Maintaining a thriving reef aquarium often involves managing elements that are both delicate and resilient. Among these, Live Rock stands out as a cornerstone of biological filtration and biodiversity. But what happens when you need to temporarily remove live rock from your main display tank? Is it possible to keep it alive and biologically active in a simple, unconventional setup? The answer, surprisingly, leans towards yes, and sometimes even no, depending on your expectations and the inhabitants you’re aiming to support.
Recently, I faced this exact scenario. After needing to remove approximately 20-25 pounds of Haitian live rock from my 75-gallon frag tank, I lacked an immediate spare aquarium. Faced with the choice of purchasing a new tank or utilizing a spare Rubbermaid tub, I opted for the latter – a zero-cost solution to preserve this valuable resource.
Setting Up a Rubbermaid Tub for Live Rock Storage
My approach was straightforward and minimalist. I placed the live rock directly into a 37-gallon Rubbermaid tub, filling roughly one-third of it with established saltwater from my mature 200-gallon reef tank system. To ensure water circulation, I added a spare powerhead. This resulted in approximately 12 gallons of saltwater in the tub. Maintenance was kept to a minimum: occasional gallon water changes using established tank water and weekly top-offs with RO/DI water to compensate for evaporation.
Remarkably, the powerhead was the sole piece of equipment used. There was no heater, protein skimmer, or dedicated lighting, although some ambient light filtered in from the nearby frag tank. Despite this bare-bones setup, something unexpected occurred – populations of Aptasia anemones and bubble algae began to flourish. These pests were present on the rock initially but experienced significant growth and spread within the Rubbermaid environment.
A thriving colony of aptasia anemones visible on live rock within a Rubbermaid tub, illustrating the unexpected biological activity in a simple storage setup.
Water Parameters in a Minimalist Live Rock Setup
Curious about the water quality within this rudimentary system, I conducted a series of tests. The results were revealing, indicating a surprisingly stable, albeit crude, environment capable of sustaining a basic reef ecosystem:
- Salinity: 1.026 specific gravity (sg)
- Nitrate: 50 parts per million (ppm)
- Phosphate: 0.35 ppm
- Alkalinity: 7.3 dKH (degrees of Carbonate Hardness)
- Calcium: 410 ppm
- Magnesium: 1380 ppm
These parameters suggest that while not ideal for sensitive corals or fish, the Rubbermaid tub provided a functional environment for maintaining live rock and its associated biology. The elevated nitrate and phosphate levels are not uncommon in systems without active nutrient export mechanisms like protein skimmers, yet the rock remained biologically active.
Why Keep Live Rock Alive?
It’s crucial to emphasize that I am not advocating for Rubbermaid tubs as permanent reef tank solutions. Instead, this experiment highlights a cost-effective method for keeping live rock viable when temporary removal from a main tank is necessary. Discarding live rock and allowing it to dry out is a significant loss, as it serves as a powerful form of natural biological filtration.
Live rock is teeming with beneficial bacteria, microfauna, and other organisms crucial for a healthy reef aquarium. Preserving it allows for future use in new tank setups or for sharing with fellow reef keepers. In an era where live rock is becoming increasingly scarce and expensive, unlike the plentiful supply of years past, preserving existing rock is more important than ever. Many modern reefers starting tanks with dry rock often encounter challenges due to the initial lack of biodiversity that live rock naturally provides. Having established live rock can significantly jumpstart the biological maturation process of a new aquarium.
So, if you find yourself needing to temporarily house live rock, a simple Rubbermaid tub can indeed serve as a viable, low-cost solution to keep this precious reefing commodity alive and biologically active. Don’t let your live rock dry out – consider the Rubbermaid option and preserve this valuable resource for future reef keeping endeavors.
Further Reefing Resources
For those embarking on new tank builds or seeking to optimize existing reef setups, resources are readily available to assist you. For personalized guidance on aquarium design or system reconfiguration, consider exploring this page for information on expert consultations.
Additionally, for high-quality reef aquarium equipment, explore options from reputable brands such as GHL, Pax Bellum, Reef Octopus, and Royal Exclusiv. For lighting solutions, Reef Brite and Maxspect & IceCap Gyres offer excellent choices in LED and hybrid lighting technologies.
To deepen your reef keeping knowledge, browse through a wealth of articles related to reef tanks and SPS corals and explore valuable content on YouTube channel. For an immersive learning experience, the Reef Keeping Master Class provides a comprehensive online course designed to guide hobbyists in building and maintaining stunning SPS reef tanks.
Finally, if you’re looking to expand your coral collection, visit the SPS Frag store to discover available coral frags and enhance the biodiversity of your reef aquarium.
