300 Gallon Tank Substrate Media Poll

[H2OPlayar]

I am curious what the club thinks about substrates. I was planning on building a baffle, and doing 3/4 of the reborn large media (like my last system) and then 1/4 of the Julien Sprung recommended 1mm-3mm sand in the last quarter. I am internally debating on if sand is too big a hassle in general even though it might be cool to split it. It is also more work and I am ready to fill it with water next week.

Thoughts?

 

[Matthew Meyer]

Just switched my nano to crushed coral

 

[psidriven]

avoid rubble if tank is acrylic, it'll scratch it like crazy. if you plan on gravel vac'ing, make the rubble isn't too big or you'll have a hard time getting into it deep enough to get the bottom detritus.

I love the look of oolite and just deal with the hassles it causes.

 

[BAYMAC]

Reef Bones!

 

[derek_SR]

I'm a big lover of sand, mostly for aesthetic reasons. I set up my tank with the chunky "special grade" size that I think is mostly preferred, and it's great.

However - I have regrets. A year in, and a lot of the sand is now starting to dissolve into a fine dust. I didn't know this happened, but it's a thing. My chunky special grade sand has become increasingly fine, and that fine sand dust gets everywhere. I wish I had started my tank with crushed coral, so that got my vote.

I like the functionality of bare bottom but not the way it looks. Crushed coral is best compromise. I thought your SV tank was really cool with all the junk and critters and ecosystem in the crushed coral.

 

[RandyC]

Reasons why I don’t like to use crushed coral for substrate anymore.

1. Crushed coral, IMO, is as bad or worse a detritus sink as sand. It’s very difficult to clean and does not work with siphoning. You will need to physically stir it up.

2. It will scratch any tank, obviously acrylic more so than glass.

3. If you ever have a bubble algae breakout, crushed coral is like crack-cocaine to bubble algae. Grows all over it and in the little tiny nooks and crannies and it’s very painful to remove.

4. On a personal note, aesthetics of sand - it’s so much better!

5. Can’t have sand sleeping wrasses.

 

[iCon]

Reasons why I don’t like to use crushed coral for substrate anymore.

1. Crushed coral, IMO, is as bad or worse a detritus sink as sand. It’s very difficult to clean and does not work with siphoning. You will need to physically stir it up.

2. It will scratch any tank, obviously acrylic more so than glass.

3. If you ever have a bubble algae breakout, crushed coral is like crack-cocaine to bubble algae. Grows all over it and in the little tiny nooks and crannies and it’s very painful to remove.

4. On a personal note, aesthetics of sand - it’s so much better!

5. Can’t have sand sleeping wrasses.

This. Would never do crushed coral again. Sand or BB.

 

[dangalang]

WWC dudes like it and say the crushed coral is easy to clean with a python:

They said one of the cons is if there is an algae breakout it's hard to clean.

@robert4025 recommends to not even clean/touch/disturb whatever ends up in the substrate if you use crushed coral.

 

[RandyC]

WWC dudes like it and say the crushed coral is easy to clean with a python:

They said one of the cons is if there is an algae breakout it's hard to clean.

@robert4025 recommends to not even clean/touch/disturb whatever ends up in the substrate if you use crushed coral.

Smaller crushed coral, maybe you could use a siphon, but the larger crushed coral, I have never successfully cleaned it without have to stir up the crushed coral.

Not cleaning your crushed coral is like telling someone to not clean your sand. So, if you’re in that camp, sure, don’t touch it.

 

[H2OPlayar]

I thought your SV tank was really cool with all the junk and critters and ecosystem in the crushed coral.

Me too, and the sand turning to dust is an interesting idea. I do have a removable sock holder, so I could try to take the sand out one day, but after sleeping on it, I am most in this camp, with part of me thinking it is worth it to try mixed for a bit.

Other thought, I could start crushed coral, then push it all to one side after a year, but once I start this thing, I am likely never changing that, so it is kind of a now or never deal on the mixed substrate.

I never had too much issue with the crushed coral scratching the glass. The biggest scratches came from sand getting between the magnetic frag holders then moving them around.

