I Love Live Rock. Do You?

[Salty Prata]

I currentely added 40lbs. of live rock to my 75gal. tank. Over the years I have collected 200lbs. of Fiji. I'm sure this is small potatoes compared to most of the reefers on this site. My question is when is enough enough? Is my obsession with rock just another excuse to upgrade to a larger system?

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=238727&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

[DawnOctopus]

It's not the rock I love... It's the hitchhikers that come out!

[jovis]

yea 1^ that, the hitchhikers are the best. it just sad the things that i see being sold as "live" rock

[monty]

the only time i hate live rock is when you discover that you're having an aiptasia problem

[Salty Prata]

Oh yes, but there is allway's a solution. Copperband,pepermint shrimp,joe's juice. Amazing the rock is still there after all of that.

[suasponte2/75]

I think it's all a matter of taste IMO. I for one like minimal strategically placed LR and allow corals to grow out as well as having "hidy" holes/spots for my fishes.

Before:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j59/pham15/Fish%20Tank/180GAquascape.jpg

After:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j59/pham15/Fish%20Tank/DSCN17562.jpg

I also try to maximize the space from the front of the tank to the back by laying my LR diagonally and such. This also helps me with water flow and less dead spots. I've also seen beautiful LR filled tanks but they usually also fill it from front to back versus just the back pane area alone. IMO this gives it more of an interesting "behind the scenes" look versus sand area and then rock area look. Although beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

JMO,

Minh

[ACBlinky]

I think it's enough when you feel it's enough -- as long as the fish have enough to feel safe, and not so much that they're crowded, and providing that there's enough to handle the bioload, you're fine.

I love nice live rock -- I can't stand the round stuff that looks like a pile of boulders or potatoes. I built my collection over time, with different types of rock (Fiji, Kaelini, Indo, unknown) from many stores. Some was covered in life, some looked pretty plain but had really great shapes. I've got somewhere around 120lbs in the 90g now, and 15-20lbs in the 30g. I'm quite pleased with the way they both look, and the fish seem happy, so I don't really need to add more... but I know what you're saying about wanting to.

Whenever I see a really nice piece at the LFS I want to buy it. It doesn't matter if it's a 15lb monster, I'll stand there telling myself I can find a place to put it. I do have a way of stopping myself though: I've been Aiptasia free for a long time now, thanks to some peppermints that have since passed on. If I introduce the dreaded pest back into my tank, I'd have to deal with the Aiptasia on my own, and I'm already up to my eyeballs in tulip anemones.

[HowardW]

I like live rock a lot, but -REAL- live rock, not that stuff they ship from the south pacific. :D

[jeffreyliu838]

Hmm. Maybe having too much live rock might threaten the integrity of your tank? I dunno though.

[Apercula]

I used to work at a marine wholesaler. I loved unpacking 2000lbs of live rock and getting to see all the cool stuff in the boxes first.

[ACBlinky]

Apercula - that's my idea of heaven! So many hitchhikers, bits of macro and coral and nice pieces of rock would never make it into the tanks if I was the one unpacking those boxes... If I worked at a wholesalers, I'd be bringing so many things home, I'm sure I'd have a very small paycheck.