crush coral as substrate

scunfcu · 12/23/2007, 10:40 PM

Anyone using crush coral as substrate? Thinking about doing this for looks and PH ( argonite ) advantage. Don't want sand because I want to have a strong flow in my tank.

Sk8r · 12/23/2007, 10:56 PM

Don't. It's a nitrate factory. Bigtime. THen it concretes and gives you more problems. It won't layer right as a sandbed, so you lose the ability to deal with the nitrates it collects. ANd then it gets a lot of red algae and looks bad.
I have 1000gph coming into my 54g wedge tank. I split the flow with a T connector, then ended my outflow in two T connectors as nozzles, and my fine aragonite sand, which did walk in dunes, has now settled and begun to develop the bacterial coating which prevents it from walking.

scunfcu · 12/23/2007, 11:02 PM

Thanks your feedback. Now I am thinking of doing bare bottom

Sk8r · 12/23/2007, 11:11 PM

It is a possibility. I can tell you I was about to do it myself until I got the T connector situation worked out.
I have had CC, however, and it used to take a diatom filter once every 3 months to keep it viable---which is just not optimum. It holds too much debris in the little cups and bends it has, and fish can't sift it---it's too coarse to pass out their gills as it must.

HABS#1 · 12/24/2007, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by scunfcu
Anyone using crush coral as substrate? Thinking about doing this for looks and PH ( argonite ) advantage. Don't want sand because I want to have a strong flow in my tank.

We use crushed coral for our system it is a 31 gal and we are going to put it in the kids 20 gal and in our new 75 gal. We have never had any issues with nitrates from day 1.

Shooter7 · 12/24/2007, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HABS#1
We use crushed coral for our system it is a 31 gal and we are going to put it in the kids 20 gal and in our new 75 gal. We have never had any issues with nitrates from day 1.

How long ago was "day 1"? Because it tends to be more of a buildup process than anything immediate. If, however, you've run this long term (as in, longer than a year or so) with no nitrate or phosphate issues, then I'd say you are the exception and not the norm from what I've seen on here.

HABS#1 · 12/24/2007, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shooter7
How long ago was "day 1"? Because it tends to be more of a buildup process than anything immediate. If, however, you've run this long term (as in, longer than a year or so) with no nitrate or phosphate issues, then I'd say you are the exception and not the norm from what I've seen on here.

We are 3 months now but my neighbour has been running it for 6 years with zero issues at all. He runs it in his 200 and in his 65. It is also what is used in our LFS we go to most often.

digidana · 12/24/2007, 07:28 AM

would a mixture of about 50/50 with argonite still be a problem?

jamiep · 12/24/2007, 07:43 AM

I use crushed coral and my nitrates are ~20ppm. I syphon the CC everyweek and I also have a Sponge filter system that I clean out every month. Its alot more work and I'm thinking of changing it after christmas, Just 6months in!

McTeague · 12/24/2007, 07:48 AM

I have crushed coral with under gravel filter plates and powerheads making flow through the UGF plates.

Paul B · 12/24/2007, 12:30 PM

I don't really have crushed coral but I use dolomite which is kind of close. It has been in my tank for over 40 years. So far no nitrate and no problems. But I do use RUGF

syrinx · 12/24/2007, 12:38 PM

Yeah the notion of CC being a nitrate factory is internet fodder pretty much. Use what you like, take care of it as it needs and enjoy.

usmc121581 · 12/24/2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by syrinx
Yeah the notion of CC being a nitrate factory is internet fodder pretty much. Use what you like, take care of it as it needs and enjoy.

I wouldnt call it that. There are people out there that do have problems with it, and there are people that dont. I have seen and heard more people having to rip it out later because of problems.

jadeguppy · 12/24/2007, 02:41 PM

you don't need crushed coral to have aragonite. Many stores sell olic (sp?) or sugar sand that is aragonite based. Go to Marine Depot, Drs. Fosters, or some of the other sponsor site. They offer it.

azrednex · 12/24/2007, 02:53 PM

I have had CC in my SPS tank for almost 2 years. It was a fish only system for awhile before I converted to a reef. It leached nitrates and phosphates into my water for about a year but has cleared up now and the cleaning crew is keeping up with it now.

navychief · 12/24/2007, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scunfcu
Anyone using crush coral as substrate? Thinking about doing this for looks and PH ( argonite ) advantage. Don't want sand because I want to have a strong flow in my tank.

