Crushed Coral vs. Sand
- Thread starter patriot54
- Start date
robertmathern
Active Member
sand sand sand lol crushed will become a problem with cleaning. but someone will chime in on this one
patriot54
Member
Originally Posted by camfish
http:///forum/post/2867111
I would go with some argonite. It won't hold on to waste as much and will keep your trates down better. Imo, it looks better too. Whatever your taste is...you can do either, but I recommend sand.
Is there any particular argonite you would recomend?
http:///forum/post/2867111
I would go with some argonite. It won't hold on to waste as much and will keep your trates down better. Imo, it looks better too. Whatever your taste is...you can do either, but I recommend sand.
Is there any particular argonite you would recomend?
camfish
Active Member
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2867130
Is there any particular argonite you would recomend?
Your taste is all that really matters...
http:///forum/post/2867130
Is there any particular argonite you would recomend?
Your taste is all that really matters...
patriot54
Member
Originally Posted by camfish
http:///forum/post/2867132
Your taste is all that really matters...
Is there any kind that keeps the trates lowere then the other?
http:///forum/post/2867132
Your taste is all that really matters...
Is there any kind that keeps the trates lowere then the other?
big
Active Member
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2867130
Is there any particular argonite you would recomend?
Argonite would be my only choice, regardless of appearance. Just do not buy the sugar or very fine stuff. It is nearly impossible to rinse the powders out without rinsing away a good amount of the product you started out with...... Get the stuff with large sand size particles. It is a very good buffering agent and will not fowl the water of have the nitrate entrapping issues other products sometimes have. Also when using the dry stuff to start out, rinse like crazy till the rinse water runs clear before adding it to your setup.
I do not worry like some about using a "Live" starting product. Within a few months all of the substrate will have taken in from the tanks Live Rock, etc. all it needs to become a living substrate.......... Good Luck
http:///forum/post/2867130
Is there any particular argonite you would recomend?
Argonite would be my only choice, regardless of appearance. Just do not buy the sugar or very fine stuff. It is nearly impossible to rinse the powders out without rinsing away a good amount of the product you started out with...... Get the stuff with large sand size particles. It is a very good buffering agent and will not fowl the water of have the nitrate entrapping issues other products sometimes have. Also when using the dry stuff to start out, rinse like crazy till the rinse water runs clear before adding it to your setup.
I do not worry like some about using a "Live" starting product. Within a few months all of the substrate will have taken in from the tanks Live Rock, etc. all it needs to become a living substrate.......... Good Luck
florida joe
Well-Known Member
The choice between sand and crushed coral should be make factoring in your own homework and your commitment to maintenance. Research and take your time in making your decision in the end you will have to live with it
patriot54
Member
Originally Posted by camfish
http:///forum/post/2867290
A lot of people that go with CC decide to change later and that in addition to being a pita, can be disastrous.
Whats a "pita"
http:///forum/post/2867290
A lot of people that go with CC decide to change later and that in addition to being a pita, can be disastrous.
Whats a "pita"
stanlalee
Active Member
sand is more natural looking, can host ALOT more beneficial critters, is required for many fish (many wrasses, sleeper gobies ect) and can be used in more useful configurations however for someone who's had both crush coral does have two advantages that the more I think about it the more I kinda would probably use it myself over sand(although I'll never use EITHER again, who needs substrate). one advantage is it doesn't get blown around with high flow like sand, especially fine sand. this only becomes an issue with SPS geared flow. the second is it can be vacuumed when its dirty and even when it is dirty it never looks dirty or overwhelmed with diatoms. these are significant to me because those are the two reasons I removed the sand from my display. crush coral has never been a nitrate factory for me like some people will tell you. I ran it nitrate free with no problems, just did vacuuming with water changes which is quite easy since its done with a siphon which you'd be doing anyway.
camfish
Active Member
patriot54
Member
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
http:///forum/post/2867301
sand is more natural looking, can host ALOT more beneficial critters, is required for many fish (many wrasses, sleeper gobies ect) and can be used in more useful configurations however for someone who's had both crush coral does have two advantages that the more I think about it the more I kinda would probably use it myself over sand(although I'll never use EITHER again, who needs substrate). one advantage is it doesn't get blown around with high flow like sand, especially fine sand. this only becomes an issue with SPS geared flow. the second is it can be vacuumed when its dirty and even when it is dirty it never looks dirty or overwhelmed with diatoms. these are significant to me because those are the two reasons I removed the sand from my display. I dont buy crush coral is a nitrate factory. I ran it nitrate free with no problems, just did vacuuming with water changes which is quite easy since its done with a siphon which you'd be doing anyway.
So what do you use?
http:///forum/post/2867301
sand is more natural looking, can host ALOT more beneficial critters, is required for many fish (many wrasses, sleeper gobies ect) and can be used in more useful configurations however for someone who's had both crush coral does have two advantages that the more I think about it the more I kinda would probably use it myself over sand(although I'll never use EITHER again, who needs substrate). one advantage is it doesn't get blown around with high flow like sand, especially fine sand. this only becomes an issue with SPS geared flow. the second is it can be vacuumed when its dirty and even when it is dirty it never looks dirty or overwhelmed with diatoms. these are significant to me because those are the two reasons I removed the sand from my display. I dont buy crush coral is a nitrate factory. I ran it nitrate free with no problems, just did vacuuming with water changes which is quite easy since its done with a siphon which you'd be doing anyway.
So what do you use?
jml263
New Member
Originally Posted by camfish
http:///forum/post/2867290
A lot of people that go with CC decide to change later and that in addition to being a pita, can be disastrous.
