sand or no sand, that is the question.

TheApprentice · 06/11/2008, 01:45 AM

Hello, I am going to start a reef only 14 gallon biocube.

I like how it looks when there isn't any sand. What do you guys think
??

sand or no sand?

are there any benefits to having no sand (lower nitrate)

I will have live rock, so there will be bio.

what do you think?

gea0119 · 06/11/2008, 02:54 AM

I have seen some shallow reef tanks with no and in it and thought that was a way to go.You should hit them up with the same thread in the reply box and take a look at the pic posted because I know you can pull it off with no sand.They did.

mille239 · 06/11/2008, 09:10 AM

rivoth · 06/11/2008, 10:50 AM

You can make it work well either way. Since you prefer the no sand look then go without sand. You might get better feedback from the nano tank forum on how to best manage the upkeep on a small bare bottom 14 gallon tank.

seapug · 06/11/2008, 11:03 AM

It's a matter of personal preference. Having a sandbed has many benefits but many people prefer bare-bottom tanks because they want to have extremely strong current that would blow the sand everywhere. As far as the cleanliness goes, that's debatable. Well maintained live sand beds can process quite a lot of waste, so if you don't have one, a refugium, settling filter or very powerful protein skimmer are highly recommended. It would require quite a bit of modification on a 14 gal. bio cube.

DrBegalke · 06/11/2008, 12:20 PM

I think it somes down to personal perferance and the amount of flow you are aiming for.

As far as the filtration/waste processing of a sand bed, the idea in a bare bottom is to have enough flow so waste is not allowed to settle and gets filtrated out in a filter sock/sponge/etc, which means it does not have enough time to break down before removal from the system.

bubbly · 06/11/2008, 12:31 PM

I agree with Seapug.

If you have no sand bed then you are really limited by the power of your skimmer as to how much you can feed.

I found that a DSB in my 6 gallon tank gives tremendous advantages in terms of ph, alk, calc stability and phosphate removal.

I have a 30g that is barebottom and have to be much more careful about nutrients and gha, and keeping my ph, calc, and alk at the correct levels.

(yes DSB's need to be maintained but so does everything else in this hobby -- as always, do your research carefully)

I know you didn't ask about a DSB but I am pointing out that there is a wide range of choices with diferent risks and benefits -- just decide what's most important to you, and go for that.

Sand has much more surface area for denitrifying bacteria than rock, so you will get more bio-filtration from it. But then if you have a low bio-load, then you wouldn't need that extra bio-filtration.

I suggest going for what you want -- go barebottom and see what that is like. If you don't like the results then you can try something else.

Just be sure that you focus on nutrient export in one way or another. Otherwise you will just be be battling pests endlessly as gha, aiptasia, flatworms, or other nuisance multiplies out of control, feeding on all the nutrients accumulating in your tank.

bubbly · 06/11/2008, 12:31 PM

I agree with Seapug.

If you have no sand bed then you are really limited by the power of your skimmer as to how much you can feed.

I found that a DSB in my 6 gallon tank gives tremendous advantages in terms of ph, alk, calc stability and phosphate removal.

I have a 30g that is barebottom and have to be much more careful about nutrients and gha, and keeping my ph, calc, and alk at the correct levels.

(yes DSB's need to be maintained but so does everything else in this hobby -- as always, do your research carefully)

I know you didn't ask about a DSB but I am pointing out that there is a wide range of choices with diferent risks and benefits -- just decide what's most important to you, and go for that.

Sand has much more surface area for denitrifying bacteria than rock, so you will get more bio-filtration from it. But then if you have a low bio-load, then you wouldn't need that extra bio-filtration.

I suggest going for what you want -- go barebottom and see what that is like. If you don't like the results then you can try something else.

Just be sure that you focus on nutrient export in one way or another. Otherwise you will just be be battling pests endlessly as gha, aiptasia, flatworms, or other nuisance multiplies out of control, feeding on all the nutrients accumulating in your tank.

Nano Chris · 06/11/2008, 09:09 PM

Depends, some look better than others with/without, i on the other hand like the sand in the tank, makes it look more natural.

