and natural system. There are some fish that, IMO, you should simply not even try to keep without live rock, including things like angelfish.
Having extensive experience with fake decor, also keep in mind that it will not look so pretty over time, and requires pretty aggressive cleaning (I had a rotation that I would have in tank, and another that was soaking in a bleach solution). That is how they keep the fake corals at restaurants and such looking good.
IMO, nothing compares to live rock. And if the question is live rock or live sand it is always live rock. Live rock will seed live sand, but since live sand is bagged for extensive amounts of time, the opposite is more limited. Not to mention live rock is an actual part of the biological filter, and the same can really not be said for artificial decor (apart from the fact that bacteria grow on the surface...until you scrub it off).

 

[florida joe]

First let me say I would never nor recommend fake coral to anyone simply because it looks fake. My personal opinion. Fact for the most part it is non porous. No anaerobic bacteria colonization.