Lava Stone Reef Tank Setup Part 1 - Beginner's Guide to Setting Up a Reef Tank
Lava Stone Reef Tank Setup Part 1 - Beginner's Guide to Setting Up a Reef Tank
Part 1 of a multi-part beginner's guide to setting up a reef tank in the UNS 40A all-in-one, 17 gallons of rimless saltwater (SW) real estate. This build takes a different hardscape approach than most reef tanks you'll see online.
Equipment
UNS Media Tower replacing the stock sponge filter for swappable mechanical/chemical/biological media trays
Protein skimmer and refugium to be added as the tank cycles (the 40A size accommodates both)
Kessil A160WE Tuna Blue on a gooseneck mount for flexible positioning and shadow elimination
CaribSea reef sand — a coarse crushed pebble substrate rather than fine sand
Why Icelandic Lava Rock Instead of Standard Reef Rock
Rather than calcium-based limestone rock (Marco Rock, Pukani, etc.), this build uses pure Icelandic lava rock — highly porous, excellent for beneficial bacteria colonization, and visually distinct from the typical purple/white reef rock look. Paired with macroalgae and a low-light layout, it's a deliberate departure from the standard reef aesthetic.
Hardscape Technique
Egg crate goes under the rockwork (not sand) to distribute the rock's weight evenly across the glass — rock resting directly on the glass creates concentrated stress points that can crack it over time
Leave a gap between rock and glass so a magnet cleaner has room to work
Rock structure is bonded with two-part reef cement (CaribSea) rather than left loose — critical for stability during transport and against sand-sifting critters (stars, gobies, snails) that can undermine an unsecured structure over time
Follow the series: Part 2 covers fishless cycling a marine tank without damsels. Shop the Kessil A160WE Tuna Blue at natureaquariums.com.
