Sand in Frag Tank?

[SteveySingle]

So I set up a small, 12 gallon frag tank (16x24x6.5 ish). I'm wondering if I should add sand to it or just have rock for bio filtration. I did buy a ten pound bag of sand, but I feel that if I have sand, I'll need somthing to clean it, which will add to bioload. What do you folks do in your frag tanks?

I may just add some of that mud stuff to the fuge and some more rock.

here's what's goin on so far:
~10 pounds of live rock, Chaeto, Oceanic pump from old bc-243 gph(split return), Filter pad just to temporarily eliminate solids from the rock. I want to keep this simple and clean!

Please excuse the dirt from adding the rocks, i'll get in there and siphon it all out after a cycle ..

 

[reid429]

Looks like your trying to create a display style frag tank using a frag swap style tank. Using a sump with all that rock and a fuge would work better for what you are trying to do. The tank is a great frag tank it looks. Frag tanks don't need to be that complex. Good water changes, lighting and flow.

 

[Touring]

Looks perfect!!! Please keep updating

 

[timmylucas]

I always wondered that myself, great question.. Looks like the setup is coming along

 

[six2seven]

What are you trying to achieve with this tank?

 

[Rob&Gab]

We have a 1.5" crushed coral/ figipink sand bed and 10lbs of tonga rock under the rack. Ya turned out to be a alf bubble tip and clown tank/ frags we have a 60DB TH A 8bulb ATI FIXTURE we seen to like the sand better. We ALS had a 30g shallow display attached to it it was BATE BOTTOM AT fIRST was to much vain ing and we wanted a wrasse and clowns too so we did a 1.5" figi pink sand bed with 35lbs of real reef rock.

 

[Rob&Gab]

IMO tho don't use bite egg create use black it won't leach phos as much into you tank and algae outbreak won't take I to affect . Hate white egg Crate BRS SELLS IT

 

[akitareefer]

I currently have bare bottom frag tanks. I'll let everyone know I hate it. I have to battle coralline and piles of debis constantly. The only time it looks good is after I've spent an hour slaving overtop it with a razor blade and my vacuum tube. I'm just about to set up 3 new frag tanks. All tanks will now have Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand because it's a coarser, won't blow away, helps the swings and bio filtration. I'm also going to keep a little live rock in the sump. In frag tanks you also have to remember that frag plugs will also become live rock. I agree that white eggcrate can be a nightmare for phosphates. Either soak them for an extended time or use acylic racks.

 

[footballdude2k3]

I wouldn't put the sand in there, is there anyway you can raise the volume of water in the frag system? Might help with keeping everything more stable

 

[jduck]

Put all that rock in the back sections and leave out the sand.

 

[Rob Top1]

No sand in my frag tanks. I use a large tamm pump to blow detris off the bottom. I did paint the outside of the bottom and three sides white and use white egg crate. Manage your water and there won't be algae. The white gives a great upwelling of light. SPS seem to grow faster and have excellent color all around with the up welling of light. Now some things do better in sand so I use small shallow Tupperware with sand to place these in