Ya, and that's the key right there. Too many people try to push their system to do something, rather than let it run and just pay attention to what it needs.

The biggest driver in the amount of rock I used was the number of corals I had to mount :)

Yup , I get asked a lot how much rock do you need 1 lb per gallon , 2 lbs per gallon ......actually really not much , you'd probably need more than the ratio to actually build something and mount corals compared to what you need to just work lol

We QT all our fish all last summer when we tore down the bonsai , 5 maybe 7 lbs of rock swapped out every week kept over a dozen fish incuding tangs alive , no sand no skimmer etc. Just that little bit if rock, an air stone and powerhead and a heater or two....the bare basics and did beautifully :)

When I started up I was told as a rule one pound per gallon 4 inches of sand use Dt water for quick cycle

Now it's minimal rock is fine but lots of corals remove all your sand. And Dt water not helpful

This hobby is so interesting and confusing all at the same time. The times they be changing lol

My usual recommendation is half pound per gallon, which is more than enough for filtration and enough for a good layout

That's also what I say to people, start there and add if need be based on what you want to achieve :)


Jeff lots of myths have been debunked over the years which is good , nature of the beast :)

Lol I realize that I just find it comical in another 7 years maybe it will flip back again.