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Tonga versus Fiji rock
- Thread starter ken6217
- Start date
I love Marco Rock. The figi rock he has is the coolest shapliest stuff I've ever seen. So much so that I've purchased enough to completely rescape my 180. I'm going to replace all of my existing rock once it finishes cycling. I'm really looking forward to it.
Tonga isn't better then Fiji rock just different. Both are dense rocks. Tonga comes in two common types (although others are available) and they are slab and branch. Both types are very dense and not very porous so that don't contribute a lot to bio filtration compared to other rock types.
Ideally in any tank a variety of rock types can be used for look but you want to stick to one of the better know rock types for most of your filtration needs.
I personally find tonga branch rock hard to work with (stack) but maybe 5-10% of total rock volume is fine as you can use a few pieces here and there for some added variety/design in your aquascaping. I longer piece here or there sticking up from the rock work gives a nice look.
Choice of rock is mostly a personal thing and there isn't one way to do it (selection or aquascaping).
Carlo
Ideally in any tank a variety of rock types can be used for look but you want to stick to one of the better know rock types for most of your filtration needs.
I personally find tonga branch rock hard to work with (stack) but maybe 5-10% of total rock volume is fine as you can use a few pieces here and there for some added variety/design in your aquascaping. I longer piece here or there sticking up from the rock work gives a nice look.
Choice of rock is mostly a personal thing and there isn't one way to do it (selection or aquascaping).
Carlo
Thanks for the comments. As much as I see nice live rock online, I would rather go to a store and pick out the shapes. I keep gooing back and forth as I see so much nice stuff from Marco, Aquarium Arts, Premium Aquatics to name a few.
Which rock then is considered porous, and how important is that really. I know it sounds good to parrot that information as it is in every book, but I would safely say that there are tons of people with tanks of Fiji rock solely with tanks that have more than enough biological filtration (myself included on my 90 gallon tank).
Ken
Which rock then is considered porous, and how important is that really. I know it sounds good to parrot that information as it is in every book, but I would safely say that there are tons of people with tanks of Fiji rock solely with tanks that have more than enough biological filtration (myself included on my 90 gallon tank).
Ken
Marco will cherry pick, send you photographs of what he's chosen, laid out the way you describe to fit your tank dimensions. If there's a rock you don't like in the photo he'll replace that rock with another one and give it another go. Marco rock is very light (dry) and is reported to be quite porous.
I sound like a sales pitch, but I was soo happy with the service we got that I can't help but highly recommend it. He even packed pictures with the rock so that I'd know where each of the rocks in the diagram go!
I sound like a sales pitch, but I was soo happy with the service we got that I can't help but highly recommend it. He even packed pictures with the rock so that I'd know where each of the rocks in the diagram go!
ken6217 said:
Bacterias in nitrogen cycle attach themselves to the surfaces of the rock. The rock that is very porous in a sense that the holes are very small (spoge like porous) will have much more surface in respect to the volume it will occupy, and therefore you will have far more beneficial bacterias to do the job. Surface area of the very porous rock can easily be 100 or more times greater then that of a slab of granite occupying the same space. Basically, any volume of rock that aerobic or anaerobic bacterias can't reach, is pretty much useless dead weight and volume, and should be avoided since our tanks are of limited volume and therefore have only limited resources for efficient bio-cycle.
You are pulling a sentence out of context. Your comment is correct but not relevant to what I am saying. My point is in the next senetence: "but I would safely say that there are tons of people with tanks of Fiji rock solely with tanks that have more than enough biological filtration (myself included on my 90 gallon tank)."
I would venture to guess that there is a larger percentage of people in the hobby using Fiji rock than anything else. If you add Tonga to this, then it is a landslide. So I would say, that the comment of "rock that aerobic or anaerobic bacterias can't reach, is pretty much useless dead weight and volume, and should be avoided since our tanks are of limited volume and therefore have only limited resources for efficient bio-cycle" is a real broad stroke to paint. I do not believe that Fiji and Tonga rock would be considered poor rock for bilogical activity.
Ken
I would venture to guess that there is a larger percentage of people in the hobby using Fiji rock than anything else. If you add Tonga to this, then it is a landslide. So I would say, that the comment of "rock that aerobic or anaerobic bacterias can't reach, is pretty much useless dead weight and volume, and should be avoided since our tanks are of limited volume and therefore have only limited resources for efficient bio-cycle" is a real broad stroke to paint. I do not believe that Fiji and Tonga rock would be considered poor rock for bilogical activity.
Ken
ken6217 said:
I am sorry for misunderstanding, but then, please, frase your sentences a bit more precise. Semantics of that "next" sentence implies that people are using not only Tonga and Fiji rocks but other types as well (as they of course do in large amounts) and my comment was therefore focused on use of porous rocks like Tonga or Fiji, vs non-porous rocks. Precisely because they are both very porous, both Fiji and Tonga are considered the best for biological activity and I have nowhere implied otherwise. Branching Tonga rocks are sceletons of dead branching corals and I would venture that they are more porous then non branching Tonga and Fiji are, but by how much, it is difficult to say. Are branching Tonga rocks neccessary in the sistem, certainly not, and you certainly can have a ballanced bioload with any kind of live rock or no live rock at all.
