Sand or LR
- Thread starter mgatdog
- Start date
wangotango
Active Member
A larger substrate tends to trap stuff like uneaten food, etc. It's also more difficult for some of the clean-up crew to get into.
-Justin
-Justin
mgatdog
Member
Originally Posted by WangoTango
http:///forum/post/3097855
A larger substrate tends to trap stuff like uneaten food, etc. It's also more difficult for some of the clean-up crew to get into.
-Justin
What about using a under gravel filter to rid of uneaten food?
http:///forum/post/3097855
A larger substrate tends to trap stuff like uneaten food, etc. It's also more difficult for some of the clean-up crew to get into.
-Justin
What about using a under gravel filter to rid of uneaten food?
wangotango
Active Member
Originally Posted by mgatdog
http:///forum/post/3097863
What about using a under gravel filter to rid of uneaten food?
Those are pretty much obsolete.
-Justin
http:///forum/post/3097863
What about using a under gravel filter to rid of uneaten food?
Those are pretty much obsolete.
-Justin
mgatdog
Member
Originally Posted by WangoTango
http:///forum/post/3097872
Those are pretty much obsolete.
-Justin
Not so.They're still out there. My point is your getting the benefit of the LR and more LR the better.
http:///forum/post/3097872
Those are pretty much obsolete.
-Justin
Not so.They're still out there. My point is your getting the benefit of the LR and more LR the better.
pleasants9
Member
but i believe the sand has its own attributes that help the tank like live rock does, certain snail as well as anything that is "sand sifter" will probably do better with sand than rock even finely crushed rock cause it may be more ccoarse.
big
Active Member
Originally Posted by WangoTango
http:///forum/post/3097855
A larger substrate tends to trap stuff like uneaten food, etc. It's also more difficult for some of the clean-up crew to get into.
-Justin
Justin has a good point here........ And as to the under gravel filter stuff. It has long ago died and truly have been buried, if you get the point.....
Aragonite would be my only choice. Just do not buy the very fine stuff..... Get the stuff with at least sand size particles. It is a very good buffering agent and will not fowl the water or have the nitrate causing entrapping issues other products like your crushed rock idea would 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...It may reduce the immediate buffering capabilities. But in the long term it is worth the clear rinse to stop future sand storms when disturbing the substrate.......
Good Luck
http:///forum/post/3097855
A larger substrate tends to trap stuff like uneaten food, etc. It's also more difficult for some of the clean-up crew to get into.
-Justin
Justin has a good point here........ And as to the under gravel filter stuff. It has long ago died and truly have been buried, if you get the point.....
Aragonite would be my only choice. Just do not buy the very fine stuff..... Get the stuff with at least sand size particles. It is a very good buffering agent and will not fowl the water or have the nitrate causing entrapping issues other products like your crushed rock idea would 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...It may reduce the immediate buffering capabilities. But in the long term it is worth the clear rinse to stop future sand storms when disturbing the substrate.......
Good Luck
meowzer
Moderator
I do not have an undergravel filter....because when I was looking into filtration options, I was told that you will eventually have to clean the part of the filter that is under your sand (gravel...or whatever)...well with have 200lbs of LR and 200 pounds of sand on top....NO WAY was I going to do that....
jas1
Member
Originally Posted by big
http:///forum/post/3097920
Justin has a good point here........ And as to the under gravel filter stuff. It has long ago died and truly have been buried, if you get the point.....
Aragonite would be my only choice. Just do not buy the very fine stuff..... Get the stuff with at least sand size particles. It is a very good buffering agent and will not fowl the water or have the nitrate causing entrapping issues other products like your crushed rock idea would have.
+1... I Used medium sized Aragonite for the substrate in my 55. I thought it would look nice because it has small shells in it etc... I looks MUCH different (not as nice) in the tank than in the bag. The CUC cannot efficiently clean it and it does trap food and detritis. The ONLY benefit is it's a good environment for pods. I will not make this mistake (IMO) again. I am going with sand in my 125 (thanx to CK!!!
