Sand bed

jam583 · 05/23/2014, 05:46 PM

My nano tank has no sand, just bare bottom. I wanted a sand bed in my new large tank, but nothing super extreme. So, went with 1" sand bed, some spots a little higher, etc.

I really like how it looks .. however, everyone seems to have deep sand beds. Is my 1 inch ok? From my research, it is .. maybe not giving me as much as a deep sand bed, etc., but looking for feedback.

Xavibear · 05/23/2014, 05:52 PM

If you like the way it looks, it's fine.

JoelA7 · 05/23/2014, 05:52 PM

Unless you have a deep as in 4+" or one with a plenum 1, 2, or even a bit more won't make as much difference. It's the composition of the bed relative to the organisms you want to keep that is important. A wrasse that buries itself to sleep at night or a fish that eats sand or a ray need different substrate than triggers and tangs.

tmz · 05/23/2014, 08:09 PM

I inch is fine for a beachy look and denitrifcaction. It provides plenty of surface aera for bacteria to colonize too. Easier to keep clean. However, as Joel AZ7 noted it is not enough if you keep animals that need deep sand ,like burying wrasses such as macropharnygon melagris(leopard wrasse) which can bust up it's mouth diving into glass and some anemones among other animals. I use shallow sand on some tanks and build little pools of deeper sand in them for animals that need it when necessary.

organism · 05/23/2014, 08:28 PM

That's a great depth, you don't get to see a few inches of gross sand when you look at your display

05/23/2014, 05:46 PM	#1
jam583 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Phoenix, MD Posts: 260	Sand bed My nano tank has no sand, just bare bottom. I wanted a sand bed in my new large tank, but nothing super extreme. So, went with 1" sand bed, some spots a little higher, etc. I really like how it looks .. however, everyone seems to have deep sand beds. Is my 1 inch ok? From my research, it is .. maybe not giving me as much as a deep sand bed, etc., but looking for feedback.

05/23/2014, 05:52 PM	#2
Xavibear Crazy Prophet Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Worcester, MA Posts: 1,008	If you like the way it looks, it's fine. __________________ 36g bowfront Current Tank Info: Pair of Occellaris clowns, Royal gramma, Yellow Watchman Goby/Tiger Pistol Shrimp, Blue tuxedo urchin, Fire shrimp, Trochus snails, Cerith snails, Nassarius snails, Ricordea mushroom, Kenya tree, Acan brain & Frogspawn

05/23/2014, 05:52 PM	#3
JoelA7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,056	Unless you have a deep as in 4+" or one with a plenum 1, 2, or even a bit more won't make as much difference. It's the composition of the bed relative to the organisms you want to keep that is important. A wrasse that buries itself to sleep at night or a fish that eats sand or a ray need different substrate than triggers and tangs. __________________ New 48x24x26.25 w Precision Marine R30 sump, Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, 2@Vertex 1.5L reactors for carbon & phosban, GEO Ca reactor w Aquarium Plants regulator. 2 MP40's 2@Radions. #120 live rock & #12

05/23/2014, 08:09 PM	#4
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	I inch is fine for a beachy look and denitrifcaction. It provides plenty of surface aera for bacteria to colonize too. Easier to keep clean. However, as Joel AZ7 noted it is not enough if you keep animals that need deep sand ,like burying wrasses such as macropharnygon melagris(leopard wrasse) which can bust up it's mouth diving into glass and some anemones among other animals. I use shallow sand on some tanks and build little pools of deeper sand in them for animals that need it when necessary. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

05/23/2014, 08:28 PM	#5
organism code monkey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: south bay Posts: 6,223	That's a great depth, you don't get to see a few inches of gross sand when you look at your display __________________ I don't always grow frags... but when I do, I prefer Dos Acros