Actually I got your post mixed up withg Carlo's:
"Tonga comes in two common types (although others are available) and they are slab and branch. Both types are very dense and not very porous so that don't contribute a lot to bio filtration compared to other rock types."
Someone reading this with know knowledge would think to themselves that this is not good rock, and that is not the case.
Ken
"Tonga comes in two common types (although others are available) and they are slab and branch. Both types are very dense and not very porous so that don't contribute a lot to bio filtration compared to other rock types."
Someone reading this with know knowledge would think to themselves that this is not good rock, and that is not the case.
Ken
That's actually exactly what I meant. Tonga Slab and Tonga Branch rock aren't very good rock from a bacterial standpoint (why we use rock). Sure the slab is good for creating caves and the branch is nice for designs and decoration but neither does much for biofiltration.
These are two of the WORST rocks to use from a biofiltration standpoint. There are other types of Tonga rock that are among the best rocks available so this isn't meant to be a generalized statement about Tonga rock in general only those two types.
I wrote up a much longer post yesterday on this but when I posted it the server didn't respond and I lost it.
Carlo
These are two of the WORST rocks to use from a biofiltration standpoint. There are other types of Tonga rock that are among the best rocks available so this isn't meant to be a generalized statement about Tonga rock in general only those two types.
I wrote up a much longer post yesterday on this but when I posted it the server didn't respond and I lost it.
Carlo
Carlo said:That's actually exactly what I meant. Tonga Slab and Tonga Branch rock aren't very good rock from a bacterial standpoint (why we use rock). Sure the slab is good for creating caves and the branch is nice for designs and decoration but neither does much for biofiltration.
These are two of the WORST rocks to use from a biofiltration standpoint. There are other types of Tonga rock that are among the best rocks available so this isn't meant to be a generalized statement about Tonga rock in general only those two types.
I wrote up a much longer post yesterday on this but when I posted it the server didn't respond and I lost it.
Carlo
Carlo,
I guess I was generalizing when saying Tonga and Fiji as a whole. I saw some Fiji rock the other day that looked like old Pocillipora type. Is this also not good to use? I am picking up rock in the next few days so I want to try to figure what is good quality/ I want to go to a store rather than mail order. I heard the Hidden Reef in Pa was to have nice rock. Have you had experience there as well? Any other places you recommend?
Ken
I understand how you would like to pick and choose your own rock from a bin at an LFS. I was the same way when I started a new tank. But at the same time I was never happy with the selection or the price. Also even after curing you still could have all types of bad things in that rock. Things that may cause algae or just some nasty critters.
The Tonga Shelf rock or Slab rock is good for makeing caves and shelves to place corals. And fiji rock is good for stacking and building a good foundation. I mixed both types in my 120. I also have one piece of branch rock that I'm not really into. I also like Marshal Island Rock.
If I ever do a larger tank (only a matter of time) I'm going to use all Marco Rock. Let the tank Cycle with the rock inside. Change my 120 over to the larger tank and use the junk rock in my 120 in a stock tank.
Marco is the way to go.
The Tonga Shelf rock or Slab rock is good for makeing caves and shelves to place corals. And fiji rock is good for stacking and building a good foundation. I mixed both types in my 120. I also have one piece of branch rock that I'm not really into. I also like Marshal Island Rock.
If I ever do a larger tank (only a matter of time) I'm going to use all Marco Rock. Let the tank Cycle with the rock inside. Change my 120 over to the larger tank and use the junk rock in my 120 in a stock tank.
Marco is the way to go.
It's Rock that is harvested from the Ocean and then dried out. I believe it's Marshall Island Rock. He also has shelf rock.
If you use Marco Rock in a new tank, and add Live sand, the rock will take time to become fully live rock. You can also add some live rock as well. It would take (depending on the amount of rock) a few months to a year for the rock to equal that of true live rock. But the benefit is that you'll know that there is no suspect critters in the Marco Rock. With the other live rock, you really don't know what you'll have.
Right now with the live rock I have, I got about 800 little feather dusters(not the pretty kind), and an abundance of biege colored sponge (also not pretty).
If you use Marco Rock in a new tank, and add Live sand, the rock will take time to become fully live rock. You can also add some live rock as well. It would take (depending on the amount of rock) a few months to a year for the rock to equal that of true live rock. But the benefit is that you'll know that there is no suspect critters in the Marco Rock. With the other live rock, you really don't know what you'll have.
Right now with the live rock I have, I got about 800 little feather dusters(not the pretty kind), and an abundance of biege colored sponge (also not pretty).
mike - if you put the uncured lr directly into the tank - wouldn't it create a very big nasty smell? or would you be changing the water frequently (may prolong the cycle but reduce the smell at least)?
Just wondering whether it is more beneficial to just put the uncured rock into a tub and cover it...(i'm oversimplifying but just thinking you could move the LR later into the display).
Just wondering whether it is more beneficial to just put the uncured rock into a tub and cover it...(i'm oversimplifying but just thinking you could move the LR later into the display).
phil519 said:
My future tank is going to be an inwall, with a fish room. What I would do is aquascape the rock... dry. This way I could do what I want with the rock. Not dealing with the skewed view of the tank with water in it. Plus the rock would be lighter. I would then add the water and live sand. The tank would be plumbed to a stock tank with all my current live rock(seeding the new tank). Then I would keep the basment door going to the backyard open with a fan ... relieving the rest of my house of the smell.... hopefully.