CC or DSB

[scooby]

Hey everyone,

I'm in the process of getting ready to start a new tank. (Moving up from a 30 to a 75).

At this point I have 2'' CC base but I've been reading quite a bit about DSB.
My problem is:

1. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and I haven't been able to find a supplier close by for Southdown. (Unless someone around here has a source or alternate)

2. What kind of problems could I see arising if I do end up having to run a CC base?

I would only like to do this once (for a while anyways) and I'm trying to narrow down the supplies I'll require prior to moving the LR into it's new home.
Thanks

[reeferboy]

I have a 2" CC base and my tank has been doing very well for almost 2 years. All parameters have been perfect since the initial cycle. And I do tend to overstock my tank.

[Hendu]

Hi Scooby, I live in Halifax and currently have a 55 gallon with CC substrate. My tank is only 5 months old. The problem I've been having and it is common for CC, is keeping it clean looking and my nitrates below 10mg/l. I do 15% water changes every two weeks, at which time I vaccum the CC extensively. It stays clean for a week then it starts to get that 'dirty'look again. I have good water flow (at least 10x my volume per hour) and I try not to overfeed. My nitrates are at an acceptable level I just can't get them lower. It could be the substrate or possibly my cannister filter or a combination of the two. Anyway, I'm seriously considering changing to a DSB. Let me know if you find a good supplier locally. Have you checked Home Depot?

[mouse6196]

If you use a CC base, you have to siphon it out every once in a while. It's still good stuff to use. I would have a refugium on that system and keep a DSB in the refugium to get the benefits of it. I prefer to use a small layer of either CC or Sand in teh main tank, and have the DSB in a large refugium. Just my opinion.

[reeferboy]

I wouldn't vacuum the CC, that is where all the good things live. My substrate is super white. It went through a few diatom blooms over the first 6 months and now it is perfect.
You have to let the sponges/feather dusters grow so they will help filter the water.

[mouse6196]

I only vaccum or siphon a 1/4 of the CC each month. There are still tons of critters left. I remove alot of dead waste each time. Then again, my CC is not deep and I rely on my DSB in teh refugiums for my critter life. My CC is almost all purple with coralline now so the white is not there anymore.

[Toooloud]

I agree with not syphoning the CC... We have a CC sand bed in a 10g nano.. and althought it gets dirty much more quickly we just go ahead and stir it up once a month to clean it up.. althought stirring it up is nt the best, I think its better than syphoning out the good stuff.

[Toutouche]

I would say neither. I am one of those people that have gone the DSB route and am now believing in only about 1/2" of sand to cover the bottom. I will be doing a DSB in a remote sump when I actually do my upgrade to my bigger tank. Recently there has been much debate on the longterm effects of a DSB and I have experienced it.
I also wouldn't recommend CC. It gets too dirty for a reef environment. There are those that believe stirring the gravel a bit every now and then is good for supplying food to the corals.

[thien]

ok, sorry for the dumb question, but does CC stand for "Crushed Coral" or "Caribsea"

[scooby]

Not a dumb question at all. I believe (and take this with a grain of salt as I'm new as well) that CC is crushed coral.

At least that is what I was referring to when I started this thread.