Sand or not sand in Reef Tank
- Thread starter ELMATATAN
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Krish
RF STAFF
I think it is going to come down to a personal preference and what you plan to keep in the tank. Some critters and even some fish require sand. Also, it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish with the sand whether it be for filtration purposes or simply for looks 
keener1830
lawnmower
I'll second what Krish said I have a tank with and with out sand.
Tanks with sand and without sand both have their benefits and their drawbacks. They also can be used as mentioned for a number of reasons, from looks to a nutrient sink. So its not just a cut and dry question you kind of have to read up on it and then decide what kind of tank you want and if it suits what you want to do.
Mike
Mike
Dalbery
Saltwater Nut
I agree with all that's been said. If you do end up choosing to go with sand stay away from the really fine sand. It blows everywhere and you can't vacuum it without sucking it all out.
lvsuckerfish
g funk
what live stock do you have now and or putting in the tank as all in all thats what it boils down too sand shifters wrasses (most) live in the sand. so they will be a need for sand in a tank with these animals other then that personal preference. like mentioned above I had no sand then added sand as I bought a wrasse and I have a love for them wrasses. so I had to add sand to my system.
TJL
copod
As all have stated above its personal preference and/or livestock choices that drives your decision. For me in 28+ yrs now of reefkeeping I've always had a strong preference to a naturally looking reeftank with a sandbed. I have almost always had burrowing fishes (Wrasses, Gobies & Jawfish) snails & cuc's in my systems that require it. If you plan on primarily having a high-flow sps tank you'll need to mix a little crushed coral with the sugar-sand as I have to keep it from sand-storming.
Todd
Todd
Krish
RF STAFF
This is the exact reason why some of us don't use sand...For the simple fact of their being a sand storm. I had to remove all of my sand in my 90 gal because of this and never went back to sand in any of my other tanks. In addition, keeping nitrates down to being un-detectable (without any algae being present in the tank) was possible without sand in my case which means sand isn't totally necessary for filtration purposes. You can get by just fine without it. Infact, I've found it easier for me to keep a clean nitrate free tank without sand. The reason why in my case is by not having sand, I am then able to place my flow anywhere in the tank I want without having to worry about a sand storm which allows any waste that would have settled on the bottom of the tank to be lifted into the water column to be either removed mechanically, used up by corals and so forth. With a sand bed, you typically can't point your flow as low as you would like to for the simple fact of sand storm being formed. Guess you have to go with what works for you and what appeals to you most. In either case, not a problem keeping a reef tank with sand or without it. Just some of your livestock may be limited without sand.
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If you really feel like you should use sand, you also have options of putting sand in a sump or fuge and keeping your main display clean. With my 2 sided tank, I have a bare bottom on one side where my main reef is, and a mixture of crushed coral and sand in the other side with less flow, where my pistol shrimp/goby pair and some softys live.
Skimmy
SKIM FU
+1 for sand....
it is more maintenance to be sure, but i love the natural look of a display with sand! i would suggest against a deep sand bed in the display though...keep it about 2" and get sand sifting snails or possible sand sifting fish.
avoid sand sifting starfish... sand does have a half life of about 18 months, so it may potentially help buff your ph/alk/cal a minor amount as well...
Emerald525
Well-known member
I have both bare bottom and sand tanks. I personally prefer the look of the bare bottom tanks but I'm unfortunately outvoted in my household.:lol:
I think it looks cleaner then the sand once it gets infested with fish poop. The other reason is I have lost several corals from an overzealous fish burying it and I find some of my other corals don't puff out as much unless I get them up and out of the sandbed.
I think it looks cleaner then the sand once it gets infested with fish poop. The other reason is I have lost several corals from an overzealous fish burying it and I find some of my other corals don't puff out as much unless I get them up and out of the sandbed.
I thank you infinitely his advice, and to be honest I like the way the tank with sand but now confirm what I've always known and I will not use sand, maybe until I get bored of seeing it without the sand I'll do and what I do not try to put things that need sand aquarium, Thanks
mcoomer
Who's your daddy?!?
Is your tank glass or acrylic? My 125 was acrylic and was essentially bare bottom. It was clear for about 2 weeks and then coralline algae took over the entire bottom of the tank turning into a purple and pink landscape. My glass 180 has about 60 pounds of sand but that's just enough that it drips up against the rocks and accumulates in the corners. Most of the rest of the tank is bare bottom.
Mike
Mike
