questions about changing substrate type

[gerry46]

my 120 gallon has been running now with 1.5 inches og white sand substrate and I am fed up with the water always being cloudy with fine sand dust and detrius stirred up by the fish.

I have a blennie,dog,yellow wrasse,foxface and a damsel that loves kicking up the sand with his tail.

has anyone changed to a coarser aragonite to stop this problem?

what would be involved and would tank cycle and kill the fish?

 

[Avi]

I started with course aragonite and changed over to sand. I would caution you to reconsider using the aragonite. It tends to trap detritus and can easily contribute to elevated nitrate levels. If you have coral in your tank, this could be particularly undesireable. I don't even have an 1.5"...my sand's only maybe 3/4". I find it to be much more attractive, too, since the aragonite always seemed to foster some kind of micro-algae, diatom or cyanobacteria growth.