Substrate opinions
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Main
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: Posts that don't fit in any of the other categories.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1191
Printed Date: May 11 2025 at 3:19am
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Topic: Substrate opinions
Posted By: paulb
Subject: Substrate opinions
Date Posted: October 27 2003 at 10:10pm
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I was talking with Suzy the other day, and the topic of substrate came up.
I was planning on doing a layer of puka on the bottom, with some type of large holed screening on top of it, then covered with somewhat fine sand. I was just trying to keep the fish from digging into the deep parts. Suzy made some good points about using fine and medium grain sand with no screening. That way the sand could move as it wanted to, and cycle itself (large pieces going to the top, smaller pieces moving to the bottom). I am curious as to what opinions fellow members have on this subject. Thanks, Paulb By the way, sweet tanks Suzy and Rob! |
Replies:
Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: October 27 2003 at 10:32pm
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Screening or not, I would use finer sand on the bottom. This helps maintain a low oxygen area for denitrification. ------------- Jake Pehrson Murray http://coralplanet.com" rel="nofollow - coralplanet.com http://utahbeeranch.com" rel="nofollow - :) |
Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: October 28 2003 at 7:24am
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I agree with Jake. And puka shell is awesome looking in a reef tank, if you ask me. Adam ------------- Come to a meeting, they�re fun! |
Posted By: paulb
Date Posted: October 28 2003 at 6:09pm
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Puka shell looks good, but it is pretty large stuff.
I am suprised by the lack of responses on this thread. I was hoping I might stir up a debate 
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Posted By: Aquarium Creations
Date Posted: October 28 2003 at 6:18pm
<<<<<<<<<< Isnt a big Puka Shell fan  ------------- Aquarium Maintenance,Consulting,Custom Built Glass Aquariums Rimless/Euro,24Hr Emergency Service 8015485201 Www.UtahAquariumDoctors.com [email protected] |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 28 2003 at 7:20pm
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I can't pass up a good debate!
Substrate usually shifts to where the smallest particles end up on the bottom. Small stuff just falls through a screen. If it's water space you want on the bottom, use a plenum but place a screen halfway up so some organism doesn't mess it up. Damsels are often guilty of digging holes in the substrate. Opening up a mature plenum to the main water results in an algal bloom. A damsel did it to me in my second plenum. In the end after trying lots of substrate methods, it sems to me that the use of a mixture or separate layers seems to work just the same. and forget the plenum. Sand on the bottom works just as well. It just seems that fine stuff on top is hard to keep looking nice. A sand sifting star helps but also eats the faunal population. Any time a "sand blowing" goby is added the whole substrate issue becomes a mess anyway. The goby disturbs the bacterial zones to some extent but then they re-establish themselves. The one thing I definitely believe in is bacteria and a faunal population in the sand. You can use fine sand and get away with an inch or two of depth, but if just "puca" is used I would recommend 5 inches. My 2 cents ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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