Please help...which substrate????

[mpgt]

I'm converting a 65 gallon African cichlid tank into salt water. I think it'll mainly house fish. It'll have an Eheim 2217 canister, a protien skimmer and maybe a deep sand bed(DSB). The problem with the DSB is that the tank is only 15" tall, so I can't see 4-6" of sand in it. What do I do? The tank has 1" to 1-1/2" of crushed coral left in it. Should I use that, or small crushed puka shell, 2-3" of sand, a mixture, or what?
Thanks

 

[ruaround]

What do you plan to put in it, as far as fish and other inhabitants? Depending on that(if the fish stay smaller and dont need a ton of room to swim), you can get away with a DSB. There isnt anything wrong with using CC, there have been and there will continue to be many successful systems that use CC. Just keep it vacuumed, get a solid clean - up crew, and dont over feed. HTH and Good Luck !

 

[mpgt]

Thanks. Should I mix shell or sand in it, or does it not matter?
I really like frog fish, dwarf lions and morays. My wife prefers gobies, scooter blennies, damsels and the like. We'll probably get the little guys and a maroon clown. I know jawfish like to dig, so we want something on the bottom...
Thanks again

 

[ed r]

For a DSB to be effective you would need to have 3-1/2 to 4" of fine sand. You don't need to go to 6". If you don't feel you want to give up that depth, that is your decision to make. If you do go with a DSB, DON'T use the CC. The DSB is supposed to be left undisturbed except by the infauna that will live within it. It will process the detrius and eliminate nitrate. The CC requires regular maintenance to remove the accummulated detrius. It will cause nitrate to build up unless that material is removed. Again the choice is yours, just don't mistakenly take a compromise position and be surprised that it doesn't work.

 

[superman]

As a side note your wifes taste in fish and yours as you stated above, should probably not be mixed by any means. Eels and Lionfish will eat damsels and blennies if you arent very watchful of them.

 

[mpgt]

Thanks Superman, but I learned that lesson twice. A grouper ate a $69 blue spotted jawfish the day after I bought him, and another grouper ate my reef lobster. At the time, I figured the little guys would successfully evade predators. I forgot about Murphy's law.

 

[ruaround]

Superman is right on...Lions and Eels will eat anything that they can get their mouths around. Not to mention, if you go with all of the fish listed you may be a touch overstocked. DO NOT add the sand to the CC, for the sand will just end up on the bottom.