why no crushed coral????

[nicole05]

:thinking: i have read everywhere on these threads that crushed coral is a big no no why is that what is wrong with it looks pretty in the tanks and cheaper than sand what if you mix the two togther is it all right then?

 

[maxalmon]

Someone please point out if i'm wrong, but doesn't sand from the ocean (not silcate SP?) come from coral? Isn't CC just a bigger, actual form of sand? I realize that sand per volume has more surface area than CC and this is really where I'm getting wires crossed, but the move to get rid of wet/drys is because they are too effective, so why move to a substrate that has more surface area which should have the same effect as a wet/dry....Good god I'm so confused......Huff........ snort....

 

[fraggle_a]

Well, coral is generaly not 'live' but if you mix in some live sand once the tank is established, you will get a large increase in the organisms in the floor....

 

[maxalmon]

With a reverse, high flow system would CC not be more effective at maintaining a cleaner system? As most of the debris would be flused up and never allowing it settle into the bed of the tank?

 

[oozy]

Hi,
The "problem" with CC is the partical size tends to allow food particles and detrius to inflitrate and get trapped and rot. This will usualy result in slightly higher nitrite&trates.
If you have fish only its not a problem, but you may want to vacume the CC from time to time.
If your keeping corals you may want to look in to a finer sand.
People have been keeping fish with CC for years, its just a matter of how you want your tank to preform.
goodluck
-oozy-

 

[oozy]

Also to answer your other question:
yes you may mix the two, I have had a 3" DSB and the first inch was CC the top 2" was sand.
currently i have the same setup.
some people dont like the way this looks when its mixed. But I dont really mind.
-oozy-

 

[27mtaylor]

CC allows a lot of detrius material to settle deep with in the cc bed, where the clean up crew has no way to get to it. There it turns to nitrates and create water problems. For a CC bed to work properly you don't want it to be any deeper that one inch and you should vacuum it when you do water changes. Deep sand beds help to eliminate nitrates because the anaerobic bacteria is able to thrive in a very low oxygen enivroment and converts nitrates to nitrogen gas.

 

[saltfan]

CC comes in more than one form, you can buy it almost as fine as sand, which I have, and its a 3" bottom, never having a problem with this, as some poeple say things getting stuck in it, not happening with mine. Its just like having a sandy bottom. The CC your looking to get is X-Fine CC.

 

[nicole05]

thanks oozy i get so confused i guess that there is good and bad points with the crushed coral i do have a fish only tank and thought that the cc was a prettier than sand by itself i am very new and all talk made me wonder if i was doing somthing wrong i should be ok with me cc then right???

 

[lovethesea]

It is pretty, but not for long. Even vaccuming doesn't really do the trick. After a few years it will build up detrius and things start to go haywire. When we had ours (didn't know better with first tank) after about 3 years our phosphates started going through roof and tank started looking like crud. It was a complete mess taking it out.

 

[nicole05]

what about the clean up crew is that not what their there for to clean the junk that gets stuck?

 

[maryd]

I found that snails could not travel across the CC but can sliver across the sand. I changed my CC for sand about a month ago and I like the looks of it much better.

 

[maxalmon]

But, if you have a reverse flow system that forces water from the bottom of the tank, up thru the CC bed, would you still have the same problem? I know I'm stuck on the reverse flow, but I had a tank for many years set up this way and never had a problem.

 

[nicole05]

Originally Posted by MARYD
I found that snails could not travel across the CC but can sliver across the sand. I changed my CC for sand about a month ago and I like the looks of it much better.
:thinking: what about crabs shrimp were they okay?

 

[maryd]

My hermit crabs did not cross the CC very often. The CC has sharp edges so these could harm a snail. Now with the sand, my snails and hermits just buzz all over the place. Plus I think it looks sooooo much nicer.
But it's a matter of opinion. One of my LFS said either is good while the one which has always given BAD advice said the CC is best.

 

[littlebuck]

if you want cheap sand go to walmart or kmart. They sell old castle. you can get 50 #'s for $5.00 just make sure you get the stuff that is from the comapny old castle

 

[nicole05]

thanks to everybody all info is wonderful