Well. I can say that I use CC and it's rather unsightly when you get the brown algae when starting a tank. That will go away as the tank ages. As far as trates are concerned, I have 0 trates registering on my test kits and I've been running this (tank) now for about 4 months. When I do water changes, I vacuum the CC which is just good housekeeping practices in owning a aquarium period.

jadeguppy · 12/24/2007, 03:29 PM

Quote:

When I do water changes, I vacuum the CC which is just good housekeeping practices in owning a aquarium period.

It is not always a good housekeeping practice. If you disturb a deep sand bed you actually damage it. There are reasons to avoid vacuuming the bed for many aquariums. It depends on the way it is set up.

mg426 · 12/24/2007, 03:58 PM

I did not care for it at all. I removed mine and cahnged to sand. I will not be changing back.

kzickovich · 12/24/2007, 04:00 PM

I have cc in my fo tank tank no problems with it, only because the fish I keep in there use it for there teeth.

navychief · 12/24/2007, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jadeguppy
It is not always a good housekeeping practice. If you disturb a deep sand bed you actually damage it. There are reasons to avoid vacuuming the bed for many aquariums. It depends on the way it is set up.

I can agree on a sand bed, but not a CC bed.

12/23/2007, 10:56 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Don't. It's a nitrate factory. Bigtime. THen it concretes and gives you more problems. It won't layer right as a sandbed, so you lose the ability to deal with the nitrates it collects. ANd then it gets a lot of red algae and looks bad. I have 1000gph coming into my 54g wedge tank. I split the flow with a T connector, then ended my outflow in two T connectors as nozzles, and my fine aragonite sand, which did walk in dunes, has now settled and begun to develop the bacterial coating which prevents it from walking. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/23/2007, 11:11 PM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	It is a possibility. I can tell you I was about to do it myself until I got the T connector situation worked out. I have had CC, however, and it used to take a diatom filter once every 3 months to keep it viable---which is just not optimum. It holds too much debris in the little cups and bends it has, and fish can't sift it---it's too coarse to pass out their gills as it must. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

12/24/2007, 12:30 PM	#11
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I don't really have crushed coral but I use dolomite which is kind of close. It has been in my tank for over 40 years. So far no nitrate and no problems. But I do use RUGF __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

12/24/2007, 12:38 PM	#12
syrinx Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: champaign Posts: 3,160	Yeah the notion of CC being a nitrate factory is internet fodder pretty much. Use what you like, take care of it as it needs and enjoy. __________________ My views are based on 49years as an aquarist, 25 years as a pro reef consultant, 10 years of owning a LFS, and the results of thousands of customers tanks. But I am always learning.

12/24/2007, 02:53 PM	#15
azrednex Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 1,805	I have had CC in my SPS tank for almost 2 years. It was a fish only system for awhile before I converted to a reef. It leached nitrates and phosphates into my water for about a year but has cleared up now and the cleaning crew is keeping up with it now. __________________ <------- Johnathon " Jeder muß an etwas glauben, und ich glaube, ich trinke noch einen."

12/23/2007, 10:40 PM	#1
scunfcu Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: NY Posts: 422	crush coral as substrate Anyone using crush coral as substrate? Thinking about doing this for looks and PH ( argonite ) advantage. Don't want sand because I want to have a strong flow in my tank.

12/23/2007, 11:02 PM	#3
scunfcu Registered Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: NY Posts: 422	Thanks your feedback. Now I am thinking of doing bare bottom

12/24/2007, 07:28 AM	#8
digidana Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: GO VOLS! Posts: 921	would a mixture of about 50/50 with argonite still be a problem?

12/24/2007, 07:43 AM	#9
jamiep Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 458	I use crushed coral and my nitrates are ~20ppm. I syphon the CC everyweek and I also have a Sponge filter system that I clean out every month. Its alot more work and I'm thinking of changing it after christmas, Just 6months in!

12/24/2007, 07:48 AM	#10
McTeague Moved On Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 501	I have crushed coral with under gravel filter plates and powerheads making flow through the UGF plates.

12/24/2007, 02:41 PM	#14
jadeguppy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: nw Florida Posts: 2,611	you don't need crushed coral to have aragonite. Many stores sell olic (sp?) or sugar sand that is aragonite based. Go to Marine Depot, Drs. Fosters, or some of the other sponsor site. They offer it.

12/24/2007, 03:58 PM	#18
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I did not care for it at all. I removed mine and cahnged to sand. I will not be changing back. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

12/24/2007, 04:00 PM	#19
kzickovich Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Zion Il Posts: 959	I have cc in my fo tank tank no problems with it, only because the fish I keep in there use it for there teeth. __________________ Ken Current Tank Info: 90 Gal mixed reef 55 Gallon basement pump up Sump 25 Gal fuge 2 Mp40 DIY led light fixture Bubble King Mini 200 Gen2 skimmer BRS Duel reactor