Sand vs. Crushed Coral

Yep, but it works. Check out my tank thread...

 

What filtration properties are you referring to. Sugar sized sand needs a lot less depth for denitrification. Crushed coral will need nearly 2-3 time the depth to denitrify.

 

sounds like I'll be sticking with sand with the option to add a little cc if I want to add texture. We are def looking to buy some dry rock from Marco's and probably going to my lfs to get some live rock to help get the system going. Does adding a shrimp really help speed the cycling along, or will adding the live rock work? I've been researching lots of fish to decide exactly what I want. I know I can only have one Angel I'm thinking a few yellow tail damsels, a shrimp goby with some banded coral shrimp with the hope they become friends, a six line wrasse, clown fish, a blenny, and a cuc. I would also like one other larger fish but am planning to take it slow, I only want to get a 55 gal...

 

Adding the live rock will help speed the cycle, as it is populated with the nitrifying bacteria, so you don't have to wait for it to develop.

Adding the raw shrimp (or any ammonia source) feeds the bacteria so it will multiply and spread, forming a robust bio-filter.

The goby and coral banded shrimp may get along ok, but probably won't "become friends". The cbs is a loner and doesn't burrow, and the goby generally only pairs with a pistol shrimp.

 

Imo 1-2mm sand seems to work well. I have a 75 with that, and a 120, with a little larger grain of sand. The 75 has been great, but I chose to vacuum the sand, every week, with my water changes. It keeps the sand free of detritus. The 120, as you may have read, is still experiencing a cyano. Outbreak, after a year of being setup, and I've cleaned the sand weekly, in there, as well. Mixing a couple of different sizes of sand will help with biodiversity, in the sandbed, I've read. You could always get that reef blend of sand. It goes from, like, .01mm to 2mm, in size. Then you'd have the best of both worlds. I'm planning on taking out a lot of the larger grain sand, mixing it with my smaller grain, and distributing it between the two tanks. Crushed coral alone, even on a fo system, would still trap a ton of detritus. Besides, most people do decide to try coral, after a while with a fish only system, and going the reef sand route won't hurt the fish, even if you decide never to try a reef. Oh, and the 1-2mm sand doesn't blow all ovef the place. It stays in one place. Just my opinion, though.

 

FYI, I have a perfectly healthy reef using not only CC, but also a UGF. The old myth that one can't keep live rock or coral is just that--- a myth. Furthermore, occasional vacuuming keeps it clean.

 

I'm just going by personal experience, that a finer grain of sand tends to stay cleaner. I vacuum both, so, yea, I agree that vacuuming can keep it clean, and I never said you couldn't keep coral or live rock, with crushed coral. All I said is that it will trap detritus, which it can, underneath your live rock, and if you don't vacuum. I have known people who have kept successful reef tanks, with crushed coral. It just seems that the majority of people use a finer grain of sand, and that seems to work well, for most people. Besides, I personally, think that the finer grain sands look better, but that's just my opinion. Also, most people don't vacuum they're sand, at all, and that's where the detritus trapping myth comes from. The sugar sized sand doesn't have as many problems, not vacuuming it, as crushed coral. Of course, I've read that you need to change out your sugar sized sand, after a year or two or vacuum it a little, and various other methods to keep it clean. I would rather just use a sand that doesn't blow around, isn't too big(In my opinion.), and just vacuum it, weekly, but to each his own. I've read about a ton of different methods, and have seen some really successful reef tanks, that broke all the "rules", out there, so, I don't disagree. It really is about personal choice. Any sand has to be maintained, it's just a different routine, for each one.

 

Absolutely, yes. My apologies for misunderstanding your statement about adding coral. FWIW, you can still find that myth posted on self-proclaimed "expert's" websites...

My experience with sand was quite the opposite- a total disaster. After only 3 years, I had an uncontrollable GHA jungle in both tanks. When I finally removed the sand, the bottom third was filthy and smelled like low tide. I've seen others ditch sand and go BB for similar reasons.

I don't try to tell anyone what to use; one's choice of fish and inverts should determine that, as well as personal choice. Just know that CC is a viable choice, but whatever you use, it will need routine maintenance for the long-term health of the tank.

 

I'm looking to add some aragonite sand to my cc sand bed. I would like to remove some of the cc. There is approximately 40 lbs of cc in the tank now. Does anyone think removing 20 lbs and adding 20 lbs of aragonite will cause any issues with the tank? I don't want there to be any re-cycle, nitrate/nitrite/Po spikes. Anyone have experience changing out there substrate.

 

I've always used crushed coral. I find that the cloudiness when you first set it up goes away a lot quicker, compared to the sugar fine like my dad has in his mixed reef. plus if you have any zoos or mushrooms on the bottom and they multiply, it gives them something to grow on which is nice. it's easier to clean IMO also.