)
This is only my experience. Everyone's tank is different
http:///forum/post/3097920
Justin has a good point here........ And as to the under gravel filter stuff. It has long ago died and truly have been buried, if you get the point.....
Aragonite would be my only choice. Just do not buy the very fine stuff..... Get the stuff with at least sand size particles. It is a very good buffering agent and will not fowl the water or have the nitrate causing entrapping issues other products like your crushed rock idea would have.
+1... I Used medium sized Aragonite for the substrate in my 55. I thought it would look nice because it has small shells in it etc... I looks MUCH different (not as nice) in the tank than in the bag. The CUC cannot efficiently clean it and it does trap food and detritis. The ONLY benefit is it's a good environment for pods. I will not make this mistake (IMO) again. I am going with sand in my 125 (thanx to CK!!!
This is only my experience. Everyone's tank is different
mgatdog
Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3097921
I do not have an undergravel filter....because when I was looking into filtration options, I was told that you will eventually have to clean the part of the filter that is under your sand (gravel...or whatever)...well with have 200lbs of LR and 200 pounds of sand on top....NO WAY was I going to do that....
I see your point on the cleaning part.But look your getting a good work out! I was thinking about a 20 to 40 gal tank .The under gravel filter working like a sump with the LR being used as your biological filtration to process toxic ammonia and nitrite.Also attach a small canister filter to the lift tubes of the under gravel filter for more filtration.
http:///forum/post/3097921
I do not have an undergravel filter....because when I was looking into filtration options, I was told that you will eventually have to clean the part of the filter that is under your sand (gravel...or whatever)...well with have 200lbs of LR and 200 pounds of sand on top....NO WAY was I going to do that....
I see your point on the cleaning part.But look your getting a good work out! I was thinking about a 20 to 40 gal tank .The under gravel filter working like a sump with the LR being used as your biological filtration to process toxic ammonia and nitrite.Also attach a small canister filter to the lift tubes of the under gravel filter for more filtration.
big
Active Member
Originally Posted by mgatdog
http:///forum/post/3097943
I see your point on the cleaning part.But look your getting a good work out! I was thinking about a 20 to 40 gal tank .The under gravel filter working like a sump with the LR being used as your biological filtration to process toxic ammonia and nitrite.Also attach a small canister filter to the lift tubes of the under gravel filter for more filtration.
Modern Reef keeping is just that Modern.. One of the reasons so many today are successful is because they have learned from the mistakes learned the hard way in the past.
( like under gravel systems)
Lots of Live Rock, sumps, big refuges, good skimmers, good testing practices and the such..........That is why so many of us today can keep reefs tanks healthy for year after year.
Just 15 or so years ago this was unheard of for us commoners that did not have endless resources and help to keep a Coral Reef tank alive for years .
I have NO mechanical filter of any kind., and would not want one......... Especially something like a under gravel filter system, just waiting to cause a huge spike and kill all in it's path..........
Under gravel system like I said a few post back died long ago. It is dead and needs to stay dead............
http:///forum/post/3097943
I see your point on the cleaning part.But look your getting a good work out! I was thinking about a 20 to 40 gal tank .The under gravel filter working like a sump with the LR being used as your biological filtration to process toxic ammonia and nitrite.Also attach a small canister filter to the lift tubes of the under gravel filter for more filtration.
Modern Reef keeping is just that Modern.. One of the reasons so many today are successful is because they have learned from the mistakes learned the hard way in the past.
( like under gravel systems)
Lots of Live Rock, sumps, big refuges, good skimmers, good testing practices and the such..........That is why so many of us today can keep reefs tanks healthy for year after year.
Just 15 or so years ago this was unheard of for us commoners that did not have endless resources and help to keep a Coral Reef tank alive for years .
I have NO mechanical filter of any kind., and would not want one......... Especially something like a under gravel filter system, just waiting to cause a huge spike and kill all in it's path..........
Under gravel system like I said a few post back died long ago. It is dead and needs to stay dead............
king_neptune
Active Member
hmm. undergravel filter....more bubbles in the tank.