06/11/2008, 01:45 AM	#1
TheApprentice Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 385	sand or no sand, that is the question. Hello, I am going to start a reef only 14 gallon biocube. I like how it looks when there isn't any sand. What do you guys think ?? sand or no sand? are there any benefits to having no sand (lower nitrate) I will have live rock, so there will be bio. what do you think? __________________ Rome wasn't built in a day. Current Tank Info: 29 gallon, 12gallon Aquapod reef only, 5.5 gallon DIY pico (reef)

06/11/2008, 02:54 AM	#2
gea0119 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.F.V.-LOS ANGELES,CA. Posts: 403	I have seen some shallow reef tanks with no and in it and thought that was a way to go.You should hit them up with the same thread in the reply box and take a look at the pic posted because I know you can pull it off with no sand.They did. __________________ How Do Saltwater Fish Get High...SeaWeed Gea M. Current Tank Info: 26g 5/17/08 LS,LR,CPR Bak Pak Protein Skimmer,Fluval 205 Filter,45lbs LR/LS,#2/#1 Koralia Powerheads, 100w heater, 2 Coralife 55W Blue and White Lights.I have 1 Killer Clown Fish and 4 Fast Swimming Damsels to keep him Company

06/11/2008, 09:10 AM	#3
mille239 Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Harrison Twp., MI Posts: 1,644	__________________ -Blair Disclaimer: No trees were harmed in the creation of this post, though a significant number of electrons may have been inconvenienced. Current Tank Info: 120 SPS reef in progress, 120 mixed reef, currently being completely rebuilt)

06/11/2008, 11:03 AM	#5
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	It's a matter of personal preference. Having a sandbed has many benefits but many people prefer bare-bottom tanks because they want to have extremely strong current that would blow the sand everywhere. As far as the cleanliness goes, that's debatable. Well maintained live sand beds can process quite a lot of waste, so if you don't have one, a refugium, settling filter or very powerful protein skimmer are highly recommended. It would require quite a bit of modification on a 14 gal. bio cube. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

06/11/2008, 12:20 PM	#6
DrBegalke Go Buckeyes! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Phoenix area, AZ Posts: 2,599	I think it somes down to personal perferance and the amount of flow you are aiming for. As far as the filtration/waste processing of a sand bed, the idea in a bare bottom is to have enough flow so waste is not allowed to settle and gets filtrated out in a filter sock/sponge/etc, which means it does not have enough time to break down before removal from the system. __________________ ~Jason Begalke Current Tank Info: Latest project: JBJ Cubey

06/11/2008, 10:50 AM	#4
rivoth Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 267	You can make it work well either way. Since you prefer the no sand look then go without sand. You might get better feedback from the nano tank forum on how to best manage the upkeep on a small bare bottom 14 gallon tank.

06/11/2008, 12:31 PM	#7
bubbly Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 331	I agree with Seapug. If you have no sand bed then you are really limited by the power of your skimmer as to how much you can feed. I found that a DSB in my 6 gallon tank gives tremendous advantages in terms of ph, alk, calc stability and phosphate removal. I have a 30g that is barebottom and have to be much more careful about nutrients and gha, and keeping my ph, calc, and alk at the correct levels. (yes DSB's need to be maintained but so does everything else in this hobby -- as always, do your research carefully) I know you didn't ask about a DSB but I am pointing out that there is a wide range of choices with diferent risks and benefits -- just decide what's most important to you, and go for that. Sand has much more surface area for denitrifying bacteria than rock, so you will get more bio-filtration from it. But then if you have a low bio-load, then you wouldn't need that extra bio-filtration. I suggest going for what you want -- go barebottom and see what that is like. If you don't like the results then you can try something else. Just be sure that you focus on nutrient export in one way or another. Otherwise you will just be be battling pests endlessly as gha, aiptasia, flatworms, or other nuisance multiplies out of control, feeding on all the nutrients accumulating in your tank.

06/11/2008, 09:09 PM	#9
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	Depends, some look better than others with/without, i on the other hand like the sand in the tank, makes it look more natural. __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!