Crushed coral or sand bed?????? with pics of my tank!!!!!!!!!!

lluv24

lluv24

Member
Ok I have a 120gal reef. I've always had crushed coral in the bottom . But I'm thinking about putting live black sand in. Should I do this and if so what's the goods and the bads? How should I do the transfer without killing my corals etc. Please let me know, thanks for all the advise. I will post pics ASAP.
Quote:
 
mproctor4

mproctor4

Member
Your tank is beautiful! Hubbie put black sand in his biocube at first. We both thought it would look great with the black background but it really made the corals look washed out. The black sand absorbed alot of the light and just did not do the corals justice. He also had problems with the sand getting into his powerheads because it was magnetic. He replaced it with agronite and has been much happier. Seriously, your tank is gorgeous and everything looks healthy, why mess with a good thing?
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by mproctor4 http:///forum/thread/385995/crushed-coral-or-sand-bed-with-pics-of-my-tank#post_3387737
Your tank is beautiful! Hubbie put black sand in his biocube at first. We both thought it would look great with the black background but it really made the corals look washed out. The black sand absorbed alot of the light and just did not do the corals justice. He also had problems with the sand getting into his powerheads because it was magnetic. He replaced it with agronite and has been much happier. Seriously, your tank is gorgeous and everything looks healthy, why mess with a good thing?
AMEN!
Replacing substrate can be very risky, stirring up sulfides, risking a compatibility issues, and discovering a new substrate isn't maintenance firendly in about 6 months...... +2 on a downright good lookin tank! It'll be a long while till my new large DT looks like that, but i wish it looked that good NOW.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I also agree, don't mess with the substrate, unless there's an issue, or you'll create one.
As for black sand, I've used it. it looks great at first, but then it dulls and turns gray almost every time. There are a few people who have luck with it not going gray, but far more will complain. I was very unhappy and went back to the regular white sands.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
I'm a firm believer in if it isn't broke don't fix it. Folks just starting out, or those having problems we recommend to them to not use CC. It's working for you so I would leave it. I swapped out my CC for argagonite sand but my tank was only 3 months old at the time
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
+3, your tank looks gr8!! I would'nt change a thing, it looks like you got great bacterial growth and very well established. Turn the other cheek my friend.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
The tank looks great!!!!! I'd leave it alone.....the only way I would change anything is if you really wanted some sand sifters
 
lluv24

lluv24

Member
Thanks to everyone..... I try very hard to keep my reef as nice as possible. The only reason I wanted a sand bed was my nitrates have been around 20. I've always used rodi, water changes every week. I only feed once a day. I have a reactor. I have a fuge with cheato, oversized skimmer, I don't know they have never been lower than 20.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by lluv24 http:///forum/thread/385995/crushed-coral-or-sand-bed-with-pics-of-my-tank#post_3387893
Thanks to everyone..... I try very hard to keep my reef as nice as possible. The only reason I wanted a sand bed was my nitrates have been around 20. I've always used rodi, water changes every week. I only feed once a day. I have a reactor. I have a fuge with cheato, oversized skimmer, I don't know they have never been lower than 20.
Are you using the API test kit? I've found their nitrate kit to read inaccurately. Try the SeaChem nitrite/nitrate combo. I was killing myself trying to figure out why my nitrates hovered around 15-20ppm. Switched test kits and had a friend with a probe double check it, and I'm at 2ppm, yet numerous API kits were still telling me 20. When the owner of Atlantis Marine World tests your water for your and says it's 2ppm as opposed to 20ppm, you tend to listen, LOL
 
lluv24

lluv24

Member
I am using api test kit. I bet your right. I will try another brand!! Thanks so much. I have a pair of clowns that lay eggs every 2-3 weeks. So I thought my water had to be good.. I guess!!!
 
rangernrk

rangernrk

New Member
hey I literally just started my new 30g fowlr(tall) and the LFS heavily pushed for CC and the told me get the sandbed around 3in depth so should I just go buy some sand clean it and replace or leave it? if I should change it how should I go about doing it?
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by RangerNRK http:///t/385995/crushed-coral-or-sand-bed-with-pics-of-my-tank#post_3530633
hey I literally just started my new 30g fowlr(tall) and the LFS heavily pushed for CC and the told me get the sandbed around 3in depth so should I just go buy some sand clean it and replace or leave it? if I should change it how should I go about doing it?

If you already have crushed coral, just maintain it with a gravel vac. There's nothing wrong with crushed coral as a course substrate. If you just prefer the look of sand, you can slowly switch it out by taking a few cups of crushed coral out each time before a water change and slowly remove it all before adding any sand. When adding sand to the tank, before you do it, put the dry based aragonite in a pillow case and wash all the dust out of it with a water hose before adding it to the tank a cup or two at a time.

Though, if you are just starting your tank and don't have anything in it, I would recommend just to do everything at once and then properly re-cycle the tank.
 
rangernrk

rangernrk

New Member
if only I had seen this thread 3 days ago. I set it up Friday afternoon. is it ok to just put my rock and water in a different container and then dump the CC and put cleaned sand in and if not is my CC bed too deep?
 
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