Advice needed plz (=

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hi guys...

okay i am new to the coral side of salt water, but have a few fish only tanks.

My new project is a 4ft coral tank..

just needing some advice on rocks and LR.

How much LR is needed for a tank my size...

Can i use natural LR, stay in slummies, so if anyone knows wher i can get from :yeahdude:

also can i use sand stone to make a platform to place LR and Corals instead of using egg crate?
 
Plenty to answer here, first and foremost, it is illegal to take live rock from our waters, remembering live rock comes from a reef and not the boulders you find at the shoreline. Personally i wouldn't use sand stone as you dont know what is locked up inside and could be released over time into your system, rather use ceramic rock for the base as it comes in some really interesting shapes.
By the way welcome to MASA.
 
oh SH*t k wont be taken any live rock then...

the sand stone i was intending on using was the same rock that i have used in my fish only display tanks for 5 years. so you say stay away from that idea

so how much sand stone am i looking at using?

And how far above the water do you recomonned my MH should be. i was told about 30 cm
 
Hey noddy, welcome to the forum :) nice avatar ;)

I think about 60 -70 kg's of live rock would be suitable for a 4ft tank.

The general norm for MH's is about 20cm above the water.

p.s. show us some pics of your tanks.
 
Hi welcome
The use of egg crate is so that no LR is one the gravel, so it does not trap waste and the water can flow under. You should also not pack the LR against the back glass, for flow.
I have just tried to keep the LR off the gravel, but not off the back. Just don't whant the LR falling and crack the glass, as I have not glued mine. I take a power head and blow the SH@# from around the LR now and again.

Hope this helps.
My 2c
 
Welcome to Masa.
 
Why don't you ask a couple local reefers if you can visit their setups. You may learn a lot.
 
Welcome Noddy.

Forget about the sandstone. As Alan said, you don't know what's inside. It might be fine for fish but corals are far more sensitive to metals and toxins than fish.

If you really want the best buy some Fiji Premium rock. IMO it's the best looking LR. I would also use ceramic rock as base rock because it's much cheaper and looks very nice. Will be covered in coralline alhae in no time if you're worried about it not looking natural.

Good luck and please post some pics.
 
Hey nod... Welcome!

Just don't get sandstone from nahoon... I'm sure its absorbed plenty of nutrients from that sewerage outlet.... I made the same mistake and have been battling with algae issues bigtime.

U more than welcome to come have a look at my small setup, i'm in cambridge. Also get hold of hill and Phat(gonubie) , they've both got really nice systems and loads of advice!
Give me a shout if u need a hand with anything
 
How much LR is needed for a tank my size...
Can i use natural LR, stay in slummies, so if anyone knows wher i can get from :yeahdude:
also can i use sand stone to make a platform to place LR and Corals instead of using egg crate?

Just to clarify on some of the above statements. A good rule of thumb for live rock is to use up to a third of the tank by volume. Dont exceed this amount as flow becomes restricted and nitrates will build up in the rockwork!
Keep the rockwork nice and open, try not to fall into the trap of making a pile of rocks at the back of the tank. This will limit flow too.

I find the best way of making the reef look good and keep it nice and open for flow, is to use plastic water pipe, drill holes in the LR and using the pipe, join them together like beads on a chain. If done correctly, you will not see the pipes at all and to reinforce (if needed) you can use cable ties and mlliput. This will enable you to do away with the egg crate. My reef has about 12 metres of 19mm plastic pipe holding it together and about 200 cable ties (see featured system). If I look really carefully, I can see one cable tie at the back of the reef:slayer: .

On the subject of egg crate, (just to add, I use this in my system too), I believe it is a death trap for snails and hermits. They get lodged in the holes and eventually die as they cant get out. I am sure many of us have found shells stuck in the egg crate when emptying a tank.

O yes, and a big welcome to masa.
HTH,
Neil
 
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