Change substrate after tank cycled?

DetroitCrow · 11/15/2009, 04:30 PM

I was wondering how bad it would be to change out the substrate in my 6-8 week old 90 gallon tank?

I wish I had gone with a sand substrate then the crushed coral substrate I did go with..

I currently have about 145 pounds of live rock in the tank now with 3 chromis, blenny, coral banned shrimp, 2 pepermint shrimp, about 20 blue legs, 20 reds, 20 snails, 2 emeral crabs.

Since I have so much live rock in the tank, would changing out the substrate cause it to re-cycle and if so, do you think it would be a fast re-cycle?

cjj14u · 11/15/2009, 04:36 PM

If you just go with "dry" sand then there should be no additional cycle since there would be no organic material to "die off" IMHO.....

bertoni · 11/15/2009, 04:39 PM

The tank probably wouldn't see much of a cycle, although exposing live rock to air always has some risk. Personally, I'd do the substrate change now. I used crushed coral in my first tank. Never again!

DetroitCrow · 11/15/2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

The tank probably wouldn't see much of a cycle, although exposing live rock to air always has some risk. Personally, I'd do the substrate change now. I used crushed coral in my first tank. Never again!

all the live rock and live stock would go into garbage can's with saltwater and powerhead, I'm just not sure if i should just deal with the CC or goto what I really should have done (Sand). Also how deep a sand bed should I go with my CC is about 2 inches deep.

If I was to change to sand, could the CC be dried out and used for another tank or something?

thegrun · 11/15/2009, 05:37 PM

I would change now, sooner or later you will want to, better now than after the tank if fully cycled and mature. I prefer a shallow sand bed of about 1". If you go with a deep sand bed, 4"-5" is a good depth.

offroadodge · 11/15/2009, 05:43 PM

huh hvnt tried

bertoni · 11/15/2009, 05:44 PM

The CC could be reused.

The depth of sand is a personal choice. 1" for looks is fine. Some people go deeper to try to support more animals.

DetroitCrow · 11/15/2009, 06:20 PM

If I do this I was thinking about a depth of about 2 inches?

bertoni · 11/15/2009, 07:01 PM

2" should be okay.

ChadTheSpike · 11/15/2009, 07:03 PM

+1 to the depth of sand being a personal choice, however, less than about 1" would be the easiest to maintain... I maintain less than about 1/2" because it is really easy to keep nice. Deeper is needed for some fish and inverts and the like, but if you dont have that stuff than it doesnt really matter.

11/15/2009, 04:30 PM	#1
DetroitCrow Moved On Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 206	Change substrate after tank cycled? I was wondering how bad it would be to change out the substrate in my 6-8 week old 90 gallon tank? I wish I had gone with a sand substrate then the crushed coral substrate I did go with.. I currently have about 145 pounds of live rock in the tank now with 3 chromis, blenny, coral banned shrimp, 2 pepermint shrimp, about 20 blue legs, 20 reds, 20 snails, 2 emeral crabs. Since I have so much live rock in the tank, would changing out the substrate cause it to re-cycle and if so, do you think it would be a fast re-cycle?

11/15/2009, 04:39 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The tank probably wouldn't see much of a cycle, although exposing live rock to air always has some risk. Personally, I'd do the substrate change now. I used crushed coral in my first tank. Never again! __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/15/2009, 05:44 PM	#7
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The CC could be reused. The depth of sand is a personal choice. 1" for looks is fine. Some people go deeper to try to support more animals. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/15/2009, 07:01 PM	#9
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	2" should be okay. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/15/2009, 07:03 PM	#10
ChadTheSpike Reef Engineer Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts: 1,526 Blog Entries: 1	+1 to the depth of sand being a personal choice, however, less than about 1" would be the easiest to maintain... I maintain less than about 1/2" because it is really easy to keep nice. Deeper is needed for some fish and inverts and the like, but if you dont have that stuff than it doesnt really matter. __________________ ~Chad "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." Current Tank Info: 195 gallons of fun

11/15/2009, 04:36 PM	#2
cjj14u Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 147	If you just go with "dry" sand then there should be no additional cycle since there would be no organic material to "die off" IMHO.....

11/15/2009, 05:37 PM	#5
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I would change now, sooner or later you will want to, better now than after the tank if fully cycled and mature. I prefer a shallow sand bed of about 1". If you go with a deep sand bed, 4"-5" is a good depth.

11/15/2009, 05:43 PM	#6
offroadodge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Cedar Park, Texas Posts: 168	huh hvnt tried

11/15/2009, 06:20 PM	#8
DetroitCrow Moved On Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 206	If I do this I was thinking about a depth of about 2 inches?