Substrate decision to make.....

[doowain9999]

I'm setting up a 72 gallon FO tank without LR. What would be my best bet for a substrate? I have a 29 reef and I have live sand in there, but I wasn't sure if it would be necessary for a FO tank. Is crushed coral a good option? I've heard both good and bad.

Thanks!

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Well, you won't get much filtration for a tank without Live Rock. I would go with a Deep Sand Bed so you can have some denitrification. I wouldn't go with crushed coral for a FO tank because FO tanks are messy and bad enough with denitrification. Crushed Coral will eventually lead to a nutrients build up and it can wreak havoc on the tank without proper maintenance.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

i'm with travis. Stay clear of CC cuz that will just get stuff trapped in it. Check out travis's hugemongus thread in the newbie forum about starting a marine tank...it goes thru all that substrate stuff.

 

[chin_lee]

BB?

BB?

I think you will need either live rock or bio-balls for some form of filtration. Live rock of course is better but more expensive.

 

[imtheonlylp]

definitely go with aragonite...if you go with crushed coral, you'll most likely be doing what i did a couple weeks ago: complete substrate change...NOT my idea of a fun saturday...and yes, it took almost 10 hours to complete...the crushed coral is like having a toilet and not flushing it

 

[sir_dudeguy]

or a canister or hob filter...but again...live rock is better in that it can break down nitrates further and the other 3 cant...so they often just build up.

However if you truely want a FO tank with no corals and inverts, then the filters (not live rock) will be far cheaper and will work fine...however many people say they wish they'd have jsut gotten live rock to begin with so they can switch to reef..because corals are that much better

 

[doowain9999]

I have a sump which as of now contains bio balls, but I'm replacing that with LR. I just don't want any in the tank.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Actually, you could go bare bottom and plumb in a remote deep sand bed for exceptional results, easy maintenance, and a clean look.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

why no rock in the tank? Looks much better. And you wont be able to get all the rock you need to filter the tank in just the sump...you'll need at least 1 pound per gallon of water..no way you'll be able to fit 72 lbs of rock PLUS whatever extra rock you need to make up for the water in the sump and actually get it to fit in the sump. That rock would have to be quite dense, and in that case, you'd need more like 2 lbs per gallon...not enough surface space for bacteria if its dense

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Here, I'll save you a little trouble in searching.

Want to Start a Marine Aquarium?: A Step by Step Guide
Step 4: Choosing a Substrate
Introduction
Substrate Depth
Substrate Type
Substrate Modifiers
The Fizz Test
Substrate Type Addendum (Mud)
Natural Vs Artificial
Substrate Maintenance

 

[doowain9999]

Well, then how do FOWOLR tanks normally run? Dont tell me that people setup sumps with 1 lb/gallon LR in them.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

No, a FOWLR is a Fish Only with Live Rock. The rock is in the tank.

 

[doowain9999]

The reason I don't want to do LR, is because aesthetically it's not very pleasing to me unless there are corals attached. I already have a 29 reef and don't really have the spare cash to setup a larger reef. I inherited this tank and want to do an aggressive theme. I already have it plumbed and I will be doing a "fake" aquascape with dead corals (staghorn) and such.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I'ld just go with that and a decent substrate that can double as extra filtration. You're going to need it. Most aggressive fish are messy predators with large waste factors.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya like travis said,
FOWLR is fish only with live rock
FO is fish only, meaning no live rock

I was saying theres no way you're gonna fit the needed amount of rock only in the sump and not have any in the tank, so you wont be able to just ditch those bioballs, because if you replace those with rock, you wont have enough rock.

And like travis said, most of the fish that people put in FO tanks are stuff like triggers, lionfish, etc...not that i really recommend those 2 particular ones for a 72, but ya, they're really messy so i would not go w/CC

 

[doowain9999]

FOWOLR = Fish Only Without Live Rock
Whether that's the proper acronym or not, the second 'O' is for "without".

Thanks for the advice Travis. That's what I'll do then.

Would you keep the bioballs in the drip on top of the eggcrate and add the rock to the return chamber?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

No, sir. You'll encounter the same situation as you would with Crushed Coral; a highly aerobic environment and no anaerobic environment for denitritication.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

No, sir. You'll encounter the same situation as you would with Crushed Coral

wait...were you replying to me? I dont remember if i said anything that that could be a reply to lol.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

:lol: Nope, doowain.