Hello,
A lot of lfs try to sell us crushed coral to use as a substrate in our marine tanks. It's not good it acts as giant nitrate factory and really causes some long term issues with your tanks health. You would be far better served if you would use sand or even a bare bottom.
There are several reasons that it causes problems like, it catches all the detritus in your tank, food, feces, dead plants etc. It's more or less like having a kitchen sponge in the bottom of your tank that you never change! :thud:
Your infaunal critters be they fish,inverts etc. have a very difficult time in moving through it and they can't get to the waste material to eat it.
It also won't compact enough to form an anaerobic area to allow denitrification and the ultimate removal of waste as atmospheric nitrogen. In short it's not a good idea to add to marine tanks in quantity.
IME it probably causes more people to leave the hobby than any other reason!
Hopefully other members will post their experiences to assist new hobbiest.
hth
chris
A lot of lfs try to sell us crushed coral to use as a substrate in our marine tanks. It's not good it acts as giant nitrate factory and really causes some long term issues with your tanks health. You would be far better served if you would use sand or even a bare bottom.
There are several reasons that it causes problems like, it catches all the detritus in your tank, food, feces, dead plants etc. It's more or less like having a kitchen sponge in the bottom of your tank that you never change! :thud:
Your infaunal critters be they fish,inverts etc. have a very difficult time in moving through it and they can't get to the waste material to eat it.
It also won't compact enough to form an anaerobic area to allow denitrification and the ultimate removal of waste as atmospheric nitrogen. In short it's not a good idea to add to marine tanks in quantity.
IME it probably causes more people to leave the hobby than any other reason!
Hopefully other members will post their experiences to assist new hobbiest.
hth
chris
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