Which substrate?
 

Hello,
I am a new member who is getting back into keeping a marine aquarium after a 24 year hiatus. I have been doing much reading up on the new technology and methods of maintaining a saltwater aquarium and keeping marine fish.

So much has changed; my aquarium's substrate was dolomite. Now there are many "newer" substrates and I am not sure which one to us.

I plan to have a fish-only aquarium with live rock. My tank is a 60 gallon. I have a Fluval 301 filtration system.
I have read and seen the live sand where you mix with water and it activates the bacteria and helps buffer the water and removes the nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and the other poisons. Also there is aragonite which does the same job. I am wits end here and I am not sure which to use. Can you mix substrates such as these?

Thank you so much for your help.
Kind regards,
Patrick

Mix and match. Put in the tank which you prefer. The ones that you have mentioned are fine. None will mess up the tank, if that is what you are afraid of. Coral, Aragonite substrates buffer the water for you.

Thank you for the information! I'll do a 50/50 mix.