Setting up my new carpet tank

[tassod]

Well i'm finally getting close to getting my new "carpet" tank ready to go. The new tank is in place finally and now i just need to setup my pumbing, lighting, etc...

For all you haddoni owners out there...what type of substrate do you use and how deep is it? I know recommended depth for haddonis is at least 4" but wanted to see what everyone has going. What would be the best substrate to go with?

 

[nemmy]

I've been researching too. Pick one up tomorrow. From what I've seen people say "don't worry about grain size" of the substrate. I'd wait for expert opinion though.

 

[E.intheC]

I used Reef Floor special grade on my last haddoni tank. One tip I have- build up a mound of sand about 4-5 inches deep where you want the anemone to stay. That way you don't need to have the entire tank full of sand at those depths.

 

[Daniel62]

I use caridsea, seafloor special grade @ 5 Inches

 

[Toddrtrex]

Special grade, like the last 2 posters.

I am currently down to just one S. haddoni (( did have 5 at one point, with one with me for 15+ years until I picked up a newly infected one --- this was before Cipro )), anyways....

I have never been deeper than 3 inches (( though locally it might have been deeper )), my current one is around 2 inches, with its foot buried at the rock/sand interface. It hasn't moved in 2.5 years, since I moved.

I am sure that deeper would be better, but this is just how it has worked out.

 

[worm5406]

For the 120 I am plumbing in to my 180 I just got 120lb of sand.

40 of oolite
40 of special grade
40 of fiji pink

 

[tassod]

Ok i'm going to go with the reefloor special grade and i'll probably do a 4-5" through the whole tank given i have 3 haddonis and would like to get one more. I also have a blue GIG but he's fine on his rock.

 

[davocean]

I too use the caribsea seafloor special grade.
I'm not really a fan of "tweener" sand beds, they seem to be problematic, so I usually advise go shallow, 1" or less, and vac/clean that bed, or go deep, 4" or more, and do not disturb it.
DSB will give some dentrification benefits and of course sand dwelling nems seem to prefer the deeper sand.
The caribsea does not get blown around my tank even w/ fairly strong flow compared to a smaller grain sand.

 

[tassod]

I too use the caribsea seafloor special grade.
I'm not really a fan of "tweener" sand beds, they seem to be problematic, so I usually advise go shallow, 1" or less, and vac/clean that bed, or go deep, 4" or more, and do not disturb it.
DSB will give some dentrification benefits and of course sand dwelling nems seem to prefer the deeper sand.
The caribsea does not get blown around my tank even w/ fairly strong flow compared to a smaller grain sand.

I've been told that in order to have a properly functioning DSB I need to go with the finer grain of sand that is sugar fine. If I were to go at 5" with the seafloor special grade, I would need to siphon it a lot and quite often. Is this true? I don't really want to do that and I would like to not disturb it all if possible.

 

[nemmy]

Just grabbed my first haddoni today. I only have a one inch sand bed but I drug a pile of sand up to a rock and made a little cavern for his foot to tunnel to the rock. Its probably 2-3 inches deep there. He took to it right away. Girlfriend was on anemone watch before she went out so I'll see how its doing after work or if it relocated.

 

[davocean]

I've been told that in order to have a properly functioning DSB I need to go with the finer grain of sand that is sugar fine. If I were to go at 5" with the seafloor special grade, I would need to siphon it a lot and quite often. Is this true? I don't really want to do that and I would like to not disturb it all if possible.

Many of us do a DSB w/ the seafloor, the finer stuff blows around too easy.
We don't disturb any DSB other than maybe siphoning deitrus off the surface.
Some people may include sand sifting stars or nassaurius snails to help clean the lower part of the sand bed, but it will be fine w/out as well.
I do have a handful of nassaurius and a lot of snails that clean sand and glass surface, astreas, ceriths, nerites.

 

[davocean]

Just grabbed my first haddoni today. I only have a one inch sand bed but I drug a pile of sand up to a rock and made a little cavern for his foot to tunnel to the rock. Its probably 2-3 inches deep there. He took to it right away. Girlfriend was on anemone watch before she went out so I'll see how its doing after work or if it relocated.

Usually that sand bed will level out, and often that nem may not want to be exactly where you placed that sand pile.
I've seen a number of people that try to get around the needed DSB for sand dwelling nems, usually ends in frustration, hopefully you have better luck.

 

[OrionN]

I use a variety of sand all mix together.I ten to have high flow tank so these fine sand need a layer of corse san no top at certain place to keep them from flying around everywhere. Some area in my tank have very course shell as refuge for pods. Without these area my pod population will be decimated by my Canary Fang goby, Mandarin, Orchid dottyback and Flame angel.
It really does not mater what size of sand for Haddoni. They take any size and will be fine with it.