I have just moved up to 300 gallons and im trying to decide if i should sand the bottom or keep the nude glass. Im just curious to see who has what and what they think about sand or no sand. The tank is mainly lps and softies with a few sps sprinkled in perhaps moving toward the direction of sps. Thanks in advance all.
Go bare or get sandy?
- Thread starter 18oreefer
- Start date
- Location
- Westchester, NY
I like sand. It's my personal preference. Only you can make this decision. Don't let someone else make the decision for you.
What about sand makes you wish you went bare?
Other options are crushed coral and such. I use this, but the disadvantage is that it can be harder for a clean up crew to sift through. On the plus side, my experience is that it sustains more microfauna. It seems that a very light layer of sand is being utilized lately by aquarists for aesthetic purposes. I can't argue that stark white sand really pops under nice lighting.
- Location
- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY
Time to put those chalices on higher pedestals so they don't get buried in the sand. Plus chalices don't grow in the sand which is why your having a hard time controlling sand on them and killing their edges. Get a rock and let it grow on that.
Your sandy tank will be alot brighter than a barebottom tank due to the light refracting off the sand. Its all completely personal preference though. People go barebottom because they either don't think sand should be in a reef, like the look of a plastic cutting board bottom better, or are trying to reduce their waste control.
bad coffee
Inept at life.
- Location
- Location: Location:
The ocean doesn't have a bare bottom so my tank doesn't either. YMMV
B
B
I figured as much on all of that. I like the brighter part about the sand but i like the waste control aspect of a bare bottom. Im so on the fence thats why i started this thread to see how people like each. Im not too hip on the cutting board look but i do like the poop control...... Hmm decisions decisions. O well keep the responses flowin, maybe my decision will jump out at me. Thanks all so far.
- Location
- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY
By the way, crushed coral substrate is a bad idea for a heavy fed SW tank in the long run without alot of maintenance. If you want to keep one you need to stir the CC sub alot to get all the dietrius and waste out of the bottom of it as its just going to sit there and rot away.
With sand its compact enough to create anaerobic areas for bacteria to do their thing and make those helpful nitrogen bubbles. The waste doesn't settle into the sandbed as much, instead it lays on top of it allowing for the cleaning crew to take care of it or currents to sweep it up and put it into your filtration.
The CC is way too large. The waste and dietrius sift through to the bottom glass panel and you won't realize its there as you scratch your head wondering why your trates and Po4 are high. Critters can't dig in to get it, ect.
And yeah, people that don't want a DSB go with an inch of sand to cover the bottom. Its been the new thing to do for the people that want a cleaner sand area. No more dirty purple/green spots in the sand from the bacteria =0) You just can't keep any of the cool fish that sleep in the sandbed.
With sand its compact enough to create anaerobic areas for bacteria to do their thing and make those helpful nitrogen bubbles. The waste doesn't settle into the sandbed as much, instead it lays on top of it allowing for the cleaning crew to take care of it or currents to sweep it up and put it into your filtration.
The CC is way too large. The waste and dietrius sift through to the bottom glass panel and you won't realize its there as you scratch your head wondering why your trates and Po4 are high. Critters can't dig in to get it, ect.
And yeah, people that don't want a DSB go with an inch of sand to cover the bottom. Its been the new thing to do for the people that want a cleaner sand area. No more dirty purple/green spots in the sand from the bacteria =0) You just can't keep any of the cool fish that sleep in the sandbed.
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- Location
- Far Rockaway 11691
i went with a cutting board bottom of my nano tank. i like it but it needs to be cleaned of poop also. i never know how much mess snails can make.
- Location
- Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY
I had sugar fine sand in my 24 gallon Aquapod and the sand was all over the place. Cutting down to less than an inch would not solve that problem so I went with crushed coral. I don't know how long it will last before I have to remove it because of trapped detritus but so far I am happy with the results. I see a lot more critters living in it than in the sand. And I can point the water flow where I want without worrying about the sand flying around. And even sand at some point needs to be replaced so right now I am a fan of crushed coral.
In my 10 gallon I had sand that was not so fine and that worked well but after a couple years it began to clump up and get hard and had to be replaced.
In my 10 gallon I had sand that was not so fine and that worked well but after a couple years it began to clump up and get hard and had to be replaced.
Well I built 2 rubble refuge areas on the sides of my tank, and put some of the old rinsed crushed coral sand mix back (only a small ammount) for the very reason of a good place for lil life to flourish. I was thinking of doing about an inch of fine sand on the bottom. I do think i will have the problem of it blowing all around as basiab mentioned, there is a lot of current in there. Keep the suggestions going I like to hear about peoples pros and cons of different substraights.
The ocean is not in your living room
- Location
- Staten Island
BB or phosphate soup if you accidentally turn a rock over after 1 year.. I'll take the BB for years now..
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