Keeping live rock out of the display tank

[mmfish]

Almost 100% of reef tanks have live rock as part of the aquascape. It seems that all TOTM tanks have it as well. Why? The live rock filtration copepod value can be had with setting up a live rock refugium. This would leave the display tank more open and have more room for corals or plants that could provide fish cover.

[NYCBOB]

if u hv a big enough sump or fuge, u can definitely hv all of ur lr in there. lr doesnt just serve as a place for pods to grow, but it also serve as a bio filter.

[JimmyK]

A remote live rock refugium works great. I have a 110 gallon LRR connected to my display. It has gravity feeds to my display. My 120 is in the living room and the refugium, sump equipment is all in the garage and plumbed thru the wall. Many people put additional rock in sump but due to room it is hard to have a large remote rock refugium. Works great for me....

[mmfish]

Style probably drive display tank live rock vs.refugium, as everyone wants a chock-full looking tank.

[kimber45]

because most try for natural settings. no live rock would not be natural for most our inhabitants.

[noahm]

because most try for natural settings. no live rock would not be natural for most our inhabitants.

^^ this is the main reason for it in the DT. It looks really nice if scaped well. It can also look like a pile of rocks if not done well.

It is also a great place to mount frags rather than to each other or on the glass or sand. ;)

If you want minimal rock and very open feel, you can surely supplement in a fuge/sump area.

[pbnj]

Aside from aesthetic appeal, you can potentially create more surface area for coral placement with live rock than a rockless tank.

[VtheMaestro]

I've always wondered if the minimalist 'scapes devoid of adequate amounts of live rock suffer in the biological filtration area.

I wanted to add a LR fuge to my sump, but i somehow feel torn about putting living things that could possible die/produce waste & nitrates into the area dedicated to 'cleaning' my system.

I vote for a tasteful, well thought out in-tank LR display

[unbreakable]

not only that you create less stress. if fish can never find a rock they can call "home" and sleep in or retreat to from aggressors, then I would imagine they would become sick from stress over time. some fish can get in to the chasing game, and when other fish see what's going on they get in on it too just because. I have one chromis that gets picked on by clowns, and he always swims back in to a birdnest coral so theyll stop messing with him

[mmfish]

Coral reefs are all coral, the rock is dead coral. In natures there are reefs without exposed rock. I am thinking of setting up a clear acrylic lattice to hold corals in the DT, in layers that will provide fish "cover". As it grows in the substance will provide even more. Until then, I can hold off on getting any fish.