mr_tee0419
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hey all of you with fish only tanks, what substrate have you found to be the best? I like the look of fine sand, but a coarser aragonite could be cleaned easier. What do you think?
What substrate is best for a FO Tank?
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Fishboy-from-NY
Aquarium Advice FINatic
What fish are you considering in purchasing? thats important.
ram6519
Aquarium Advice Regular
Is there not a standard size? I know as a beginner with SW that there are fish that are better suited for beginners but as I get more experence then I will want to build on the type of fish that I have.
lefthan
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
then you should go with Live Sand & Live Rock.You want to make thier home as close to the ocean as you can.
ClamKnuckle
Aquarium Advice FINatic
if you get a sand bed you dont clean it....LS takes care of it self. If you get a CC base then theres more work involved with the cleaning and it can end up being a source of nitrates for ya.
theone
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I agree. Plus if you do decide to add corals then you will already have sand. I did the swap from CC to sand and I wish I had sand from the get go.
As Fishboy mentioned, the choice of fish is important.. a sand bed will actually be trickier to maintain if the fish are predatory and don't allow for critters. Since there isn't going to be any LR, I would just put half an inch of CC so you can give it a quick vacuum every week or two.
We have CC in a FO tank w/o LR. It's not too bad once you get into the vac routine. We do it weekly along with a water change. Becareful not to over feed.
We may switch to sand when we move in about 6-8 months but the CC is working just fine.
We may switch to sand when we move in about 6-8 months but the CC is working just fine.
jeffreywilens
Aquarium Advice Newbie
SUBSTRATE FOR FO TANK
To follow up on this debate, here are some factors. Which way do they cut (in favor of CC or LS) for the base. This is FO tank with no "critters" likely.
1. Aesthetic appeal (I know subjective)
2. Cost (LS must be much more expensive)
3. Increases chances of scratching the acrylic (the more the pellets float around, the more likely they will inadvertently be rubbed against the tank walls during cleaning causing scratching).
4. Biological impact (but we already will have extensive biological filtration in the Wet-Dry as well as a Protein Skimmer).
5. Ease of cleaning.
To follow up on this debate, here are some factors. Which way do they cut (in favor of CC or LS) for the base. This is FO tank with no "critters" likely.
1. Aesthetic appeal (I know subjective)
2. Cost (LS must be much more expensive)
3. Increases chances of scratching the acrylic (the more the pellets float around, the more likely they will inadvertently be rubbed against the tank walls during cleaning causing scratching).
4. Biological impact (but we already will have extensive biological filtration in the Wet-Dry as well as a Protein Skimmer).
5. Ease of cleaning.
supermarvin76
Aquarium Advice Freak
I had crushed coral. I just 2 days ago put in about 3" of live sand. Looks much better, plus the added benifits that I will get from this.
I have a yellow tang, and his poop is quite large. I would ALWAYS find pieces of it trapped in the crushed coral somewhere. No more with sand!!!!!
Go with sand. Don't be like me and get the CC and then end up changing 4 months after your tank has been set up.....it is a PAIN!!!!!
Plus you can get some cooler fish too......such as a jaw fish. very fun to watch!!
Hope that helps some
I have a yellow tang, and his poop is quite large. I would ALWAYS find pieces of it trapped in the crushed coral somewhere. No more with sand!!!!!
Go with sand. Don't be like me and get the CC and then end up changing 4 months after your tank has been set up.....it is a PAIN!!!!!
Plus you can get some cooler fish too......such as a jaw fish. very fun to watch!!
Hope that helps some
jeffreywilens
Aquarium Advice Newbie
CRUSHED CORAL OR SAND
I have a 400 gallon tank. For me to have 3" of live sand, I think that would be at least 800 pounds of sand, which probably would cost over $2,000 just for the substrate. Does that change your assessment?
Also, do you find the sand particles more or less likely than the CC to be prone to leading to scratching the acrylic.
I have a 400 gallon tank. For me to have 3" of live sand, I think that would be at least 800 pounds of sand, which probably would cost over $2,000 just for the substrate. Does that change your assessment?
Also, do you find the sand particles more or less likely than the CC to be prone to leading to scratching the acrylic.
supermarvin76
Aquarium Advice Freak
If I needed that much sand, I would seriously consider South Down, or some other type of play sand. From what I have heard this stuff comes out of the caribbean. I would get some paly sand (avialbe from Home Depot I think) and some live sand. This would help off set the cost, and eventually you should have ALL live sand.
Over all, I would find a way to go with sand. Live or not....sand is the way to go!!!!
Over all, I would find a way to go with sand. Live or not....sand is the way to go!!!!
EJS4
Aquarium Advice Freak
Sand would be cheaper. You would get tropical beach sand from local home improvement. Make sure it's tropical beach sand not all sand are. Don't waste your money on live sand its just wet sand.
lando
Aquarium Advice Addict
YOu do not need to buy "live sand" to get LS. Water+bacteria+sand=live sand (eventually). As mentioned, find a nice aragonite based paysand from Home depot and use that. Just a few bucks for a 50# bag. If you wanted to seed it with some LS that would be fine. Sand is a lot less maintanance. In a 400gal tank that is a lot of substrate vacuuming with CC. A LS bed will also give you more surface area for benficial bacteria cultivation.
Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!!
I am no expert but have 15 year old setup
My 29gal with cc has been set up for 15 years. I bought a 54 gal which had been set up 3 years with ls. The sand is always blowing around going through the power heads and setting on the puffers back. I never clean the cc in the 29 have corals long tenacula anemia in there with 5 fish a coral banded shrimp 50 snails and a crab. the levels have always tested great in the 29. so between the 2 tanks I have I like the cc the best. But I know the experts on here will tell you to go with the messy noise sand. Of corse it could be that My engineer goby has to dig up the sand everyday it cant seteal down. I may throw the sand out and get cc
My 29gal with cc has been set up for 15 years. I bought a 54 gal which had been set up 3 years with ls. The sand is always blowing around going through the power heads and setting on the puffers back. I never clean the cc in the 29 have corals long tenacula anemia in there with 5 fish a coral banded shrimp 50 snails and a crab. the levels have always tested great in the 29. so between the 2 tanks I have I like the cc the best. But I know the experts on here will tell you to go with the messy noise sand. Of corse it could be that My engineer goby has to dig up the sand everyday it cant seteal down. I may throw the sand out and get cc
AR15 guy
Aquarium Advice Freak
I would get a bag of playsand. If you can find the right kind that is.
I have crushed coral in my 38 gallon. Which doesn't have any life in it yet. I plan on getting sand before I get any fish or anything for it. Much easier to maintain and it looks better. Hermits clean it up nicely.
Are you going to add live rock? It would help but if you don't at least you won't have to worry about parasites and such. I just killed a isopod in my tank the other day.
I kept a 38 gallon with 2lbs of LR, CC, and a biowheel before. That tank did great. But I really like my little 10 gallons setup. It looks much better. I am setting up the 38 gallon with sand and rock when I get some extra money.
I have crushed coral in my 38 gallon. Which doesn't have any life in it yet. I plan on getting sand before I get any fish or anything for it. Much easier to maintain and it looks better. Hermits clean it up nicely.
Are you going to add live rock? It would help but if you don't at least you won't have to worry about parasites and such. I just killed a isopod in my tank the other day.
I kept a 38 gallon with 2lbs of LR, CC, and a biowheel before. That tank did great. But I really like my little 10 gallons setup. It looks much better. I am setting up the 38 gallon with sand and rock when I get some extra money.
