sugar sand vs. crushed coral

piranhaking · 01/26/2006, 09:33 PM

Could some of you give me the pro's and con's between the two for substrate choices?

Ti · 01/26/2006, 09:36 PM

for starters the aragonite will take to higher flow better

graveyardworm · 01/26/2006, 09:40 PM

Sugar Sand tends to keep the detritus on top, where with Crushed Coral it will gat down into it much easier and be harder to clean. SS is good for sand bed critters CC not so good. SS will support more bacteria (bio filter) because it has more surface area.

SS will get blown around more easily than CC

anthworks · 01/26/2006, 09:41 PM

Sugar sand is obviously a finer grain then crushed coral, when detritus falls to the bottom the tight pack of sugar sand keeps the particles out, the CC bed is looser and the particles fall into the bed and can raise your nitrates. A finer grain sand also gives more surface area for beneficial bacteria. A deep sand bed (4" to 6"+) can lower nitrates from the huge quantities of beneficial bacteria. Many creatures live in a fine sand bed not many live in a CC bed. The creatures help keep the sand bed clean and functioning.

Fast Fred · 01/26/2006, 09:50 PM

Consider bare bottom.

piranhaking · 01/26/2006, 09:52 PM

i have, cant afford the extra current and better skimmer.

01/26/2006, 09:33 PM	#1
piranhaking Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 321	sugar sand vs. crushed coral Could some of you give me the pro's and con's between the two for substrate choices?

01/26/2006, 09:36 PM	#2
Ti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 7,927	for starters the aragonite will take to higher flow better __________________ Hair algae is my Macro algae.

01/26/2006, 09:40 PM	#3
graveyardworm Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nottingham, NH Posts: 7,251	Sugar Sand tends to keep the detritus on top, where with Crushed Coral it will gat down into it much easier and be harder to clean. SS is good for sand bed critters CC not so good. SS will support more bacteria (bio filter) because it has more surface area. SS will get blown around more easily than CC __________________ -David- President - New Hampshire Reef Club There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave Current Tank Info: 100 gal lagoon/seagrass, 100 gal sump, Lifereef 72" skimmer, 180 inwall, 125 inwall seagrass/lagoon in progress

01/26/2006, 09:50 PM	#5
Fast Fred Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northfield, NJ 08225 Posts: 1,170	Consider bare bottom. __________________ Ya know, for a clown fish, you're not very funny! Member of the New Jersey Reefers Club Current Tank Info: 125g Reef Ready AGA /55g Top Fin Tank for a sump/refugium/ LifeReef Skimmer/ Changing over to SPS only

01/26/2006, 09:41 PM	#4
anthworks Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,071	Sugar sand is obviously a finer grain then crushed coral, when detritus falls to the bottom the tight pack of sugar sand keeps the particles out, the CC bed is looser and the particles fall into the bed and can raise your nitrates. A finer grain sand also gives more surface area for beneficial bacteria. A deep sand bed (4" to 6"+) can lower nitrates from the huge quantities of beneficial bacteria. Many creatures live in a fine sand bed not many live in a CC bed. The creatures help keep the sand bed clean and functioning.

01/26/2006, 09:52 PM	#6
piranhaking Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 321	i have, cant afford the extra current and better skimmer.