What is the Best Substrate for your Reef Tank?
Reef tank 9 years ago 58,989 views
Aquarists sometimes wonder what they should put on the bottom of their aquariums. Is there a benefit to having substrate that is super fine vs something more chunky? What about no substrate at all? We will take a look at these options and you can decide which works best for you. Check out http://www.tidalgardens.com for information or if you want to buy corals for your reef tank. Check out Tidal Garden's sister site Advanced Reef Aquarium reef-related goodies: http://www.advancedreefaquarium.com Follow us on Facebook if you can't get enough reef-related shenanigans: http://www.facebook.com/tidalgardens Follow us on twitter (http://twitter.com/tidalgardens) @tidalgardens We tweet up-to-the-minute updates on new corals we upload to tidalgardens.com #TGlive Music: Tracks: “Easy Jam” Artist: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) License Terms: Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/faq.html Video: Camera information: Footage was shot with a Canon C100 Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS macro Canon EF MP-E 65mm f/2.8 macro Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4-4.5 STM IS Sigma Art 18-35mm f/1.8 Copyright Information: This video was shot and edited by Tidal Gardens. Tidal Gardens owns all intellectual property rights to this content. Editing Software License: Final Cut Pro License Agreement 1. C. - "Title and intellectual property rights in and to any content displayed by or accessed through the Apple Software belongs to the respective content owner." 2. B. – “Sample Content. Title and intellectual property rights in and to any content displayed or accessed through the Apple Software belongs to the respective content owner…Except as otherwise provided, you may use the Apple and third party audio file content (including but not limited to, the built-in sound files, samples and impulse responses)(collectively the "Sample Content"), contained in or otherwise included with the Apple Software on a royalty-free basis, to create your own original soundtracks for your film, video, and audio projects.
It can use a small pump with a sponge filter to trap suspended food for your cleaning crew and shrimp and such to feed from, other fish will pick from it too. It can be made with pvc in a grid format with holes drilled in the side for sand, or bottom for gravel, YouTube it =)
I was convinced in having a bare bottom tank however after doing some research and coming across these three videos I included above made by newyorksteelo, I was definitely convinced a deep bed sand bed is the way. in the videos shows how hydrogen sulphide is created what it looks like up on the front of his glass and within a few days how the system removes and clears that and you can clearly see it
10. comment for What is the Best Substrate for your Reef Tank?
That was an informative video explaining the options.
Way back in the early 70s, before I knew any better, I used crushed oyster shell with undergravel filters with lots of bubbles coming out of the tube risers, and salt creep over the sides and on the lights. I used no other kind of filtration and had great success. One of my aquariums was 6G (a former Zippo lighter display: hexagon, sealed acrylic, and tall), and another was a pentagon (home plate shaped) of about 72G. Then we moved around 1980 and I gave up my aquariums, until now.
I am planning to get started again and, again, thinking of using crushed oyster shell, anywhere from 3-4 5" thick. It is cheap, seems to be basically the same as crushed coral, and maybe mix some crushed coral in for looks. Also, I would mix in some sand in areas where I would like to encourage gobies to live. Underneath all that I am thinking of using eggcrate covered with plastic window screen type mesh. Maybe have some holes in that to glue rock to the glass.
I would love to read comments and, even, criticisms.
Thanks!
20. comment for What is the Best Substrate for your Reef Tank?
Sand is the Devil
It takes forever to clean.
And it leaches out Phosphate like no other.
I have a Tank with 8 Inch Long Hair Algae that Takes 4 Hours to do a Water Change.
My other 5 Tanks are Barebottom and they are Immacculate with no Algae at all.
I will never use sand again.
It is the Worst!!!!!!!!!!!!
30. comment for What is the Best Substrate for your Reef Tank?
50. comment for What is the Best Substrate for your Reef Tank?