| Nano Reefs Learn more about how to care for tanks of 20 gallons and less. |
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
06-11-2004, 02:13 PM
|
#1
|
|
Plankton
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 40
|
20g Substrate and Cycling questions
I have a 20g tank that I'm gonna make a nano reef w/ prolly just a pair of clowns. I'm starting it out w/ live rock, and probably curshed coral. This is my first question. I've read the pros and cons to CC and DSB's.
My live rock is coming next week, should I/ can I cycle the tank as a bare bottom to make it easier to clean the detrius? I'm worried if i add the CC after it has cycled it will cause it to re-cycle.
Next I'm wondering about some opinions on either barebottom, deep CC (last of my choices) and maybe 1" of CC. what you think i should do for maintenance of which you prefer.
|
|
|
|
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
|
|
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 04:05 PM
|
#2
|
|
----------------
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 1,058
|
Crushed coral is the worst substrate you can pick - hard to keep clean and maintains about 1/8th the beneficial bacteria of a finer sand substrate.
__________________
Switched to SW in 1975
|
|
|
|
|
06-12-2004, 03:55 PM
|
#3
|
|
Plankton
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 40
|
anybody else??
__________________
after 2months of reading... Finally got a 20g nano cycling!!!
oh yea...and I think this guy is cool.. 
|
|
|
|
|
06-12-2004, 04:21 PM
|
#4
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MD
Posts: 46
|
I would cycle it bare bottom, then add about 1" of fine aragonite after rinsing it well. .5-1.2mm grain size.
Crushed coral is terrible.
|
|
|
|
|
06-12-2004, 04:29 PM
|
#5
|
|
Future reefer (my boy)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Wray, Colorado
Posts: 570
|
sugar sand is my pick, and I would throw it in with everything else, so the sand will be colonized with stuff from the liverock. If you get detritus in your tank just suck it out.
__________________
----SEMPER FI----
"Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue" ---Admiral Nimitz (Navy) speaking of Marines in one of the bloodiest battles known to man
|
|
|
|
|
06-12-2004, 04:31 PM
|
#6
|
|
Future reefer (my boy)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Wray, Colorado
Posts: 570
|
I started out with crushed coral, seemed to look kinda dirty all the time, hard to keep clean, burrowing critters hate the stuff. So I took most of it out and mixed the remaining with sugar size sand. I like the combo and shrimp and gobies use the bigger pieces mixed with the sand to reinforce their caves and such.
__________________
----SEMPER FI----
"Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue" ---Admiral Nimitz (Navy) speaking of Marines in one of the bloodiest battles known to man
|
|
|
|
|
06-12-2004, 05:15 PM
|
#7
|
|
Plankton
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 40
|
I just went out and picked up some aragonite, should i put all of it in or mix it with the CC?
__________________
after 2months of reading... Finally got a 20g nano cycling!!!
oh yea...and I think this guy is cool..
|
|
|
|
|
06-12-2004, 05:19 PM
|
#8
|
|
Future reefer (my boy)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Wray, Colorado
Posts: 570
|
if you arent going to have a pistol shrimp or burrowing goby then i would get rid of all the CC, if you keep some, i would just keep like 2 or 3 handfuls and scatter and mix it in with the aragonite. Just my preferance, definately not the only way to do things just make it look the way you would like, I would go with that just keep the CC to a minimum.
__________________
----SEMPER FI----
"Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue" ---Admiral Nimitz (Navy) speaking of Marines in one of the bloodiest battles known to man
|
|
|
|
|
06-13-2004, 09:01 AM
|
#9
|
|
Fish
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Troutdale Oregon
Posts: 526
|
I agree, kick the CC. I had it for a while and I mixed it with other substrate, and I was displeased with the over all results. Now I have 200 pounds of sand/CC/aragonite & etc sitting in three large containers that I pulled from my tank. I guess I could seperate it, but that just doesn't seem like to much fun. Thanks Neil
__________________
Neil
|
|
|
|
|
06-13-2004, 09:03 AM
|
#10
|
|
Fish
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Troutdale Oregon
Posts: 526
|
Please note this tank was not a nano, 200LBS of substrate LOL.
__________________
Neil
|
|
|
|
|
06-30-2004, 03:01 AM
|
#11
|
|
Plankton
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Posts: 45
|
Live sand. Stay away from a UGF in a reef tank.
|
|
|
|
|
