Using live rock as filtration

[puffer55]

I have heard that using live rock as the primary filtration can work and that I do not need a HOB, canister, or wet/dry filter to help it along... Is this something that can just get you by or is it actually better than a filter you would buy such as the ones I listed above?

I want to set up a 75 gallon tank... how many lbs of live rock would I need?

If i were to use live rock as my biological filtration , what HOB protein skimmer would you reccomend?

[Jstdv8]

I'm currently using just LR and a turf scrubber, no skimmer or mechanical filtration.
If you go this route do not skimp on the quality of your LR or the quantity of the LR. you will need a minimum of 75 lbs for your 75 gallon tank. 100 lbs would be better.

Surface area is what makes these work, same thing with a HOB filter. the surface area of the sponge or other media in there that the bacteria can colonize on is what makes it go.
You will also need a fair amount of flow, you have to get the water with the nasties in it to the bacteria, we do this by forcing water around the tank and through the rocks.

I do reccomend a good skimmer and a sump.

[bertoni]

Live rock is fine for primary filtration. A canister or HOB can be useful for running activated carbon or a phosphate media, but I wouldn't use any of the more common media in one.

The amount of rock needed in the tank depends on the number and species of fish you're going to keep, but the usual guideline would be something like 75-110 lbs of live rock in that size tank.

[sedor]

Personally, I still think your better off with a sump and a skimmer. The sump will allow space to store a multitude of live rock without having to clutter up your tank and a skimmer will help remove larger particles before they have a chance to start biodegrading in your tank. It sounds like your fighting having to get your tank drilled and I used to do the same thing, but trust me your going to be glad you did. HOB skimmers just don't cut it IMO and although its true that live rock can be used as a sole source of filtration, the amount you would need in a 75G tank would be more than you'd probably like to see in your display.

[puffer55]

Thank you for all of the answers. Sedor, you are correct. I have been going back and forth over getting a reef ready or a regular tank.

I am setting up a fish only tank but I have heard reef ready tanks are a good investment because of the significant reduction in the chance of flooding that they provide. Do you guys think a wet/dry with a skimmer would be good?

[bertoni]

What animals do you intend to keep in the tank? The wet-dry will be fine for a FOWLR system, but they can promote a higher nitrate level, and that can be a problem with corals. You might want to look at pictures of tanks with live rock as the primary filtration.

[puffer55]

well... I would like to do a FO system probably but not if live rock will be a lot more effiecient.

If i want to do a FO 75 gallon tank, what type of filtration would you recommend?

[bertoni]

Well, there's a lot of choices there. I'd just use live rock, and keep the fish load down to what that could handle in terms of filtration. I think it's easier that way. If you want a heavy fish load, then a wet-dry is a good idea. You might want to pick a fish list, and work from there.

[puffer55]

If I keep the fish load reasonable would I still need a skimmer?

[Sk8r]

The skimmer is the kidneys of the tank. It gets rid of waste that you can't see. Turns up as nasty green-brown muck in the basket. I run a reef. I use a skimmer rated for 2x my water volume, and have 1 lb sand and 1lb live rock per gallon. I don' t use any sort of filtration beyond the skimmer and my live rock and sand.
It is also far cheaper to get plain sand and all base rock but one really nice live rock, and wait 8 weeks for a cycle (bacteria setting up shop) instead of the usual 4.

[Jstdv8]

Personally, I still think your better off with a sump and a skimmer. The sump will allow space to store a multitude of live rock without having to clutter up your tank and a skimmer will help remove larger particles before they have a chance to start biodegrading in your tank. It sounds like your fighting having to get your tank drilled and I used to do the same thing, but trust me your going to be glad you did. HOB skimmers just don't cut it IMO and although its true that live rock can be used as a sole source of filtration, the amount you would need in a 75G tank would be more than you'd probably like to see in your display.


You don't need to drill a tank to have a sump.
If that's the hold up, just get a HOB overflow like most people in the hobby have. quick and easy.

[jeff@zina.com]

well... I would like to do a FO system probably but not if live rock will be a lot more effiecient.

If i want to do a FO 75 gallon tank, what type of filtration would you recommend?

There's no reason not to do fish only with live rock, commonly referred to as a FOWLR tank. Besides, most fish love grazing on the rock.

Jeff

[Chris27]

Do a little reading on the Berlin Method - it should answer all your questions. :) Good Luck and welcome to the club