Need some SPS help

[skeety]

bump^

do I have it right? or am I off?

Gonna be moving the tank here in a couple weeks. Thinking of just going BB, but looking for more input on my summation above to see if I got things right before I make any hard decisions.

[Twitterbait]

get the flow going and do bb.

[Wiskey]

Honstally if you are moving the tank anyway this is your chance, I wouldn't worry about doing anything slow, but I might put some of the CC I removed in the sump temporarly and then remove that over a month or so.

There's one point you missed. CC is a poor substrate for Bacteria, it has a fraction of the surface area that sand does. Bacteria will lock up heavy meatles, phosphate, and all sorts of other nasties, they need it to make more bacteria. The more surface area you have, the more living bacteria you can keep, and the more junk you can hold without allowing it to go into the water.

Whiskey

[skeety]

So this weekend, I'm installing the DIY Oceans Motion that Geoff suggested. Got two solenoid valves and a sprinkler system controller. Going to incorporate this into my CLS. hoping that will help.

About 2 weeks from then, I'll be moving the tank to the basement...at which point, I'll remove the CC substrate (maybe put it in the sump, as suggested, adn remove it slowly).

But I'm still torn between a SSB and BB.

I've been trying to find the threads where Geoff (i think) discussed taking starboard and coating it with some sand, so it didn't look quite like a BB.

But I think EITHER way will be better than the CC, so I think it's a win, win either way.

But I am curious to see if the more random flow makes a good bit of difference in the mean time.

[skeety]

btw...where's the best place to get starboard?

[Twitterbait]

I would say don't do starboard. too much trouble with crap being caught undernieth it.

[skeety]

so you're saying no bare bottom?

I'm not comfy just resting rock on the glass, w/out something to protect it.

[tabwyo]

Starboard will not trap crap if you silicone the edges. It sounds as if everybody is in agreement on the Phos issue and the chem warfare is a viable problem as well. Have you considered a phos reactor. You can use only half of the recomended phos removal material and replace it with carbon. Carbon in a fludized type filter is so much more efficient than just putting it in a sack in the sump.