Can I eliminate my live rock? Options?

[allsite]

I have a 12 gallon long nano reef and I'm looking to expand it from 1 to 3 frag racks. To do so the live rock will need to either get eliminated or go elsewhere.

My idea: Add a 34" x 3" x 3" hang on box that will span nearly the entire back of the long tank. 12 cubic compartments with sump-style (over and under) baffles, 80 gph pump. I'll place marine gems and other bio-filtration media in the cubes somewhat liberally and also some cheato with a lamp.

Question: Is there any reason why I can't remove my live rock after establishing the bio-filter in the hob? Go slow for the win or am I missing something?

 

[JZ199]

Are you looking to essentially just have a frag tank or are you also looking to have inhabitants?

 

[allsite]

Are you looking to essentially just have a frag tank or are you also looking to have inhabitants?

Primarily frags but I do have a single clown and also a damsil.

 

[StatelineReefer]

Live rock is essentially just a place to hold yoir biofilter, if you have media for that, then the rock itself isn't required. You just have to have enough surface area for the different types for bacteria.

Live rock used to be good for this when it was old coral shelf, because the pores would go all through the rock to create the anoxic zones for denitrifying bacteria to thrive, finishing the nitrogen cycle at actual nitrogen, rather than nitrate. The man-made stuff... not so good at the anoxic spaces.

 

[bushdoc]

With fish you may need something, but good biomedia, fully established should be fine. There are small biomedia bricks/plates, which you can put directly in DT or ceramic bio-balls, which you can put in hang on back filter.

 

[allsite]

Appreciate the insights folks. Here's the tank. After I mount the lights to the wall I'll be able to attach this custom long hob.

 

[ilikefish69]

Appreciate the insights folks. Here's the tank. After I mount the lights to the wall I'll be able to attach this custom long hob.

If those are Orphek bars, you might want an inch between them, they run pretty hot

 

[allsite]

Appreciate the insights folks. Here's the tank. After I mount the lights to the wall I'll be able to attach this custom long hob.

Thanks I'll take that into consideration when I drill the wall mounts.

 

[allsite]

Did a quick mockup while I wait for the parts. Very excited about this setup!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

You very likely Could.

Sounds like it would be a nightmare for weird algaes though.

I ran a 30g frag tank on a fluval fx4 that had been running a 120g mixed reef for a year. As soon as live rock was removed from the system, weird blooms started up. I added and removed rock twice from the system, just to find the same result. Within days of rock touching the water, the Problem went away. A few weeks without it, new issues came in.

There was Plenty of ability for the biological filter to process ammonia. It just had no other benefits I'm used to getting from old live rock.

 

[EricR]

Interesting mock-up. Looks cool but that's a long, horizontal run with lots of baffles.
I know nothing but wonder how the flow (through the length) would end up working out. (I'm assuming you're thinking just one pump pulling water in through one intake?)

 

[allsite]

Interesting mock-up. Looks cool but that's a long, horizontal run with lots of baffles.
I know nothing but wonder how the flow (through the length) would end up working out. (I'm assuming you're thinking just one pump pulling water in through one intake?)

My current plan is to yes, use a single pump on one side. I'll be welding two of the acrylic filters together after cutting a big hole for flow. I hope it flows correctly but it's definitely an experiment.