I just changed mine out last week. Got rid of the under gravel filter and CC. Glad I did. It was grungy looking. Replaced it with argonite "sugar fine" sand. I moved the LR out to the back side and the right side with swimming room for the fish. The center and left is bare sand for clams feather dusters and other creatures. I have a 65 gallon tank and R/O'd 75 gallons ahead of time. I saved a bunch of CC and put in into a paint strainer bag to be placed on the sand to transfer the bacteria. So far so good...
http:///forum/post/2867290
A lot of people that go with CC decide to change later and that in addition to being a pita, can be disastrous.
I just changed mine out last week. Got rid of the under gravel filter and CC. Glad I did. It was grungy looking. Replaced it with argonite "sugar fine" sand. I moved the LR out to the back side and the right side with swimming room for the fish. The center and left is bare sand for clams feather dusters and other creatures. I have a 65 gallon tank and R/O'd 75 gallons ahead of time. I saved a bunch of CC and put in into a paint strainer bag to be placed on the sand to transfer the bacteria. So far so good...
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2867298
Whats a "pita"
pain in the bootay (removing the crush coral and adding sand). the adding sand is not so difficult with a few choice technics. removing the CC or any substrate is a PITA.
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2867305
So what do you use?
this was after the first sand siphoning job (and 15 gallons of water later). I have since done siphon job #2 (another 10g) and think I'll have the bulk of sand removed with the next water change tommorow. I plan on using NOTHING. bare bottom is a method for keeping nutrients down by keeping them suspended in water where the skimmer can process it. its also good with high flow since you dont have to worry about blowing substrate around (I have 56x turnover down from 70 after I removed a koralia 1).
http:///forum/post/2867298
Whats a "pita"
pain in the bootay (removing the crush coral and adding sand). the adding sand is not so difficult with a few choice technics. removing the CC or any substrate is a PITA.
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2867305
So what do you use?
this was after the first sand siphoning job (and 15 gallons of water later). I have since done siphon job #2 (another 10g) and think I'll have the bulk of sand removed with the next water change tommorow. I plan on using NOTHING. bare bottom is a method for keeping nutrients down by keeping them suspended in water where the skimmer can process it. its also good with high flow since you dont have to worry about blowing substrate around (I have 56x turnover down from 70 after I removed a koralia 1).
big
Active Member
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2867224
Thanks, would it be alright if I buy the live stuff and use it to cycle my tank with live rock. I heard somewhere that in a brand new system, you want to seed your dry sand with a little bit of live sand, is this true or does it not matter?
Sorry away helping the wife......
Hey BTW Joe Nice new Avatar, not nearly as scary of a
guy now........ Like Joe says nothing outweighs
research and drawing ones own
conclusions.......The substrate picked now you
will be living with for a long time to come.
My one big objection to "Real Sand" is many times
overlooked till someone incurs the problem . That
is, in our continued and daily need to clean the
glass in a older set-up with coralline. The issue
is scratching the glass by trapping bits of sand
between our huge Mag Floats and the glass. When
using the softer than sand and glass Argonite this
scratching problem is eliminated.
Back to your question. Opinions can vary.
"Spiking" by adding some live is always an option.
It can speed things up, but I personally do not
feel it is necessary thing to do. The one think
with a dry basically sterile starting substrate is
no spike from a die off due to its
contents.........
If a reasonable amount of Live Rock is introduced,
it will provide all the bacteria type stuff one
needs to seed the substrate with time. Once the
proper "Stuff" as far as bacteria goes is
present in the overall system, it will spread very
quickly, regardless of its original source of
introduction. Both good and bad bacteria can
multiply by truly astronomical numbers in a single
day if the conditions are right to do so. Always a
good thing to remember.....Both good ones and bad
ones can multiply.
Most any transported L.R. will provide somewhat of
a spike. Many add a dead raw shrimp in a bag as a
kick start. Check out some of the other posted
threads on Cycling a tank, there are tons of them,
just please do not use the old way of torturing a
living critter to do it.
Patience in this obsession is most likely the best
virtue one could develop....... And again good
luck with the project....
http:///forum/post/2867224
Thanks, would it be alright if I buy the live stuff and use it to cycle my tank with live rock. I heard somewhere that in a brand new system, you want to seed your dry sand with a little bit of live sand, is this true or does it not matter?
Sorry away helping the wife......
Hey BTW Joe Nice new Avatar, not nearly as scary of a
guy now........ Like Joe says nothing outweighs
research and drawing ones own
conclusions.......The substrate picked now you
will be living with for a long time to come.
My one big objection to "Real Sand" is many times
overlooked till someone incurs the problem . That
is, in our continued and daily need to clean the
glass in a older set-up with coralline. The issue
is scratching the glass by trapping bits of sand
between our huge Mag Floats and the glass. When
using the softer than sand and glass Argonite this
scratching problem is eliminated.
Back to your question. Opinions can vary.
"Spiking" by adding some live is always an option.
It can speed things up, but I personally do not
feel it is necessary thing to do. The one think
with a dry basically sterile starting substrate is
no spike from a die off due to its
contents.........
If a reasonable amount of Live Rock is introduced,
it will provide all the bacteria type stuff one
needs to seed the substrate with time. Once the
proper "Stuff" as far as bacteria goes is
present in the overall system, it will spread very
quickly, regardless of its original source of
introduction. Both good and bad bacteria can
multiply by truly astronomical numbers in a single
day if the conditions are right to do so. Always a
good thing to remember.....Both good ones and bad
ones can multiply.
Most any transported L.R. will provide somewhat of
a spike. Many add a dead raw shrimp in a bag as a
kick start. Check out some of the other posted
threads on Cycling a tank, there are tons of them,
just please do not use the old way of torturing a
living critter to do it.
Patience in this obsession is most likely the best
virtue one could develop....... And again good
luck with the project....