SSB with Goby?

mattsilvester · 02/03/2008, 06:52 AM

Hi guys,

Well I am on the verge of finally conerting to bare bottom - and the Mrs. has finally realised exactly what that means, and has announced she "hates" the tank with no sand in it - "it looks like a laboratory experiement" she says..... "even the tanks in the shop have a little bit of sand"...... she's got a mental block on the whole thing now, and is all but demanding that I have "at least a little bit of sand"..........

Part of this arguement is that she likes gobies, and she knows enough about fish etc. to know that once the sand is gone, her beloved orange spot goby will be gone too....... but its her arguement and she's sticking to it!

Rather than having a bare dusting of sand in the tank, I am half thinking would a 1-2" SSB of caribsea be more beneficial? The problem here is then that 1-2" of caribsea sand will go stagnant without worms and critters to process it...... it will basically become a nutrient sink. So where's the problem? The problem is the goby..... in my view, his constant activity turning over the sand bed will make it all but impossible for the sand to become "live".

So.... question is..... do people run DSB's / SSB's or otherwise with gobies? If so, how do you find the fish effects the "life" or effectiveness of your sand bed?

Many thanks,

Matt

kar93 · 02/03/2008, 07:20 AM

I agree with your wife it looks alot more natural with sand and its like a cushion for the rock. I have had no problem with gobies and ssb's

macronut · 02/03/2008, 08:44 AM

I also have to agree with your wife. I like the looks of sand in a tank, but it is a preference of mine.

macronut · 02/03/2008, 08:47 AM

I have never had problems with my gobies depleting the sand of wanted critters. I've never had problems with the tank looking like a snow globe either as some gobies can cause. However, I did have a tomato clown that caused a snow globe affect. He kept fanning his tell in the sand.

mattsilvester · 02/03/2008, 11:55 AM

Well I too agree with my wife that the sand looks better. I think even the most die hard BB advocate would agree sand looks great..... and when its clean it makes the tank look much brighter too..... bouncing light back up. I have just mentally comitted to the idea of bare bottom... my rock is cooking and everything!

At this stage, I think I am gonig to have to concede to defeat as far as "no sand" goes. I am just thinking am I better to try and have a SSB (whats best, an inch?) or just a dusting of sand? If a dusting is the option I go for, I would probabyl look for something slightly heavier than the carribsea aragamax - my dealer has a sand, it is still aragonite sand, but it is about double the grain size of aragamax...... which is still pretty fine.

Thoughts?

02/03/2008, 06:52 AM	#1
mattsilvester Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 3,375	SSB with Goby? Hi guys, Well I am on the verge of finally conerting to bare bottom - and the Mrs. has finally realised exactly what that means, and has announced she "hates" the tank with no sand in it - "it looks like a laboratory experiement" she says..... "even the tanks in the shop have a little bit of sand"...... she's got a mental block on the whole thing now, and is all but demanding that I have "at least a little bit of sand".......... Part of this arguement is that she likes gobies, and she knows enough about fish etc. to know that once the sand is gone, her beloved orange spot goby will be gone too....... but its her arguement and she's sticking to it! Rather than having a bare dusting of sand in the tank, I am half thinking would a 1-2" SSB of caribsea be more beneficial? The problem here is then that 1-2" of caribsea sand will go stagnant without worms and critters to process it...... it will basically become a nutrient sink. So where's the problem? The problem is the goby..... in my view, his constant activity turning over the sand bed will make it all but impossible for the sand to become "live". So.... question is..... do people run DSB's / SSB's or otherwise with gobies? If so, how do you find the fish effects the "life" or effectiveness of your sand bed? Many thanks, Matt __________________ Regards, Matt "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." "Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit" - no man is at all times wise. "To a hammer, everything is a nail!" Current Tank Info: RSM 130

02/03/2008, 11:55 AM	#5
mattsilvester Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 3,375	Well I too agree with my wife that the sand looks better. I think even the most die hard BB advocate would agree sand looks great..... and when its clean it makes the tank look much brighter too..... bouncing light back up. I have just mentally comitted to the idea of bare bottom... my rock is cooking and everything! At this stage, I think I am gonig to have to concede to defeat as far as "no sand" goes. I am just thinking am I better to try and have a SSB (whats best, an inch?) or just a dusting of sand? If a dusting is the option I go for, I would probabyl look for something slightly heavier than the carribsea aragamax - my dealer has a sand, it is still aragonite sand, but it is about double the grain size of aragamax...... which is still pretty fine. Thoughts? __________________ Regards, Matt "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." "Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit" - no man is at all times wise. "To a hammer, everything is a nail!" Current Tank Info: RSM 130

02/03/2008, 07:20 AM	#2
kar93 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lincoln Posts: 5,521	I agree with your wife it looks alot more natural with sand and its like a cushion for the rock. I have had no problem with gobies and ssb's

02/03/2008, 08:44 AM	#3
macronut Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Indianapolis IN Posts: 405	I also have to agree with your wife. I like the looks of sand in a tank, but it is a preference of mine.

02/03/2008, 08:47 AM	#4
macronut Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Indianapolis IN Posts: 405	I have never had problems with my gobies depleting the sand of wanted critters. I've never had problems with the tank looking like a snow globe either as some gobies can cause. However, I did have a tomato clown that caused a snow globe affect. He kept fanning his tell in the sand.