substrate

[fjpod]

I have a Biocube 14 reef tank. It was set up about a year ago with about a two inch sand bed. Recently I tried adding more water movement, but keep getting sand storms. I was thinking of vacuuming most of the sand out on the next water change and putting in crushed shells.

Any advice??

 

[bigdog1428]

I would reposition the powerheads where u don't cause a sandstorm

 

[MatthewScars]

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum...t-my-substrate-all-advisors-please-chime.html

Don't be lazy.

 

[CoralMeister]

CaribSea Aragonite will do just fine, will not cause a sandstorm.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/115941-vacuum-your-substrate-not.html

Don't be lazy.

matt the one you posted is about vacuuming crap out of sand not all of it he wants to vacuum out all of the sand out of his tank and replace with crushed coral. (so i guess you dont no how to use the search feature either :lol: J/K)

i would not replace it with crushed coral i would replace it with what was mentioned above by coral and try what bigdog said.

 

[MatthewScars]

Updated the URL. Copy and pasted the wrong URL.

Crushed Coral is terrible. Dont use it.

 

[fjpod]

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum...t-my-substrate-all-advisors-please-chime.html

Don't be lazy.

I guess a few snails crawled up your overflow...

 

[fjpod]

CaribSea Aragonite will do just fine, will not cause a sandstorm.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into it.

 

[royalson87]

I guess a few snails crawled up your overflow...

lmao

 

[fjpod]

What about leaving the sand and putting down a layer of crushed coral to keep the dust down? Bad idea?

 

[CoralMeister]

What about leaving the sand and putting down a layer of crushed coral to keep the dust down? Bad idea?

Yeah I dont think that would work well...I recently also replaced all my fine LS with the aragonite and I am really happy with it.

 

[fjpod]

Yeah I dont think that would work well...I recently also replaced all my fine LS with the aragonite and I am really happy with it.

I'm gettin the message...did you just vacuum it out with a water change?

 

[KathyC]

What all of these artistically creative people are attepting to tell you is not to use crushed coral at all as it traps detritus.

Yes you can vacuum the sand out during a water change (as during the vacuuming process you will releaser all kinds of crap from the sand bed, so that is a good idea) BUT make sure it doesn't go down your drain & clog it up!!!

If you plan on adding a new sandbed - you do want to keep some (maybe a cup at most) or your old sand to 'seed' the new sandbed with bacteria & possibly some critters.

Adding an entirely new sand bed into a 14g tank - all at once - is asking for a spike in your parameters..you might want to consider pre-curing the new sand before you add it, or taking out your current sand bed in parts...1 1quarter this week, one next week..and so forth to minimize the cycle you may get.

 

[fjpod]

thanks for the help, all.