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Jblank44
07/20/2013, 03:09 PM
So when I started my BC 14 I was told, by the stupid people in aquarium adventures that no nothing, that black gravel, the same as used for freshwater fish would be okay... wrong. That thing is a detritus trap. My nitrates continue to stay around 10-25 ppm. I do weekly 20-25% water changes, change the poly filter. Clean the walls and vacuum the gravel. So, my guess is the gravel is what is killing me, if I am wrong correct me. My question is, since I will be moving my tank in 3 weeks to a new place, what sand and type of bed should I put in. My LFS, Phishy Business which is an absolutely fantastic FS, told me to put in just enough sand to cover the bottom, get a sand sifting goby and a few more snails and I will be good to go. What do you guys think?

Here is my tank info on filtration:

Chamber one: Heater
Chamber two: InTank media basket
Top: Poly filter... Middle: Soon to be Cheato algae... bottom: Chemipure and Purigen.
Chamber three: Stock biocube sponge and pump

In my tank I have a Koralia 240... maybe it isnt positioned correctly to help keep things moving... idk.

Also have a Hydor wavemaker on my return pump powerhead that spins...

Here is a pic so you can see where stuff is...
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/07/21/tuvygybe.jpg

Not sure what is going on but would really appreciate advice, tips, and any help.

Thanks,
Jacob
bertoni
07/20/2013, 03:33 PM
I had to remove my coarse substrates (crushed coral) for the same reason. I would use the finest-grained sand, personally, if the flow allows that. I wouldn't add a sand-sift goby, personally. They can make a mess, and shouldn't be needed for clean sand, IME.
Jblank44
07/20/2013, 03:39 PM
I had to remove my coarse substrates (crushed coral) for the same reason. I would use the finest-grained sand, personally, if the flow allows that. I wouldn't add a sand-sift goby, personally. They can make a mess, and shouldn't be needed for clean sand, IME.

Okay awesome! Do you think I could place the powerhead little more down or anything to help with its flow? I'm almost 100% the reason my nitrates are up is because of that stupid gravel.
bertoni
07/20/2013, 04:41 PM
I never found anything that helped much except removing the gravel. Doing a deep vacuum can help somewhat, but it also makes the water column very dirty for a while.
Jblank44
07/20/2013, 04:59 PM
I never found anything that helped much except removing the gravel. Doing a deep vacuum can help somewhat, but it also makes the water column very dirty for a while.

Okay thanks, that's what I do. In three weeks it will be changed so I am looking forward to that. I'm gonna just put enough to cover the bottom glass and I think I will in the clear!
bertoni
07/20/2013, 06:02 PM
That sounds like a good plan to me. :)
Jblank44
07/20/2013, 07:06 PM
That sounds like a good plan to me. :)

Okay awesome! Thanks for the help! I really hope that's just it!