Hmmm , may be in trouble

[jerry999]

Hello been reading this board for a week now , SYSTEM OVERLOAD>>>>>>>>Ok my tank is a 92 gallon corner tank i set up a week ago with only an wet/dry system just added live rock last night 26lbs along withabout 80 lbs of rock i saved from my previous saltwater tank...(didnt go with damsels because of this board) . I think i messed up already i used crushed coral as substrate , from what im reading am i wrong or should i change it now(worked fine in my last tank 30long/salt)and do like the look much better than sand.:eek1: Note:used damsels previosly to cycle tank not worth the trouble catching them to get them OUT!!! I plan on taking alot of time setting this tank up i am in no rush(been there :)

[jersey]

Hi jerry999, I would put in a sand bed now. Will be much easier to maintain than the crushed coral. You can get southdown play sand at Home Depot. Expect a sand storm for a few days, it will settle eventually. I like to cycle my new tanks with a piece of shrimp. Good luck with your system.

[jerry999]

What shrimp???grocery store , could do that , what about some flouder fillets or mackeral have plenty?? (freezer burnt??)For the sand i really dont like the look , was wondering what you meant by extra work for crushed coral???put down base rock before the crushed coral to help elliminate any dead spots, and rock slides.Have read both good and bad ... Does anyone use CC in a reef tank??Can i if matanace is the only thing??

[SeanT]

Jerry,
Usea piece of uncooked shrimp from the grocery store.
Just drop it in your tank.
What it does is...basically begin to rot and increase the bacteria and ammonia levels in your water starting the 'cycle'.

[Pomacanthus1]

Welcome to Reef Central!

CC substrates are nothing but a big detritus trap. Detritus will collect in the bed, where it will decompose, releasing nutrients like nitrate and phosphate to the water that cause algae problems.

Deep sand beds, on the other hand, have many benefits and require almost no maintenance. The creatures that live in the sandbed (amphipods, copepods, bristle worms, spaghetti worms, detrivorious snails, many other things) will keep it clean and functioning. Also, anaerobic bacteria live in the deeper levels of the DSB. They consume nitrate and convert it to nitrogen gas, which forms bubbles that float out of your aquarium.

Here (www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm) is an article that will explain all about DSBs.

[DgenR8]

Hi Jerry,
[welcome]
Living here in the N/E USA, where Southdown is readilly available, it would be a sin to use CC.
Read the link Pomacanthus1 posted above. I believe in the power of the DSB!

[jerry999]

Well the information in that article was excellent , investigated some more on dsb , and been reading article after article on it.(supposed to be working on my lighting thanks guys:mad: ) Told my wife about the DSB idea she said the last setup worked fine with CC(was up 2yrs-30gal. long)leave it like it is was alot of money(she is an investor)...........................BUT: on the bright side (this worked out GREAT)she said i could set up the old 55gal i have in the dining room with the DSB...So off i go starting setup tommorow morning after thourough cleaning , been in basement for a couple years.. and THANKS AGAIN , THIS BOARD IS AWSOME!

[Pomacanthus1]

Great! I'm glad to hear everything worked out so well! :D

Good luck with both tanks, and may all your live stock survive and thrive!

[Wreck Ferret]

Hmmmm.. :hmm2:

ok; never had a DSB, didn’t like the sand bit either.

Went the CC route 4 years ago when i set up the 125gal (uk)
I vacuum the CC with a gravel cleaner when I do the 20 gal water change one a month. And yep it pulls quite a bit of crap out but isn’t that the idea?!?
Interestingly enough i added some sand in at one end 18mths ago and when I vacuum that area I see similar amount of crap comming out!!

No nuisance algae, and I have a couple of healthy mandarins that regularly mate so the pods population must be ok.

Frags attach to CC easly so I have mushrooms everywhere, my LFS thinks its great "single mushrooms" to sell.. and i get credit for stock or food. :thumbsup:

So as you can see i think CC is great

:D :D

later
Ian :wavehand:

[Pomacanthus1]

Wreck Ferret-

It's good to hear you're not having problems. Vacuuming the CC bed has kept the levels of nutrients under control. Even though you added sand, it didn't make a true DSB. Deep sand beds don't work when they're made up of a large amount of big particles like CC.

However with a DSB you would never have to do any maintenance, your nitrates would be undetectable, and you would have a huge population of benficial critters like bristle worms, copepods, amphipods, and spaghetti worms. These critters would constantly be reproducing, providing food for any filter-feeding animals.

CC beds are obsolete and just plain passé. They can work, but it takes much more effort and maintenance than it's worth when you have the option of going with a DSB.