Setting up the Cuttle tank!!

[Cephdoc]

Hey all! I just brought down the 75 from the attic. I am currently planning on having water in it and it started cycling over the thanksgiving break i have. I would like some suggestions on a few things.
1). I plan on putting sand in as the substrate. Ive never used just sand. Will they like it? How deep should it be? And could i mix alittle crushed shell in with it?
2). For circulation pumps.. I was thinking about using a couple of these http://www.oceanicsystems.com/products/biocube-circulation-pumps.php. Is it safe for the cuttles? If not what woud be a good circulation pump for them?
3). The tank has a few scratches in it from when i had it set up the last time. Is it safe to buff them out with the proper scratch removal agents?
Thanks
Pics coming soon

 

[cuttlegirl]

Sand is fine, my 55 gallon had about 3 inches of sand in it.

 

[DWhatley]

Interesting little water circulating pump but I have never seen/used one. One issue we have occassionally seen with the cuttles is an atempt to strike around the pumps and get a tentacle caught and removed. It has not happed often but has happened. If there is a choice with a better front guard (finer grid), it might be better.

If you use an argonite "sand" it will help with the buffering to maintain your PH.

 

[Cephdoc]

I was just told yesterday that if i used sand i would need a spray bar at the back of the tank so the bottom doesn't look bad! Thoughts? Also how many bags/pounds of sand if i go 3 inches. Im not too familiar with Argonite. Could you tell me alittle more about it?
Thanks

 

[DWhatley]

The need for spray bar is new to me. What is it supposed to do?

Here (scroll down to Argonite next to the discus) is a brief description in a discussion about substrates. It looks like medium course sand but helps maintain your PH. If you look at any of my photos or videos for my tanks you will see it as that what I have as a bottom substrate for all my tanks with a sand bottom.

 

[Cephdoc]

The spray bar i was told is supposed ot keep your sand from getting distorted all over in the tank. No bare spots, and all of it kept to the front of the tank and visible? It didnt make much sense to me as he was explaining it to me. I will post up in alittle bit more about it. I like the argonite, and i could mix that with sand?

 

[DWhatley]

I have never used a spray bar for my substrate but perhaps it would keep the sand and waste forward of the rockwork. In the octo tanks I set my Koralias behind the rock to move the water around it and it helps minimized sand behind the rock so a spray bar would seem to serve a similar purpose. There is no ONE way to set up a tank

You can mix argonite with sand, sure, but look at it first, I don't know why you would want to esthetically as you will not see any difference. There is likely a cost benefit but my water has a hard time holding the higher PH and the Argonite has been helpful to allow us to reduce our water buffering.