substrate

[cybertomtbcb]

:bum: Ron,
Thanks for answering my post. You are great for the newbies like me. Remember I'm only going to have fish and some low-light corals. Do you think I should remove the crushed coral and add live sand to the tank and then add some live rock to the tank also. I get the feeling you want me to get rid of the bio-balls and make a sump/refugium out of the wet-dry. Remember I'm in the 28th day of the cycle. How long will it take to cycle if I do the above?
Thanks
Tom

[rshimek]

Hi Tom,

First, there is no need to start a new thread with each reply, just reply to the previous thread.

Secondly, don't read into my answer something that was not there.

I think a sand bed is the best way to set up just about any tank, see my web site (www.rshimek.com) and follow the links to "reef aquaria" and then to "deep sand beds " for information on how to set one up. Such a filter is signifcantly better at controlling nutrients than a wet/dry, but if you like the wet/dry, go with it.

With a sand bed, your system would have cycled probably within a week...

:D

[cybertomtbcb]

Ron,
Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. I listened to your advice and removed the crushed coral. I replaced it with 2 bags of bio-active sand made by natures ocean distributed by worldwide imports ent. and 1 bag of samoa pink sand (not live)by the same company. Of course I put the samoa pink down first as not to choke the live sand. I have a fluval 303 doing some mechanical filteration and the wet-dry with bio-balls. Should I remove the bio-balls and add live rock forming a sump? I was told by the lps not to add carbon during the cycle now that I've finally cycled at what point should I add the carbon? I like chemi-pure.

Thanks,
Tom:eek2:

[rshimek]

Hi Tom,

With the cycle over you can add carbon at any time.

Personally, I would leave the Fluval et alia set up until you are certain the sand bed is functional as filter. That should be in a few weeks. You will need to add detrivores to the system relatively soon.

:D