refugium bottom

[shark32]

Hi all,
I think I found a good part of the reason why my nitrAtes won't go down... yesterday when I changing my GFO and GAC, somehow or another my carbon was pumped out of the reactor and into my sump...so I vacuumed the part of the sump that it was in and then I started to vacuum the fuge (which I have never touched) and the stuff that came off the bottom was GROSS...I guess because for a while I was not using a filter sock all that nasty gunk settled on the bottom...it took me a little over two hours to completely clean the bottom of my sump/fuge...I threw out the rock that was in there as well as the cheato becuase it was loaded with detritus...
my question is can I just put a new ball of cheato in there with a bare bottom? Will my ampi/cope pods do well without a sandbed? Not that I had a sand bed before, but I think they used the build up as something.. I read online that someone actually put sand in a container and was able to keep it clean very easily...with the filter sock I should not get that kind of a build up again, but I want to easily vacuum the bottom when needed..
I think that that was a nitrAte breeding ground down there...only time and water changes will let me know for sure though...thanks for any advice

 

[mbg75]

Sand will be fine if your using a sock. Maybe a piece of live rock.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[shark32]

Thanks mbj75...I am going to pick up another ball of cheato on my way home from work...i'll put some sand in there as well...I ordered Ocean Pods from livecopepods.com and they should be arriving today...I want it to be ready for them...how's your tank coming along?

 

[Imbarrie]

Your pods will live in the macro. They dont require a sand bed.
Mix up your macros, get as many varieties as you can.

 

[bizzarro]

Why not just take some old tank water and rinse off the crap?