Too much Rock?

codygarner08 · Jun 26, 2019

Was wondering if I have too much rock and sand?
My sand bed is about 2.5”. The reason for the sand is for my tiger postal shrimp. I’m thinking the rock may be restricting the flow though out the tank but I not completely sure.

What do you guys think? Also please disregard the trumpet, it’s slowly recovering.

Here is some pictures hope they help. Also if you see something that looks off please let me know?
Thanks you guys.

brandon429 · Jun 26, 2019

good job its just fine as is.

occasionally take the tank apart and just rip clean it then put it all back and however you scape in that smaller tank wont matter. clean out the detritus every 20 mos or so /nbd it w make it live forever.

Nano keepers lose tanks to old tank syndrome and invasion constantly even if they have less rock, they wont do the occasional cleaning. Large tankers who run old tanks said don't touch the waste, so they don't.
there are nano rule breakers though lol/old ones

SPR1968 · Jun 26, 2019

I think it very much depends on personal taste, it looks fine to me, infact very nice

If you have less rock, maybe a few gaps or more caves, it would provide more swimming room and also better flow throughout the tank and especially around the back.

But it’s your tank, so enjoy what you’ve created, or keep fiddling with it until your completely happy

I like it though.

codygarner08 · Jun 26, 2019

Thanks, I do like the set rock but just trying to figure-out what’s best for this little tank.
I don’t have any fish but I do have way too many hermits and snails, I can’t seem to keep them from reproducing. How do you guys fight that? Also what fish should I get? Was thinking of getting a clown but I’m thinking it’s two small. I have two in my 20 gallon.

Goose91 · Jun 26, 2019

I dont think youd have a problem with a pair of clowns and some other small fish like a purple dotty and some damsels

eggplantparrot · Jun 26, 2019

Goose91 said:
I dont think youd have a problem with a pair of clowns and some other small fish like a purple dotty and some damsels

that tank looks pretty small for all those fish

Goose91 · Jun 26, 2019

eggplantparrot said:
that tank looks pretty small for all those fish

Could be, but they were just suggestions for smaller fish to help him out while hes shopping

Aeb1419 · Jun 26, 2019

If your asking on a forum that means you are having doubts. I think personally that if you are not satisfied then make it to where you look at it and your content.

Ive had alot of rocks in the past and once I glued the corals I found it difficult to clean up the detritus/move rocks around.

Again to me it looks fine but everyone has a different taste

ilyad · Jun 26, 2019

From a technical standpoint, you can never have too much rock... as it increases biological filtration. Personally, I think its too much rock. I like to add rocks in such a manner where I can make sure and run an algae scrubber against any glass panel to keep them clean. I also like to make sure that there is flow between the rocks. Something to also keep in mind, is that as you place coral, it will take away even more space. I think you can prob lose some rock, choose some smaller pieces, or go for different shapes too.

But I am kinda biased though as I like a very open and minimal scape, that then gets filled with coral.

NS Mike D · Jun 26, 2019

If I were to do it all over again, I'd use a fraction of the rock in the DT and add something like marine pure blocks in the sump for filtration. and go bare bottom.

The reason why, rock and sand are detritus traps. Plus, I am in the camp that rock loses it porousness over time making it less effective. It's easier to swap out marine pure blocks on a rotation and just put enough rock to serve as a platform for the corals which will grow out and fill in gaps as well as form new rock anyway.

As for fish and rock, have enough rock for hiding place for all the while balancing that with open space to swim.

And on the note for open space, (and less rock) rock blocks flow and flow is generally good for coral and for keeping detritus suspended so it gets removed by the filtration.

One more argument for less rock. IMO, rock that isn't covered by coral will invite algae. I say match the rock with the coral. You can always add rock if you need more space to place corals.

As for sand, the WWC videos with BRS sold me. Feed your corals heavily and let extra food get removed by filtration with no sand bed to trap it.

lapin · Jun 26, 2019

Looks good to me. If you dont like it, then change it. If you like it, leave it.

codygarner08 · Jun 26, 2019

Thank guys, everyone’s input was very helpful. I will probably take some of the rock above away because I have 35 one inch ceramic spheres in the back of the DT. I would like to add a fish and I may just go with a goby for the shrimp or maybe a single clown or black clown goby.

Goose91 · Jun 26, 2019

codygarner08 said:
Thank guys, everyone’s input was very helpful. I will probably take some of the rock above away because I have 35 one inch ceramic spheres in the back of the DT. I would like to add a fish and I may just go with a goby for the shrimp or maybe a single clown or black clown goby.

Keep in mind gobbys and other fish like sand, they make their homes, so if all u have is crushed coral youll need to replace some with sand so they are happy

codygarner08 · Jun 27, 2019

So I’m thinking of these guys as my only fish for the 10 gallon.

Just got to figure out if my emerald crab and postal shrimp will mess with them.

brandon429 · Jun 27, 2019

good call above, the double-edge sword of surface area in a reef tank.

literally any extra surface area beyond what it takes to neutralize an intended bioload is required cleaning or that same surface begins to contribute to old tank syndrome if plugging persists.
cleaned extra surface area, nbd

untouched extra surface area/that's 98% of today's posted cyano challenge tanks.

agree that much rock will restrict motion/cause a buildup so that's why I say part the rascal out every few years n fix that/reset it.

you'd save work long term reducing the load, reducing the sand, and keeping it vacuumed routinely or stirred up to prevent sinking

another unspoken double edge sword of sandbeds and any form of extra surface area active beyond needs of a matched bioload: oxygen command by stored waste. in a power outage, the cleaner system with the least active surface area per unit of bioload still being filtered will live the longest.

stores of extra sand and mulm are just massive bacteria factories for heterotrophs that don't filter, they compete for o2. more than all the fish added up and doubled. detritus and sandbeds are your greatest oxygen users in a reef tank/ collective bet.
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