Starting my first salt aquarium

[bkweibley]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/393228/starting-my-first-salt-aquarium#post_3497477
Take the rock and use it, especially if it looks good. It isn't live, so you will need some true live rock and over time your base rock will become "live".
So if its 150 lbs, he says it fills up the tank nicely, should I only use half of that or what?

 

[pezenfuego]

Quote:
Originally Posted by bkweibley http:///t/393228/starting-my-first-salt-aquarium#post_3497551
So if its 150 lbs, he says it fills up the tank nicely, should I only use half of that or what?
This is all personal preference. The general rule of thumb (and I hate general rules of thumb) is to use 1-2 pounds per gallon. However, if the rock is not dense at all, then you may have to use less and it also has to do with a discrepancy between mass and volume. The smaller the tank, the more ridiculous that rule of thumb is to follow. Honestly, I would get all of the rock and see how it fills the tank first if I were you. See if you want more rock or less rock.
If you question is "What percent should be live?" then there is no straight answer. You can totally cycle a tank with no live rock at all (the bacteria necessary is ubiquitous). You could have all live rock if you wanted to, there is no problem with that either. The more the better, but if I were you, I wouldn't want to buy 75 pounds of live rock. I would definitely recommend getting some though. It's up to you.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I like tanks with less rock and more coral. Rock for me serves as a medium to which i attach corals. In tanks that are dominated my reef building corals, such as SPS and some LPS corals, less rock is preferable because of their ability to take up space in the tank. Less rock, more real estate.
Then, for fish only tanks, rocks for me serve as a decoration and a place for fish to hide. Regardless of how much rock there is, its good to have it arranged in an agreeable pattern for your own personal aestetic taste.