Is my friend wrong???
- Thread starter dcel22
- Start date
xtremenemo
Member
I dont have an underground and my floor is clean. You just need a decent amount of crabs. My floor was so dirty after a week that I got some crabs, and then it was clean and all I do is clean the glass and the bed is pretty clean.
I hope that answers your question
I hope that answers your question
xtremenemo
Member
oh no......wmu thank you very much. Northville, near livonia. I live in the zoo now.
kreach
Active Member
Originally posted by dcel22
My friend says not to get sand and to get crushed coral with an undergravel filter. I think he said this because this way it keeps the "floor" clean. Would your floor be clean without an undergravel filter??? Or would you have to vacuum it. And if so how do you do that? Thanks
Crushed coral AND an undergravel filter? It's a nightmare waiting to happen, in my opinion. Both CC and the UGF are prone to becoming nitrate traps, which can cause problems for you in the long run. Not to mention, do you really want to have to be constantly vacuuming the CC?
Live sand is much much easier. You don't have to do any manual cleaning... just add some snails (nassarius, cerith) and maybe some hermit crabs (scarlet) and they will keep your sand bed clean. Also, the sand bed will act as another source of filtration for your tank.
Hope this helps!
dcel22
Member
I think I have heard that you can have build up and that you need to make sure you clean it often. Anyway how many snails or crabs do you think would do the job??? Also on this board I have heard that instead of using LS because of the money and being new, that I can get playsand. I have then read online someone saying that is not a good idea?? Any suggestions??? Also the playsand will eventually become live sand correct??? (over time)
kreach
Active Member
Originally posted by dcel22
I think I have heard that you can have build up and that you need to make sure you clean it often.
Sand, like any substrate, can have buildup due to excess food, fish waste, etc. However, if you have a proper clean up crew and you keep your tank chemistry in line, then your sand bed should stay looking white and clean.
With sand, you don't have to manually clean it like you do with crushed coral. In fact, it is recommended that you don't disturb the sand bed in that manner.
Originally posted by dcel22
Anyway how many snails or crabs do you think would do the job???
I usually try to have 1 snail or crab for every gallon of water in the tank, with my cleanup crew being mostly snails (of varying types).
Originally posted by dcel22
Also on this board I have heard that instead of using LS because of the money and being new, that I can get playsand. I have then read online someone saying that is not a good idea?? Any suggestions??? Also the playsand will eventually become live sand correct??? (over time)
You can use playsand and it will become live over time. However, be careful not to get playsand that might leech silicates into your tank. I've heard that southdown sand (available at Home Depot) is good. One thing you can also do is along with the playsand, just buy one bag of live sand to help seed your sandbed. Live rock will also help seed your sand and help make it live.
Good luck!