sand vs crushed coral vs bare
- Thread starter tlsrcs
- Start date
Great thread, but I have questions for you all. Why do you change out the sand bed? Does it fail and need recharged by replacement or are you going for a new look?
I would do BB but don't like the look as much. I have run CC the whole length of my saltwater days and have no Nitriates. Now I don't keep a bed, just enough to cover the bottom. My watchman sifts it fine, but we intentially got him at 3". He moves this around at least 3x a day. If I stir it up I dont even get a cloud. Powerheads when they lose a suction cup, will push it all away but more like a crater than sand flying around everywhere.
Does Sand buffer PH like cc?
How do you "gravel vac" so to say without sucking it all out? stir it up, and suck from the water column?
Is thier a primer on the need to knows for sand?
you guys are making me think my test kit is trashed. I have always had to deal with phos, but my am, nitra, and nitri have been 0 for the longest time. I don't have a log of the last time i had a measurable amount. Maybe i should borrow a test kit and double check...
Is it a differnce with having corals? Being fish only and very heavy bioload I would have thought this to make trapping deteris a bigger issue, but don't see it with maint schedule.
Please educate me, nows the time to decide with new build so I don't have to do all that work later eh!!
How can I attach a Video of my watchman spitting CC right out of his gills?
I would do BB but don't like the look as much. I have run CC the whole length of my saltwater days and have no Nitriates. Now I don't keep a bed, just enough to cover the bottom. My watchman sifts it fine, but we intentially got him at 3". He moves this around at least 3x a day. If I stir it up I dont even get a cloud. Powerheads when they lose a suction cup, will push it all away but more like a crater than sand flying around everywhere.
Does Sand buffer PH like cc?
How do you "gravel vac" so to say without sucking it all out? stir it up, and suck from the water column?
Is thier a primer on the need to knows for sand?
you guys are making me think my test kit is trashed. I have always had to deal with phos, but my am, nitra, and nitri have been 0 for the longest time. I don't have a log of the last time i had a measurable amount. Maybe i should borrow a test kit and double check...
Is it a differnce with having corals? Being fish only and very heavy bioload I would have thought this to make trapping deteris a bigger issue, but don't see it with maint schedule.
Please educate me, nows the time to decide with new build so I don't have to do all that work later eh!!
How can I attach a Video of my watchman spitting CC right out of his gills?
What i have read is certain things will bind to the sand....phos. and othere. it also can crash by holding in all those nutrients that have been layered in it. I want to change mine for look also.
Yeas as long as its calcium based i believe. just put some in vinigear and that will tell you if it buffers or not.
This is why i dont want fine sand...cause its impossible to clean.
Yeas as long as its calcium based i believe. just put some in vinigear and that will tell you if it buffers or not.
This is why i dont want fine sand...cause its impossible to clean.
I have never heard an dispute against PH acting as a buffer. If my tap comes out lower, and after RO its still low.I put a bit of CC into my bin where i heat and mix salt, and have always had ph ready to go when water was needed. Most CC now includes aragonite as well. I am not sure I agree with you, but if your right what is raising it to 8+?
Your artical focuses on Calcium and its soulubility under pressures, tempetures, and various PH ranges. But I did not gather that ph is buffered or not as a result of this process.
In short the articals focus is related, but subsequent.
So I started looking it up. In terms of freshwater it seems that CC has little buffering effect despite having been propegated as an urban legend. This is where your artical comes into play, as the calcium bonds to the anerobic areas differently in freshwater.
In Saltwater It should act similarly but seems to have mixed reviews. For every artical I can find that said it buffers up to 8+, I can find an artical that says it won't.
the Chemical makeup of tetrahedon....ya thats where I draw the line. All I can say is my bucket has nothing in it. I add RO water. and salt and my ph was always around 7.3 (memory) Tiered of messing with PH UP I dumped in a new bag of cc into the drum and have never had to adjust my ph in the drum again. Since my dt has cc, i test ph, but its always the same 8.2-8.4.
So i don't know if its the arg in the cc or something in the breakdown of the nitrate cycle but I have not given up on the buffering capabilities yet. Just not sure I want to use it in my new tank. Maybe one of the sumps w/ no live stock where I can just stir it around before a prefilter.
Interesting
Thanks for making me think in a new direction.
To your credit- an artical seeming to back up CC, but does not take it to the buffered levels I am getting of 8+.
http://www.algone.com/aquarium-articles/technical-aquarium-information/aquarium-substrate
Aragonite
Aragonite is a calcium carbonate mineral. Aragonite sand holds a lasting reservoir of calcium carbonate, which is slowly but constantly released to buffer and to hold up the pH. Using aragonite can push the pH to about 8.2 The released calcium is a valued trace element for corals and overall functionality of the aquarium. Aragonite sand can be mixed with live sand or crushed corals. Due to the pH raising character it is suited for marine and reef set-ups only.
