Bare bottom vs deep sand bed vs some sand

[acesfull44]

I prefer a natural looking layer of sand on the bottom. I think bare bottoms look like an aquarium, and thick sand beds waste space while providing little if any benefit (IMO).

What are the benefits/drawbacks of removing as much sand as possible in an established system?

 

[srad750c]

What are the benefits/drawbacks of removing as much sand as possible in an established system?

Take small amounts out at a time, you don’t want I nitrate spike. I probably would wait a week between each time you siphon some out.

 

[sghera64]

Starting a new tank which is the Red Sea 350. I plan on keeping primarily sps. I currently have a 20 gallon nuvo with a deep sand bed , maybe 2-3 inches . I can’t seem to get my nitrates over 0 , same for my phosphates , in the past they were detectable , but not anymore. Also I keep having film algae grow on the back wall, which I think may be related to the DSB. I want to know if bare bottom is the best choice for an sps tank, what can I use instead of a deep sand bed ?

Seems to me that many of us with DSB's experience unintentional low NO3 and PO4. Perhaps cause and effect. If so, the film algae might be cyano or diatoms - - which can take hold when nutrients get low enough to tip the fauna balance in their favor.

My DSB got so darn efficient that I was dosing on a daily basis enough NO3 to raise the level by 8pmm, but I continued to read zero (Red Sea Pro). So, I disrupted about 25% of the sand bed and finally got 1-5 ppm NO3. I figured I'd turn over the rest of the bed to see what happens and now my NO3 sits around 21-24 ppm (0.060 ppm PO4) - - any the few spots of cyano I had are now gone.

As other have written - - if you want heavy SPS, then you want high flow (so very course sand/rubble or no sand). If you want mixed reef, then you will likely have lower flow and can have sand or not.

I have a mixed reef with about 50X in-tank water turn over (2 RW-15 Jebao's + sump return). I have a DSB and don't have sand blow all around. My sticks are growing fine - - as are the Goni's, torches and wall hammers.

 

[davocean]

I build my tank for the animals I plan to keep, if I know I'm going to have sand dwelling anemone's or jawfish or something I'm going DSB, if not just a mixed reef w/ decent flow shallow, and that's what I usually keep, but if I did full blown sps I'd go bare bottom and probably w/ starboard, this will handle the strong flow that seems best for sps only tanks.

All 3 choices will work fine if you maintain them properly.

 

[Picci]

I always had 12 cm (5 inches) DSB and it worked fine for me.
Current tank is BB and I find difficulties keeping Ca and KH stable, but sps are more vividly coloured.

Anyway, previous DSB tank was not so bad:

 

[Tklb]

I have a bare bottom SPS tank, and love it. I always liked the look of sand, but since I switched to BB, I love it and would never go back. I can't keep my Nitrate or Phos above 0, so I dose both. I attribute it to Cheato in the fuge. I have a TON of flow, and couldn't be happier with the BB.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

Mine's roughly 1 inch of sand bed or less in some parts of tank bottom. I vacuum weekly when I'm in the process of water changes and it pulls up dirty black mess at the same time.

 

[jda]

I would never have a acropora tank without 2-3" of sand. The denitrification properties are too valuable to me. ...so is the phosphate buffering. I don't see any need for more than 3". I am able to have more than enough flow for my acropora.

I start to vacuum it after a few years, but I take my time doing so.

 

[Foothill Corals]

I would never have a acropora tank without 2-3" of sand. The denitrification properties are too valuable to me. ...so is the phosphate buffering. I don't see any need for more than 3". I am able to have more than enough flow for my acropora.

I start to vacuum it after a few years, but I take my time doing so.

I have a five year old bare bottom Acro tank (Pukani rock, Siporax, No Fuge) and I need to dose both Phosphate and nitrate to keep them from bottoming out. I see no need for sand, though it does look better with it.

 

[scubadude]

Ive tried all 3 like the happy medium of light sand bed course sand. I like the ocean look. Im working on a mixed tank

 

[phixman]

I always had 12 cm (5 inches) DSB and it worked fine for me.
Current tank is BB and I find difficulties keeping Ca and KH stable, but sps are more vividly coloured.

Anyway, previous DSB tank was not so bad:

How were you posphates and nitrates ? Were they also going to 0?

 

[phixman]

I would never have a acropora tank without 2-3" of sand. The denitrification properties are too valuable to me. ...so is the phosphate buffering. I don't see any need for more than 3". I am able to have more than enough flow for my acropora.

I start to vacuum it after a few years, but I take my time doing so.

Do you mean ph buffering at night ?

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I find functionally, BB works better for my sps tank. But I agree that sand looks better and more natural. That said, I would never do an acro tank with sand. It's just so much easier to run clean with crazy flow without it.

 

[jda]

Do you mean ph buffering at night ?

Yes, that too... if it needs to. Aragonite also binds and unbinds phosphate. It can act as a buffer so that you cannot get too low - it will release some as your water column level gets a lower concentration... and it will bind some as the water column level rises.

 

[phixman]

Seems to me that many of us with DSB's experience unintentional low NO3 and PO4. Perhaps cause and effect. If so, the film algae might be cyano or diatoms - - which can take hold when nutrients get low enough to tip the fauna balance in their favor.

Looks like you’re right , it does look like the “algae” on my back wall and glass are diatoms

 

[keithdoc]

+1 bare bottom. Starboard HDPE

I'm lazy and refuse to vacuum or do water changes. With this setup, I can crank up flow for a bit to agitate everything back into the water column.
Have you seen what ONE tang will "produce" when it finds it's next meal of Nori?

I used to think my skimmer worked. Now I KNOW it works, with the amount of crud it pickups with increased flow / Triton Method.