Live rock versus maybe a block in a sump?

[Walleye34]

I’m trying to decide between live rock and a media block in my stump. The space is 8 inches wide x14 inches long x10 inches tall. What are some of the advantages or disadvantages of both. And with her most of you guys using. Thanks

 

[W1ngz]

You want to not use rock at all and just a media block down below? Am I understanding this right?

 

[Walleye34]

You want to not use rock at all and just a media block down below? Am I understanding this right?

I’m trying to decide on which one. Does one have and advantage over the other. Sorry about the title. I was using talk to text

 

[W1ngz]

Media blocks get soft over time. You're going to go in one day to clean something, and it will turn to sand in your hands, and there goes all your bacteria. Without rock there's no place for other things like sponges and coralline to grow. No cracks and crevices for snails, crabs or fish to hide in. No place to mount corals without rock. You need something visually in your tank, since most freshwater plastic stuff doesn't hold up in saltwater.

I can't think of a single good reason to not have reef rock in a saltwater tank.

 

[Walleye34]

Media blocks get soft over time. You're going to go in one day to clean something, and it will turn to sand in your hands, and there goes all your bacteria. Without rock there's no place for other things like sponges and coralline to grow. No cracks and crevices for snails, crabs or fish to hide in. No place to mount corals without rock. You need something visually in your tank, since most freshwater plastic stuff doesn't hold up in saltwater.

I can't think of a single good reason to not have reef rock in a saltwater tank.

no I have dry rock in my actual aquarium I’m trying to figure out what to put in the sump. More dry rock or media block. I apologize for the miscommunication

 

[Butcher333]

I almost bought some cubes. Good to know. I’ll have to look into that. Wonder why I never looked for the negatives.

 

[YankeeTankee]

Live rock, some of the blocks leach aluminum.

 

[W1ngz]

no I have dry rock in my actual aquarium I’m trying to figure out what to put in the sump. More dry rock or media block. I apologize for the miscommunication

Maybe my odd interpretation of what you meant.

Is there a specific reason you want to put any rock at all in the sump? It's not necessary.

 

[Walleye34]

Maybe my odd interpretation of what you meant.

Is there a specific reason you want to put any rock at all in the sump? It's not necessary.

This is my first reef aquarium. I was going to do a refugee them in The sump but change my mind.So I have this empty space in my sump and I’ve read the more surface area for bacteria to grow the better. I’ve read that one media block is equal to like 100 pounds of live rock or something like that. And that putting live rock in your sump is a place for detritus to collect. But I’ve also heard some bad things about the media blocks

 

[DHill6]

BRS has spheres that aren’t made by Bio

 

[W1ngz]

This is my first reef aquarium. I was going to do a refugee them in The sump but change my mind.So I have this empty space in my sump and I’ve read the more surface area for bacteria to grow the better. I’ve read that one media block is equal to like 100 pounds of live rock or something like that. And that putting live rock in your sump is a place for detritus to collect. But I’ve also heard some bad things about the media blocks

Have you considered leaving that chamber empty until you have some experience behind you to guide your decisions? Of course you could always empty it later but you don't have to decide everything up front.

 

[Silent]

There might be a time you will want to add something and the empty chamber will be the place to add it. Maybe you will want a gfo or carbon reactor in there or you decide to add a algae scrubber or something else.

 

[tupes]

I use these for my 13gallon nano just for surface area due to space in the overflows but I'm adding chunks of live rock to my 65 gallon for surface area and space for pods to grow.

Being that your tank is new I'd wait to do a full refugium due to low nutrients already. Just throw in some rock for now. Dont add sand or anything else for now. It's more of a pain in the butt to take out than add later.

Like others have said you might decide on adding other equipment or who knows what later down the road.


I hope this helps.

 

[tupes]

Also, what I've seen some people due to help with the detritus not accumulating is to add a nano hydor pump to that area and it keeps the detritus suspended to get caught in the filter media.

 

[Miller535]

This is my first reef aquarium. I was going to do a refugee them in The sump but change my mind.So I have this empty space in my sump and I’ve read the more surface area for bacteria to grow the better. I’ve read that one media block is equal to like 100 pounds of live rock or something like that. And that putting live rock in your sump is a place for detritus to collect. But I’ve also heard some bad things about the media blocks

I have heard the same claims of how much rock the media is equal to. And they claim that because of amount of surface area. But I personally find this to be crap. And I do not think the media even host all of the same bacteria and fauna. And as Yankee has said, they are well known to leach aluminum. There are tons of threads about that.

 

[Walleye34]

I have heard the same claims of how much rock the media is equal to. And they claim that because of amount of surface area. But I personally find this to be crap. And I do not think the media even host all of the same bacteria and fauna. And as Yankee has said, they are well known to leach aluminum. There are tons of threads about that.

Thank you.

 

[Walleye34]

I use these for my 13gallon nano just for surface area due to space in the overflows but I'm adding chunks of live rock to my 65 gallon for surface area and space for pods to grow.

Being that your tank is new I'd wait to do a full refugium due to low nutrients already. Just throw in some rock for now. Dont add sand or anything else for now. It's more of a pain in the butt to take out than add later.

Like others have said you might decide on adding other equipment or who knows what later down the road.


I hope this helps.

Thanks!

 

[drknudsenx2]

I put a few of my extra dry rocks in my sump, and it increased the vibration coming from the return pump. It seems to have dulled over time (or my ears have adjusted), but just my recent experience.

 

[Joe Rice]

I have had the MarinePure 8" x 8" x 4" block in my sump for over 4 years. It hasn't gotten soft and my aluminum levels - while higher than natural sea water - are within the safe range. I have it in a low flow area of my sump and my nitrates measure about 2 ppm despite that fact that I do no carbon dosing. Whether it's due to the block or not, I can't say.

I also have lots of rock in my tank.

 

[Stang67]

FWIW I am setting up my first sump as well. I am going to put a piece of live rock in in the refugium section to hopefully use to cultivate pods in the future. Figured its not doing any harm by sitting there for now and if I want to pull it I can.