SPS sandbed without a sandstorm?
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OriginalUserName
Valuable Member
I was very tempted to go barebottom this time around. I probably would have if I had been able to get the PVC plastic liner to fit right. I wanted to encourage coral growth on the tank bottom and coralline covered glass just looks ugly IMO. I'm pretty happy I went with sand though because I could keep my pistol/watchman pair happy and it let me grab a fighting conch. I think I may clear out a small area and use thin plastic or rock to provide some growing space for corals so I can achieve the effect I was originally thinking of.
madweazl
2500 Club Member
I'm running a .5-1.7mm grain size (Nature's Ocean bio-active) in our 75g with a pair of MP40WES at 100% (anti-sync Reefcrest). Sand shifts a bit but stays put overall. There are a number of "sand" options with similar grain size that should work well. The pistol shrimp is able to build what it wants and the diamond goby doesnt have any trouble sifting it. I will get a small vortex that will occasionally dump sand on a monti cap and turbinaria at the ends of the tank but it's easy enough to waft clean when necessary.
CC13
Valuable Member
Which ones do you have?
OriginalUserName
Valuable Member
A pair of 250s. Granted I have them ramping up to 250, but still. I'm a month in and they are somewhat quieter, but still annoying.
CC13
Valuable Member
That's weird. I have ramped mine up to 100% lots of times and they do make a slight hum, but still WAY quieter than my Vortech's used to be.
OriginalUserName
Valuable Member
I've never owned Vortechs so perhaps those are worse? I am going to be adding another powerhead soon so maybe dialing them back to 80% will make a difference.
CC13
Valuable Member
I just found they made more noise.
What size tank do you have if your running your Gyre's at 100%?
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A little more coarse sand and perfect placement of sand! HA!
OriginalUserName
Valuable Member
140 gallon. I have them alternating back and forth.
I’ve had a sandbef in my tank for over five years and I have never siphoned it. A few hermits and a sandsifter star (and whatever came with the live rock) appear to be enough to keep it mixed and looking white. Well, off white at least.
tiggs
Active Member
I started out with Bahamas Oolite (really fine grain) and couldn't get proper SPS flow without blowing sand everywhere, so I added an inch of Special Grade on top of it and all has been well ever since. I'm definitely in agreement with everyone saying either bare bottom or larger grain sand.
Sunny Goold
Active Member
I know you already have the sand and I don't know if you can get it there but ATI has sand called Fiji White Sand 1-2mm (not alive) that is heavier for the size. Marine Depot may have it - reviews say it doesn't blow 
You could mix it / put it in the spots that need it. It's pretty cheap too. Good luck
You could mix it / put it in the spots that need it. It's pretty cheap too. Good luck
I have yellowheaded jawfish, so I need at least 2-3" minimum of sand. (various burrowing shrimps and snails live in there as well) Based on folks experience on another thread, I use caribsea seafloor 1.0 to 2.0 mm grain sand, with some shell substrate mixed in.
I also run, nominally*, 200x flow (Gyre 150 and Jebao PP4 on a aqueon 30" 29 gallon). When I rearrange the gyre or rock work, stuff does go flying for a few minutes, but after a few days depressions form where needed and I'm OK. Sand does not go flying anywhere.
Two side points:
- again, you do not need sand to be "natural". Real sections of coral reef often don't have much sand, because they're large pieces of coral rock. The choice to use sand is either aesthetic, or because some inhabitants need them.
- "too much flow" depends on the fish. You can probably easily give a mandarin "too much flow" in an aquarium. Based on personal experience, I kind of doubt we can make "too much" in an aquarium for an ocellaris, since they love my high flow periods. Also, I think it's impossible to have "too much flow" in an aquarium for tangs - once I was snorkeling a reef crest (Hanauma bay, Oahu) on a moderately turbulent day, and the water had so much flow it literally looked liked it was carbonated, as far as I could see in that direction. But amidst the bubbles there was a school of 30-some very happy convict tangs. (and, hiding amist the rockwork next to me, a turtle who obviously was having too much. Again, proving my point.......
)
* "nominally" because I don't think these pumps really run anywhere near these theoretical numbers. And with the gyre I run it at 100% on random mode only for two hours a day, with much less for most of the day.
I also run, nominally*, 200x flow (Gyre 150 and Jebao PP4 on a aqueon 30" 29 gallon). When I rearrange the gyre or rock work, stuff does go flying for a few minutes, but after a few days depressions form where needed and I'm OK. Sand does not go flying anywhere.
Two side points:
- again, you do not need sand to be "natural". Real sections of coral reef often don't have much sand, because they're large pieces of coral rock. The choice to use sand is either aesthetic, or because some inhabitants need them.
- "too much flow" depends on the fish. You can probably easily give a mandarin "too much flow" in an aquarium. Based on personal experience, I kind of doubt we can make "too much" in an aquarium for an ocellaris, since they love my high flow periods. Also, I think it's impossible to have "too much flow" in an aquarium for tangs - once I was snorkeling a reef crest (Hanauma bay, Oahu) on a moderately turbulent day, and the water had so much flow it literally looked liked it was carbonated, as far as I could see in that direction. But amidst the bubbles there was a school of 30-some very happy convict tangs. (and, hiding amist the rockwork next to me, a turtle who obviously was having too much. Again, proving my point.......
) * "nominally" because I don't think these pumps really run anywhere near these theoretical numbers. And with the gyre I run it at 100% on random mode only for two hours a day, with much less for most of the day.
Last edited:
tsav87
Well-Known Member
I too am running a pair of MP40s on a tank that size. Sand stays put. Corals get massive flow. I know from experience that this is because of the Vortechs. They are worth every last penny.
