Sump media

[BooRadley]

I have a bunch of this gravel left over from whem my 55 US Gallon aquarium was fresh water. I don't want to throw it out because it's good looking gravel, and I'll use it again if I ever set up another freshwater system. In the mean time, would it be good, bad, or neither to put it in my sump to let the water flow over and through it? Would it grow the needed biology to act as additional biological filtration, or just become poison?

 

[chkltcow]

Nitrifying bacteria, but no denitrifying bacteria. You'd end up with a lot of nitrates in your tank. Just bag it up and keep it for a future FW tank or something.

 

[BooRadley]

Nitrifying bacteria, but no denitrifying bacteria.

That's what I was afraid of. Live rock would do well, or possibly live gravel, but not this stuff, right?

 

[chkltcow]

I'd use live rock and either live sand or mineral mud.

 

[BooRadley]

Thanks a bunch. I think you just saved me from a system crash.