To rock lift.......or not.....

[solomon08]

What is everyone's opinion on rock lifts. I have them in but would like to take them out. Are they needed ?

[saltysupply]

do you mean like a home made structure to keep the rocks off the bottom? they are good for barebottom...but for sand beds i wouldnt say its neccesary

[Dagrape]

Originally Posted by saltysupply

do you mean like a home made structure to keep the rocks off the bottom? they are good for barebottom...but for sand beds i wouldnt say its neccesary

Not to disagree, but I would think the exact opposite to be true. Rock lifts are great to get your rock up out of the sand so no detritus can accumulate, and to help prevent phos. from leaching from the sand into the rock. In a BB set-up I don't think you really need them because the water flow can remove all detritus off of the bottom and out from under rocks.

[mg]

I second bare bottom not really neaded, with a sand bed they are very helpful to limit phosphates being wicked into the rock from the sand and to lenghten the life of the sandbed by removing more detritus. I use FlyGuy's acrylic rock lift system and I have a sand bed. I have a spraybar that cleans out under the rocks.

[saltysupply]

I just prefer the more simple method.

[Fly Guy]

Originally Posted by saltysupply

? they are good for barebottom...but for sand beds i wouldnt say its neccesary

I would say the opposite of this is true, although they are a very important part of both my DSB tank set up as well as my BB tankk set up.

They help me achieve zero spots of dead flow throughout the reef, no place for detritus to accumulate, the rock cant wick up any phospphates from touching the sand, and and with the teeth I make in the top of the acrylic rods they make the most stabkle platform you can imagine that rocks will never slide off of no matter how much sand any critters decide to move.

I also use them to make the reefs "hollow". If I cant see the rock, It is just unecessary and in my way...i prefer to use longer rods so the reef is hollow instead of rock in those places that arent visible

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by saltysupply

I just prefer the more simple method.

simpler short term, but harder in the long run.

G~