sand -vs- aragonite

[tomato clown]

I am going to set up another tank in a week or two and want your oppinions on the pro's and con's between using Aragonite or LS? And as well is an under gravel filter of any benifit?
Dan

 

[adrian]

A good LS is composed of aragonite I would suggest you use mostly sterile aragonite sand, and then seed the bed with a few pounds of LS. HTH

 

[burnnspy]

UGFs are detrimental in a reef tank but are useful in FO tanks.
BurnNSpy

 

[tomato clown]

Adrian, thanks...That is what I have now and no problems as of yet
I was just reading up on those Burn, I don't understand the concept completely but from what I gather they use the substrate as a filtering agent.....Is this correct?
Reguardless I want to put one in only because I have read good things. Mind the fact I am going to be working with my 29gal. can I still do a dsb with it?

 

[kris walker]

I have heard good things about UGF, but mostly in older books (1970-80). If set up correctly, they are a great way to convert ammon. and nitrite. But since you have oxygen rich current flowing through the gravel, you will not get the nitrate conversion you typically get with pleniums or DSBs. If you plan around this, like say getting an algae-filled refugium or making frequent water changes, you should be fine with a UGF.
Reading up on them is also good, so you can see the different techniques to setting them up.
sam

 

[q]

You don't want an UGF in a reef tank. They can only produce nitrates. The sand is too fine for the UGF anyways. Hit BurnNSpy's page and reed up. He has a 29.