Advantages of sand vs. CC?

[fishonly]

If you have a fish only tank are there advantages to sand base rather than crushed coral. Would love some opinions!

 

[mr . salty]

CC will trap uneaten food and fish waste,This waste will then break down causing high nitrate readings.Sand will not trap waste.Sand actually reduces nitrates by converting nitrates into nitragen gas(CC can not)CC needs to be vaccumed periodically to remove waste.Sand needs no cleaning.SAND LOOKS BETTER.To get these benafits from sand it needs to be at least 3-4inches deep...

 

[fishonly]

Thanks for your help!

 

[scott270]

i have 15 lbs of cc and 60 lbs of large grain arogonite with 40 lbs of live rock any advice on how to change to ls i wish i had started with this but did not know the advantages till i found this bb

 

[mr . salty]

The best way to change over without making a total mess of your tank is to drain it into tubs,and then get the CC out.Then just put everything back in.Otherwise when you start removing the CC your water will cloud up so bad you wont be able to see into it for days.Also unless you are replacing it with LIVE SAND,you should place the CC into micon filter bags or the cut off feet of pantyhose and place them on the new sand.This will seed your new sand bed with the bacteria from the CC.Thus avoiding a recycle,,The bags can be taken out in a few weeks...

 

[mike j]

So MR. SALTY, you are saying that in order to benifit from not having to clean the sand, it must be at least three inches deep?
I don't understand why the depth would be a factor. What am I missing? Were those the benifits that you were talking about?

 

[jsolomon]

If I am not mistaken the reason for the sand being so deep is to prevent oxygen from getting to the bottem layer where the anarobic bacteria live. The anarobic bacteria is what is essential in the breakdown of nitrates. Correct?

 

[mike j]

I'm trying to piece this together...so the oxygen is bad for the bacteria?

 

[scott270]

i will be addin ls instead of the cc so what is the best way will it recycle,mine just got done cycling but i just have to have ls

 

[scott270]

how much should i get

 

[mlm]

scott270 It depends on the size and shape of your tank. Oxegen is not bad for some bacteria but if you do not have a low oxygen are anerobic bacteria, which break down nitrate, can not grow.

 

[scott270]

does the dsb need to be ls to not have to vaccum

 

[fshhub]

no, and it will become live

 

[scott270]

so it would be ok to just use playsand and it would turn live from the lr