About substrate

[PaulKlug]

After my next water change I will be putting my substrate down. I have a couple of questions. I am going to use CC I know some people say its terrible but i like the look and I dont mind the vaccuuming during water changes. Is there any one here who uses CC in there REEF setup? Here are my questions

1.) Do you just set your rock on the CC after it is layed down? If not what do you do?
2.) my tank has fully cycled. Will putting the CC in (very well rinsed) cause a mini cycle? god i hope not!
3.) Any other tips you have for maintaining CC in a reef setup

Thanks
Paul

[SPANKYSREEF]

With any type of substrate---you want to put your base rock down first, then add the substrate. this will give you a good strong base to build on. When rock is sitting on top of the sub it may begin to sink and cause a rockslide in your tank. This will also help if you are keeping any burrowing fish just incase they decide to dig around your base. Good Luck!

[Tim224DT]

I also have CC in my tank. I dont mind it and plus i have an eel if i had sand he would stir it up all the time.
Im not for a reef setup what to do different, but in my FOWLR setup i have a sand sifting star fish that is doing a great job on keeping the CC stired up. When i first put him in the tank he would just climb the glass now hes in the CC doing his job i see him maybe once every other day on the surface of the CC then hes back down in it again.

Tim

[wharyat]

One thing I have done is placed pieces of pipe to "suspend" my rock from touching the substrate; it works amazingly well and doesn't let anything too nasty get stuck around the rock.

Here is Tom's thread.

[tdwyatt]

If you're planning on vacuuming the substrate on a (very)regular basis, this will work, however, I would suggest placing your rock on sections of verticle PVC pilings to raise the rock off the substrate. This will allow for both good current under the rock to prevent dead spots and accumulations of detrital materials, as well as making maintenance much easier when cleaning your substrate with a python or similar gravel cleaning device.

Keep your gravel (CC) depth at 3 to 5 cm max, as any deeper begins to encourage the development of anoxic zones that may cultivate H2S production, and CC substrate is not dense enough to prevent relatively rapid percolation of these poisonous substances into the water column during your forays into the lower substrates with the cleaning siphon.


JM2CW

[tdwyatt]

Heh, Vince and I must both be typing...

[wharyat]

Yeah, but your explanations always look and sound really professional.

[Mich3417]

stupid question.....what is CC?

[tdwyatt]

crushed coral, usually about 3 to 5mm gravel made from literally crushing coral skeletons, prolly a product that results from some other product manufacture (like tiles) that is packaged and sold to aquarists. Might check some of the mfgr's web sites for more info on how it is made.