Crushed Corals
This substrate was a long time favorite before the use of aragonite. Sharing the same values in providing buffers to stabilize and enhance the pH, crushed corals usually push the pH up to 7.6
Most commercially available crushed corals are mixed with aragonite or similar calcareous materials such as dolomite and calcite which are similar to aragonite.
Crushed corals and the mixtures thereof are suited for marine, reef aquariums, brackish water and African chiclids in freshwater.
In short the articals focus is related, but subsequent.
So I started looking it up. In terms of freshwater it seems that CC has little buffering effect despite having been propegated as an urban legend. This is where your artical comes into play, as the calcium bonds to the anerobic areas differently in freshwater.
In Saltwater It should act similarly but seems to have mixed reviews. For every artical I can find that said it buffers up to 8+, I can find an artical that says it won't.
the Chemical makeup of tetrahedon....ya thats where I draw the line. All I can say is my bucket has nothing in it. I add RO water. and salt and my ph was always around 7.3 (memory) Tiered of messing with PH UP I dumped in a new bag of cc into the drum and have never had to adjust my ph in the drum again. Since my dt has cc, i test ph, but its always the same 8.2-8.4.
So i don't know if its the arg in the cc or something in the breakdown of the nitrate cycle but I have not given up on the buffering capabilities yet. Just not sure I want to use it in my new tank. Maybe one of the sumps w/ no live stock where I can just stir it around before a prefilter.
Interesting
Thanks for making me think in a new direction.
To your credit- an artical seeming to back up CC, but does not take it to the buffered levels I am getting of 8+.
http://www.algone.com/aquarium-articles/technical-aquarium-information/aquarium-substrate
Aragonite
Aragonite is a calcium carbonate mineral. Aragonite sand holds a lasting reservoir of calcium carbonate, which is slowly but constantly released to buffer and to hold up the pH. Using aragonite can push the pH to about 8.2 The released calcium is a valued trace element for corals and overall functionality of the aquarium. Aragonite sand can be mixed with live sand or crushed corals. Due to the pH raising character it is suited for marine and reef set-ups only.
Crushed Corals
This substrate was a long time favorite before the use of aragonite. Sharing the same values in providing buffers to stabilize and enhance the pH, crushed corals usually push the pH up to 7.6
Most commercially available crushed corals are mixed with aragonite or similar calcareous materials such as dolomite and calcite which are similar to aragonite.
Crushed corals and the mixtures thereof are suited for marine, reef aquariums, brackish water and African chiclids in freshwater.
Substrate and lighting. What I am curious about is the reflection of the light comparison of various colored substrates and its impact on corals. White would reflect more back up to your specimens, where as darker colors absorb more. So while miniscule (or is it?) wouldn't a lighter color give you that extra edge for coral growth?
The 2nd half of the article talks specifically about CaCO3. using the equations RHF provides, CaCO3 starts to become solluable at a PH of 7.7.
He does state that just because our water collumn has a PH of 8.3, the sand bed may be around 7 due to other processes of dissolving organics. I am not sure if putting in CC how fast the PH of the water in the CC bed would drop to 7. But if it happens quick, then the CC would start to dissolve and buffer the PH.
He does state that just because our water collumn has a PH of 8.3, the sand bed may be around 7 due to other processes of dissolving organics. I am not sure if putting in CC how fast the PH of the water in the CC bed would drop to 7. But if it happens quick, then the CC would start to dissolve and buffer the PH.
I brought a thing in for help with the ID to todays meeting. Turns out it is just scypha sponge and nothing to worry about. However when moving my tank yesterday to make room for the new tank I got rid of all that I found. I bet these guys had something to do with why my nitrates are at 0. I read they may filter up to 50 gallons an hour.
I have decided to go sand for the display tank to give my convicts, gobys and such a easier time. I think CC may be a trap as people have stated, and I was the exception to the rule with great success with it. However I don't want to find out if I can be the exception to the rule twice with my new tank.
Recomondation on buying sand? I want something more course like arginite, but better color options. Where do you all buy from?
I have decided to go sand for the display tank to give my convicts, gobys and such a easier time. I think CC may be a trap as people have stated, and I was the exception to the rule with great success with it. However I don't want to find out if I can be the exception to the rule twice with my new tank.
Recomondation on buying sand? I want something more course like arginite, but better color options. Where do you all buy from?
Got a picture?
For what it is worth, here are some picts from tearing down my tank and stiring up my substrate to find as many cuc's as possible. For more with critters check my post..[attachment=61041:name]
That water is clearer than anyone would have believed. most the film is the drips on the outside of the glass from removing everything to move the tank.
For what it is worth, here are some picts from tearing down my tank and stiring up my substrate to find as many cuc's as possible. For more with critters check my post..[attachment=61041:name]
That water is clearer than anyone would have believed. most the film is the drips on the outside of the glass from removing everything to move the tank.
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Caribsea_Aragamx_Sugar_Sand_30_Lb_p/car00930.htm
0.2 - 1.2mm from above site
0.2 - 1.2mm from above site