 

[H2OPlayar]

I might as well just close the poll now. I asked my wife if she like the substrate in the last tank vs pictures of sand tanks and describing the combo. She said no way should there be both substrates, and she likes the crushed coral.

So I am headed to the backyard to put the crushed coral in the tank and start arranging rocks.

 

[richiev]

I designed a 3d printed baffle for my frag tank. It's going to be mostly bare bottom, but I'm going to have some sand sleeping wrasses in there, so I made a couple inch tall corner section for them.

I made the shape a couple curves so that it didn't look like I just stuck a Tupperware in there. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and the functionality.

I'll upload a pic later, just as a reference.

 

[H2OPlayar]

I designed a 3d printed baffle for my frag tank. It's going to be mostly bare bottom, but I'm going to have some sand sleeping wrasses in there, so I made a couple inch tall corner section for them.

I made the shape a couple curves so that it didn't look like I just stuck a Tupperware in there. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and the functionality.

I'll upload a pic later, just as a reference.

I'll probably throw the sand in another tank to play with it there. I'd love to see what you did. My thought was cast a mixture of sand a crushed coral in a mold with clear epoxy, but I am pretty limited on shape that way.

 

[richiev]

Certainly you'd want a bigger divider section then this, but here's what I did

I was going to make a ramp on the front and glue sand to it, but decided for this tank it was fine. In a tank with split media I'd print in clear pet-g and overlap the crushed coral over the lip so it's not visible.

 

[robert4025]

Smaller crushed coral, maybe you could use a siphon, but the larger crushed coral, I have never successfully cleaned it without have to stir up the crushed coral.

Not cleaning your crushed coral is like telling someone to not clean your sand. So, if you’re in that camp, sure, don’t touch it.

You’re not supposed to clean your sand in a saltwater tank. In older tanks, pockets of Hydrogen Sulfide gas can be inadvertently released into the water column in large amount and that can do a lot of damage to the animals in the water. Sand stirring or “cleaning” should be done by the animals themselves, not you. Inverts like Nassarius, conches, sand sifting starfish, and even sifter gobies are great for that purpose because they do it in a much more natural way. Healthy sand bed requires very very little stirring.

 

[RandyC]

You’re not supposed to clean your sand in a saltwater tank. In older tanks, pockets of Hydrogen Sulfide gas can be inadvertently released into the water column in large amount and that can do a lot of damage to the animals in the water. Sand stirring or “cleaning” should be done by the animals themselves, not you. Inverts like Nassarius, conches, sand sifting starfish, and even sifter gobies are great for that purpose because they do it in a much more natural way. Healthy sand bed requires very very little stirring.

That’s for anaerobic areas where oxygen is very low where anaerobic bacteria can survive using nitrate or sulfate to respire versus oxygen. Sand needs to be at least 3-4” deep to produce these areas. Most sand beds nowadays are less than 2” for that reason.

 

[Twisted]

I hate crushed coral wish I was bare bottom

 

[richiev]

Certainly you'd want a bigger divider section then this, but here's what I did

View attachment 57155
View attachment 57156


I was going to make a ramp on the front and glue sand to it, but decided for this tank it was fine. In a tank with split media I'd print in clear pet-g and overlap the crushed coral over the lip so it's not visible.

Oh, one other note. The actual area I printed with a bottom to the divider/ramp. That way I didn't have to silicone anything. The weight of the sand holds it in place. At least that's the theory. Time will tell if that's true

 

[Don.Julio91]

Different observation/thoughts from my tank. I didn’t do baffles but I did do a mix of sand and “special grade crushed coral” areas. I liked the look of sand but it would blow away with any flow towards it (fixed with random flow generator nozzle). Things are sort of mixed together now but I don’t mind. I like that the fine sand keeps it’s self clean because not much can get down into it like crushed coral. And I liked the crushed coral because Zoas, mushrooms, and leathers have attached themselves and it makes it super easy to mount/frag them after.

 

[TheRealMadMax]

I love sand. I have a pretty big cleanup crew so they keep the bottom looking nice. Also getting a lot of good mushrooms growing in on one side which is really cool effect.