Live Sand with Crushed Coral

[jerryatrick]

Don't know why I set my tank up this way. I have a 3 inch sand bed and crushed coral sprinkeled on top. When I say sprinkled, it is doesn't even cover the whole sand bed. I know that I could possibly be at an "unsafe" sandbed depth level. Not really a DSB or a shallow sand bed which can be cleaned manually.
The tank is a 44 gallon hex so I do not have a large footprint. I have 45 pounds of LR.
3 questions
1. Anyone else have a similar sand bed?
2. Any suggestions or tips on how I should maintain my current sandbed?
3. Should I make any changes?

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by JerryAtrick
http:///forum/post/2734235
Don't know why I set my tank up this way. I have a 3 inch sand bed and crushed coral sprinkeled on top. When I say sprinkled, it is doesn't even cover the whole sand bed. I know that I could possibly be at an "unsafe" sandbed depth level. Not really a DSB or a shallow sand bed which can be cleaned manually.
The tank is a 44 gallon hex so I do not have a large footprint. I have 45 pounds of LR.
3 questions
1. Anyone else have a similar sand bed?
2. Any suggestions or tips on how I should maintain my current sandbed?
3. Should I make any changes?
Recommend that you remove the cc with a fishnet or similar device (having it sprinkled across the top of your sand is not providing any type of benefit). Then I recommend that you decide if you are going to go deep or shallow on the sand bed (both have pros and cons), and then either remove some of your sand or add more. JMO

 

[fishfreak1242]

I have the same thing except i have a small layer of CC on bottom and then on top is LS and I HATE it

. +1000000000000000000000 for taking it out while you still can.

 

[lilzeus99]

fishfreak1242~
sorry for the hi-jack, but why do you not like having CC under you LS? I am in the process of setting up a tank, and was going this route...should I change...
thanks all
shane

 

[veni vidi vici]

CC will eventually make its way to the top.

 

[jerryatrick]

A member here started a thread about sand beds and if I recall correctly he said that 75% sand and 25% crushed coral would be an ideal sand bed. I think it was Keith Burn. I will search for the thread.

 

[mr_x]

eh..take out the cc. you can use a plastic spaghetti strainer from the dollar store. the sand will fall through, and the cc will not.

 

[scopus tang]

Originally Posted by JerryAtrick
http:///forum/post/2734788
A member here started a thread about sand beds and if I recall correctly he said that 75% sand and 25% crushed coral would be an ideal sand bed. I think it was Keith Burn. I will search for the thread.
cc or calcium-carbonate sand? I run a bed thats about that ration, with cc on the bottom, and a plastic/fiberglass screen between the two so that the cc doesn't slowly make its way up through the sandbed. Its also a deep sandbed; theoretically, the acid conditions created in the lower portion of the anaerobic zone of the sandbed should break down the cc over time and slowly release calcium into the water column. But having the cc on top of the sandbed serves no purpose.

 

[fishfreak1242]

Originally Posted by lilzeus99
http:///forum/post/2734670
fishfreak1242~
sorry for the hi-jack, but why do you not like having CC under you LS? I am in the process of setting up a tank, and was going this route...should I change...
thanks all
shane
Like veni vidi vici said, the cc eventually makes it way to the top and I dont like how it looks. I would much rather have just a sand bed which I will do in my next tank.

 

[ci11337]

I'd go shallow sand bed, way easier to keep clean.