salt water aquarium question

[integra_xsi]

Hello i'm just starting out, with my tank, I have a question regards to live sand and aragonite. I have been told that phosphates get high when you use live sand. its harder to clean and nitrates get trapped in the sand. Im wondering if this a big deal. Im considering live sand but I just want to know the benifits and disadvantages to it.

[rx7boi]

The main advantages of using substrate in a reef tank are aesthetic reasons. Some people go with it because it gives the overall tank a more natural look. A big problem IMO is that using substrate often becomes a sinkhole for nutrients, which can invariably lead to tank crashes.

If you want a tank that is easy to maintain, you can opt to go for the barebottom tank in which you don't use substrate at all.

Since you're just starting out, I would suggest that you withhold from adding aragonite just yet and see how you like the BB tank.

[AndyL]

First of all, you wont get live sand in calgary - JL in van sometimes gets it (pre-order, 50lbs minimum if I recall). It's nice to get the critters; but you'll get em with new purchases, and trading anyway (get chaeto - it's usually infested).

Substrate becomes a sinkhole for nutrients if not maintained - a DSB is a wonderful thing however (IMHO). If you're going high tech - yeah you'll probably go bare bottom...

I would definitely not go BB for your first tank - the aragonite does help to balance out ph swings. It's easy to vacuum out during w/c's if you really want to go that way.

[Street_Soldier]

Well i for one go with about an inch of aragonite, its true that it can create some kind of air pocket of bad gas or whatever but its not so hard to deal with. get a stick and move your sand around from time to time. It looks way nicer with it IMO.

[integra_xsi]

i guess its a high tech tank 90 gallon with 30 gallon sump, im using a current usa t5ho 6 bulb lamp. asm g1x skimmer, and the pump is a supreme, running 1800 gph. I picked up live rock the other day, set it up in the tank and it looks pretty good, with it being bare. Eventually i want to grow some soft coral. As for now the tank is still cycling. I will think about it a little more, regarding the sand. Thanks for the info everyone.

[JVR1]

Originally posted by Street_Soldier
Well i for one go with about an inch of aragonite, its true that it can create some kind of air pocket of bad gas or whatever but its not so hard to deal with. get a stick and move your sand around from time to time. It looks way nicer with it IMO.

:werd: just move it around every once and a while and you'll be fine.

[civicrider]

i use a thin layer of aragonite maybe an inch max, stir it around and after 3-4 months i vacuum it all out and either clean it or replace it with new sand