adding Live Sand to CC

[goinpronhl9]

Does any one have an opinion about adding LS on top of my CC bed? ive heard that I should change my CC to LS but that seems like a risky and difficult process. I was wondering if it would be acceptable to add a pound or two of live sand a week on top of my CC bed. Would that have an affect or would it even matter? I have had my FOWLR tank runnin about 6 month with 4 damsels in there now . I use a cannister filter for 100gph and its a 55 gal tank. I'm lokin to get a cleaner crew of some hermit crabs snails and maybe a sand sifter star. Any recomendation on a good number of each for my size tank. Ive seen some combos online with 20 snails and 20 crabs that seems like too much for my tank? Any help would be appreciated Thanks!

 

[mmkeeper]

What are you trying to gain by adding live sand? You could go here and you can order a cleanup crew from them and get some garf grunde for free and it will give you the seed material that is better than adding a bag of live sand in my opinion. Some here don't like garf by I have great succes with them. www.garf.org

 

[Curtswearing]

Goinpro,

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!!

If you are adding sand for looks, then it won't last long. Over time, you'll end up will all of the CC on top and the sand on the bottom.

Yes, you are right regarding the cleanup crew packages. They are almost too large for most tanks.

 

[goinpronhl9]

well then would changing to live sand be necessary at all? I thought i read that it is a prob to have CC in the long run because material builds up deep in the CC and it is too course for Sand sifting stars? Would I be able to have a clean up crew with crabs and snails in CC tank?

 

[Curtswearing]

well then would changing to live sand be necessary at all? I thought i read that it is a prob to have CC in the long run because material builds up deep in the CC and it is too course for Sand sifting stars? Would I be able to have a clean up crew with crabs and snails in CC tank?

Here's the thing. Most new people overfeed. They WAAAAY overfeed. They are also so busy trying to figure out the chemistry issues that they also don't clean their CC often enough.

You CAN have CC as a substrate. One of the nicer tanks in St. Louis has CC but he is absolutely meticulous in everything he does (including vacuuming his CC). Because of it's jagged nature, it tends to trap more detritus than sand would. If you understand that CC traps detritus easily and maintain it well, there's no problems.

Don't put a sand-sifting star in a 55g no matter what substrate you have. It will slowly starve. They are pigs.

 

[goinpronhl9]

Thanks for the advice! The problem I have been facing is that my CC is a little too fine to clean because every time i use my siphon to clean down in the CC is light enough that it all gets sucked up into the siphon as well. Perhaps I have a finer CC than usual or maybe there is a special siphon or better way of cleaning it? and just to clarify Adding sand on top of my CC slowly is a waste of time and a bad idea correct? Alos wheres the best place yall know of to get Base rock at a cheap price including shipping? and I would only need like 20lbs maybe

 

[saltwater newbe]

the sand sifting star is just for that(sand sifting)
CC is to course for the star
I have CC and if you keep it vaccumed and cleaned
it looks good