Sand or crushed coral?

[rocsec1]

I am getting a tank this weekend that is up and running with a sand base. There is about 2 inches of sand on the bottom, but the pumps blow it around so that there are bare spots. I was planning to buy some additional sand to try and stop that from happening, but then I wondered if sand is the way to go. Am I better using crushed coral instead of sand. The tank is a 75 gallon. I am planning to use a sump with protein skimmer and some live rock. The tank comes with about 50lbs of live rock and I am going to add additional dry rock so I can make it look like my version of a reef. I am planning to have corals and fish in the tank. So what do you think?

[Allmost]

use high grade aragonite sand, soaked in RO/DI water for a week to lower silica and po4.

dont use too much Rocks, it can block flow, create dead spots where detritus will settle and rott. it will also be much harder to remove any dead fish, if it does happen. [hopefully it wont]

crushed coral as sand base is not really a good Idea, due to organics and other stuff bonded to them. you can find larger grain size aragonite.

good luck

[medic155]

Crushed coral, from what I have read, will collect detritus and be harder to clean than sand.

[jcw]

consider bare bottom?

[rocsec1]

I did consider that and my wife informed me she would not like that look.

[WetShepherd]

Originally Posted by medic155

Crushed coral, from what I have read, will collect detritus and be harder to clean than sand.

So absolutely true. If you look around a bit, you can turn up some nightmare threads about people switching from crushed coral to sand due to nitrate build-up. Save yourself a headache

[Heliman]

For the sake of accuracy, and to stop the wrong ideas about crushed coral being problematic, can we just define some terms here....

Using coral as a substrate is Ok and does not give problems.

The problems come with the mis-use of the word "crushed"

PARTICLE SIZE is the operative word.

If by "crushed coral" you mean coral RUBBLE then you are inviting problems with detritus collection and thus Nitrates and nuisance algeas.

If, on the other hand you are using crushed coral with a similar particle size to aragonite or any other substrate, then you are OK.

Up to 2 mm particles are good...over 5 mm particles are bad.

I, and many reefers use GRADED, crushed coral at 0.5 to 2mm particle. We would NEVER use crushed coral rubble at 5mm particle size and over.

Just my 2 cents worth in this often confusing debate with much misleading info. being published about "crushed coral"

[ReefCare4U]

Can you change the pump direction a little to prevent the sand from blowing around?

[bjpatter0982]

I have crushed coral. I hate it. And I am fighting off nitrates because of it. Stay away!

[Louy99]

I have a bag of both mixed up and like it. Sand always stays stark white in my setup

[Heliman]

Originally Posted by bjpatter0982

I have crushed coral. I hate it. And I am fighting off nitrates because of it. Stay away!

Yes...maybe you HATE crushed Coral, and it is giving you problems...

BUT...What particle size is it.......?????

Your advice to ALL noobies to "keep away" from crushed coral maybe wrong, especially as you did not say what size the coral particles are.

If you are using large particle (1/4 " up), then you will have problems. If you are using similar sized particles to the regular aragonites (1/20 " to 1/8 ") then you will have no difference between aragonite and coral substrates.

Please, before you issue such a categorical warning for everyone to avoid this substrate, be a bit more specific about what it is you are using...avoids confusion.

[chrisfont23]

Not the best substrate if you plan on keeping a fish like a Scooter Blenny

[WetShepherd]

Originally Posted by Heliman

Yes...maybe you HATE crushed Coral, and it is giving you problems...

BUT...What particle size is it.......?????

Your advice to ALL noobies to "keep away" from crushed coral maybe wrong, especially as you did not say what size the coral particles are.

Since you've posted about this twice now I'll poke my nose back in to add the note that in my experience, when people refer to crushed coral they are referring to the larger size - most notably, large enough that you can tell it was coral to begin with (irregular shapes, sharp edges etc).

The reason we don't differentiate between small / graded crushed coral and arragonite is because there really isn't any difference at this point (constituently, there never was) as the edges have been smoothed out and the product is much more 'regular', akin to sand. It would be more apt to refer to this product as ground than crushed.

[nynick]

Love the look of fine aragonite sand, in theory. Had it in my first reef tank, was so beautiful. Then all the critters you need to keep it clean started to move it around and make little craters everywhere, make it run in waves across the front glass, a piece of fish poop lands in one of the craters and rocks back and forth.........

In real life, Aragonite gravel/very coarse sand is great!

[aarond419]

sand...

[rocsec1]

Thanks for the answers

[fastfiras]

Originally Posted by Heliman

For the sake of accuracy, and to stop the wrong ideas about crushed coral being problematic, can we just define some terms here....

Using coral as a substrate is Ok and does not give problems.

The problems come with the mis-use of the word "crushed"

PARTICLE SIZE is the operative word.

If by "crushed coral" you mean coral RUBBLE then you are inviting problems with detritus collection and thus Nitrates and nuisance algeas.

If, on the other hand you are using crushed coral with a similar particle size to aragonite or any other substrate, then you are OK.



Up to 2 mm particles are good...over 5 mm particles are bad.

I, and many reefers use GRADED, crushed coral at 0.5 to 2mm particle. We would NEVER use crushed coral rubble at 5mm particle size and over.

Just my 2 cents worth in this often confusing debate with much misleading info. being published about "crushed coral"

this is the best accurate exact answer i have read regarding this CC / sand debate and it is very ture crushed coral size is the key for this solution and not the material it self. if you get very fine crushed coral sand you wont even distinguish it from real sand ! as to usage the finer the better
as to nitrate problem a good filteration system is needed and go water flow as well i myself would go for a decent wave maker.

[710RAY]

So I bought tropic eden reef flakes at 3mm. I need another 20lb was thinking on getting the .8mm and mixing it. I plan on having some good flow. What do you think on mixing the 2. Thank

[SeaCucumberFan]

I use a mix of crushed coral and sand. Crushed coral on top, sand on the bottom

[Green Chromis]

I use natural reef sand, collected from the outer reefs, works very good for me, but I don't know the exact size, full of life though.