substrate

[digitalsteve]

hey guys , i have a 10 gallon nano reef going and i am not really happy with the sand bed , i think it might be too fine . every time i add something in there i notice a lot of particles floating around for awhile. would you recommend going barebottom or some other substrate to use instead. i like the look of the sand but it is just proving to be a headache. and if i change it or get rid of it , what is the easiest way without totally dismantling my tank and moving livestock and all that crap

[Tarolisol]

If you like the look of sand what you could do is get a piece of somthing like acrylic or starboard to cover the bottom apply a layer of epoxy or somthing and pour sand over the glue and then let it try blow of the remaing sand and you left with a sand bed that doesnt move.

[digitalsteve]

good idea, but then i have to tear everything down , is there a heavier sand or substrate that filters and havs the same beneficial properties as sand?

[Tarolisol]

you could used crushed corals, its a little bigger then sugar sized i have it in one of my tanks, whiter then argonite.

[digitalsteve]

does it provided the same functionality as sand ie filtering and such , and if i were to switch it up , would i need time for my tank to cycle and all that , if it is toomuch of a hassle i will pass and just try nd get some cleaner guys to clean up my sand bed

[Tarolisol]

Im not sure if it offers the same kind of biological filtration as sand as it is a bit larger you will have to wait for more people to chime in here, crushed coral comes in many sizes from very large to a little bigger the sand. In mine i see little creatures living in it so maybe it does do the same stuff as regular sand, but dont quote me on that. I know it takes alot for my power heads to blow that stuff around.

[digitalsteve]

does it take long to settle after you added it to thte tank ?what would i be looking at for wait time till i could add my lr and frags and fish back into the system. i can use the existing water out of my tank now if need be

[Tarolisol]

I dont ever remember haveing a sandstorm when i add mine, mine was wet when i added it.

[digitalsteve]

i found a product at jl for a replacement i noticed they use it at hidden reef for there frag tanks it looks pretty good . if i change the substrate , i will move my livestock and liverock into buckets with filers and heaters running but do i need to wait any length of time for the tank to cycle or once i add my new substrate can i place the rock and livestock back in ? the product i am going to use is reef base marine by redsea.

[Tarolisol]

Theres a topic about the substrate changing in the reef forum i belive.

[EmilyB]

I use Caribsea select for that very reason.

It will really help the sand settle quickly if you can get the sand coated with some bacteria before adding it to your tank. You can do that by keeping it in some tank water for a bit.