Re-starting the 120g

Since I'm starting from scratch I was wondering if this time around I can go with less LR as possible and if I could compensate this by using more LS. I would like to go with about a 2" - 3" sand bed and a little more coarse than the "sugar type" granuals.

What kind of "live sand" is recommended?

 

I am redoing a 75g, Im using gray coast calcite and indo pacific livesand. I a ton of liverock to go thru to choose which pieces work best for my tank.

 

Are you also putting less LR this time around?

 

Well if you want to use the old cycling method like I use then you need no L/R or Sand hell you could not pay me ti use either or in a tank of mine.. I hate the mess I have seen it cause as many problems as anything else and waste of money. As for the sand depth I'd use 0 to 2 inches or 5 to 6 inches thats stuff on in the middle is neither fish or foul.. And is just a problem. Thats where many got into problems with what they think was a DSB 4 inches is the minimum and thats iffy at best..

 

Yup...that's what I want to do. I want to cycle the tank the old fashioned method and use less (or even zero) live rock this time around. But if I do this what will provide the biological filtration?

 

That is why you either need to use live rock, preferrably uncured, OR damsels, or a couple dead frozen shrimp from the supermarket. You don't need to use all three or even two of the above for the cycling to take place.
And yes, you don't need as much live rock as were the norm a few years back... With the advection/diffusion problem and the accumulation of detritus etc. underneath your live rock inhibiting gas exchange etc., it is best to either suspend your liverock ontop of eggcrate or similar, or again, cut down on the live rock, especially that which covers your substrate!

 

OK guys, a couple of questions here:

1. Is it absolutely necessary to have live something (rock or sand)

2. If I boil my old LR can I use pieces in my new setup.

 

I am in the middle of Tangsters natural cycle method and I am going on week 6 and I have seen no algae what so ever. I have 1 yellow tail damsel in there doing it's job. It takes a while and they will all tell you "there is chemicals that will speed that up" but I am just letting mother nature do her job. Listen to what he says and you will be amazed at the end result.

 

If you have a pot big enough you can boil or just use the 50/50 bleach for 3 days then regualr water for 3 days then RO/DI water and baking soda for 3 days then let it dry for about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks or faster if you put a fan on it. That's what I done and made all mine base rock so I could start from scratch and bring my mature LR over from my 55 gal. Tangster and Amcarrig is who told me about it.

 

I have cycled hundreds of tanks from 10 gallons to several thousands of gallons and I always did them the same way and used no live anything period its totally unneeded and a waste you YOUR money .. Now I have played with the L/R L/Sand and I had more then a few algae issues and disease and killer shrimps crabs and pest in general.. Last large tank I did for myself was at my house in Va a 750 and I used nothing live and one single Damsel a yellow tailed blue and only one Just one no matter what the tanks size. All the rock and sand will become alive as needed . Nothing more to Live rock then bacteria in and on it..