Substate and current in 46 gal

[bonz]

Hello all.
Im new to saltwater and have a couple of questions. First off i have a 46 gal bow front
and was wondering if its a good idea to put a light layer of crushed shell as the first layer then my ls? Second what kind of current is to much or not enough in a 46 gal. I have 2 301 powerheads and an emperor 280 and Skilter 400
with all these running it seems like alot of turbulance. Thank you very much in advance.

 

[bob the builder]

First, welcome to the BB!
1) Are talking about crushed coral, or crushed shells? if it is crushed shells, ask someone else...
2)Good current iss expected in a reef tank. There should be NO spots in the tank without current. Without current, detruss(sp) will start to settle in area and food cant get around the tank. I would say get 1 more power head, a 800.
Ste-up the power heads like this:
1st power head(the 800): have this on the left hand corner of the tank, pointing into the tank(right)
2nd power head: Have this on the left hand corner, pointing up-wards so there is ripples on the top water. This is used as gas exchange for the tank.
3rd power head: Have this one behind the LR in any way you wish.
I hope that was helpful, and i hope this new forum was helpful

!
2nd power head:

 

[beth]

Nope, no crushed shells, most especially on the bottom [below the sand]. The reason for this is because the larger pieces of substrate will basically act as a trap for all the organic wastes that are going to hit your sandbed. A good sandbed is a filtration in and of itself, and larger sizes of substrate just trap the organic waste, not letting it break down appropriately. For esthetics, you can use some of the shells here and there on TOP of the sandbed, but don’t cover your sandbed by large pieces of shells
As for the circulation in your tank, it really depends. You don't want your tank to look like a boiling cauldron, but lots of circulation is a good thing, particularly at the very top [water surface] for gas [oxygen] exchange and some good movement at the bottom. You have to be the judge, keeping in mind that your fish should not be uncomfortable by turbulent waters.