[Coralene_34]

Hello all and thanks for taking the time to read my question.

My very first tank will be delivered in a few days and I'm trying to plan the setup. it's a Red Sea Max 34 and it's going to be a coral-only tank. I plan on using live sand and a mix of 20 lb live / 10 lb dead rock. I'll be stabilizing my rock on a pvc frame.

My question is this: Should I lift my rock about 2 inches so that it's not "buried" by the 2" of substrate? I've seen 2 articles on this with varying opinions.

The book "The new marine aquarium" by Michael Paletta says to put the live rock in first then put in the substrate.

Other articles I've seen imply that the rock is best raised up a bit or installed after the sand .

any advice based on your experiences is greatly appreciated..

[spanko]

The best bet, IMO, for live rock placement is directly on the bottom of the tank or on a frame like you are talking about. The thing you need to avoid is any critters that dig into the sand, digging under the rocks and causing them to be unstable and possibly to crash down. The the substrate goes in to backfill around it. Welcome to a great hobby
and

to RB!

[NOSAJ214]

IMO,i would put your sand in first then about a week later add the rock or whatever you are going to use.You will have more things to worry about than this in your new exciting journey.And welcome.Good luck.

[Mr_X]

if you are curing the rock in that tank, id put the rock in first. wait till the rock is cured before adding the sand. the reason for this is-
during the rock curing process, alot of junk will fall off of it, to the bottom. without a sand bed this will be easy to vacuum up.

if the rock is truly cured, i would add them at the same time, and since you say it's a coral only tank(i am assuming no fish) it won't matter above, or below the surface of the sand.

[spanko]

Originally Posted by Mr_X

if you are curing the rock in that tank, id put the rock in first. wait till the rock is cured before adding the sand. the reason for this is-
during the rock curing process, alot of junk will fall off of it, to the bottom. without a sand bed this will be easy to vacuum up.

if the rock is truly cured, i would add them at the same time, and since you say it's a coral only tank(i am assuming no fish) it won't matter above, or below the surface of the sand.

Ah....but there will be micro fauna that will come in on the rock, bristle worms, etc. that will be moving within the sand. I am still of the opinion that rock on the bottom is the safest bet.

[demonsquirt]

You want the base pieces of rock on the glass bottom then add the sand bed. A rock slide could mean dead coral or broken glass.

Its best to set the rock up in a way its steady then use epoxy to secure.

[cokipoint]

Rock first then substrate. I had the LFS set my tank up snce it was my first tank. I told them I read it should be rock first. They said live sand and now I have unstable rocks in my 150 gallon. Due to my goby digging tunnels. Learn from my mistake.

[Mr_X]

the thread starter said it's going to be a "coral only" tank. nothing is going to be digging under the rock. nothing big enough to matter anyway.

[cokipoint]

If it is coral only I guess it will not matter. But in the event they change their mind and want a full reef they will already be prepared if the rock went in first.

[demonsquirt]

Water flow and worm movement and settling will accure. To avoid broken glass it is best to get the foundation right. Rock then substrate.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by Coralene_34

Hello all and thanks for taking the time to read my question.

My very first tank will be delivered in a few days and I'm trying to plan the setup. it's a Red Sea Max 34 and it's going to be a coral-only tank. I plan on using live sand and a mix of 20 lb live / 10 lb dead rock. I'll be stabilizing my rock on a pvc frame.

My question is this: Should I lift my rock about 2 inches so that it's not "buried" by the 2" of substrate? I've seen 2 articles on this with varying opinions.

The book "The new marine aquarium" by Michael Paletta says to put the live rock in first then put in the substrate.

Other articles I've seen imply that the rock is best raised up a bit or installed after the sand .

any advice based on your experiences is greatly appreciated..

Choose corals for your tank that have movement. Especially if no fish!