J
jokersplayground
Guest
of having a bare bottom tank, or have a sandy bottom tank. im thinking of taking out the sand im my dt and i want to know as many facts as possible before i just go and jump in.
Flame Angel
Past BRS Pres/2016MOD
Try doing a search on the forum. I have seen this question asked a few times over the past five years.
OP
OP
jokersplayground
Guest
yea ive read some of them. they really dont talk about the pro or con on it.
mnavick
Well-Known Member
Pro: easy clean up of detritus
Con: may get different visual effects due to no refraction of light (which may not be a con). Until coralline starts growing will see any scratches from rocks/ old sandbed.
When I did my upgrade it started as bare bottom, then went to black sand and a year later went back to good ole white sand.
Opinions are going to be all over the place!!!!
Con: may get different visual effects due to no refraction of light (which may not be a con). Until coralline starts growing will see any scratches from rocks/ old sandbed.
When I did my upgrade it started as bare bottom, then went to black sand and a year later went back to good ole white sand.
Opinions are going to be all over the place!!!!
OP
OP
jokersplayground
Guest
ive read on other forums that it can reduce your nitrates to almost nothing. is that true
Bao
Non-member
I have been running bare bottom for many years now and its fine. I have about 80-90 time turn over rate in my tank, so there is absolutely little to no debris settle in my display tank. Everything is pushed down to the sump. I change 15 gallons of water every week and during the water change I just vacuum out all the debris settled there using a maxi jet. I don't measure nitrate very often but when I do, my nitrate level is almost 0 every time.
Just take out the sand for awhile and if you don't like it, put it back in.
Just take out the sand for awhile and if you don't like it, put it back in.
I did a ton of research on this before making a decision. As others have said, opinions are all over the place and there's no "right" answer.
Bare Bottom-
Pros: Easy to clean, Cheaper, lower non-organics if skimming/changing filter media regularly
Cons: Looks unnatural (imo), critters that sift sand for food won't be happy, fish that like to burrow / move sand won't be happy, less bacteria growth
Shallow sand bed- .5-2 inches
Pros: looks more natural, crabs + stars + worms and the like will consume and break down larger organics more readily, fish feel more comfortable (imo...maybe not), suitable for some types of spawning rituals, more bacterial growth
Cons: fills up with organics, requires more thorough siphoning, more expensive, can scratch glass when cleaning with a magnet, potential for more algae growth
Deep sand bed- 4+ (this fad seems to be going away, but it is generally agreed that this is a longer term solution for larger systems where the sand bed will not regularly be disturbed)
Pros/Cons: Honestly there were too many / varied opinions on this. Some people say it's a ticking timebomb, and that if you disturb it or a power head falls it will nuke the tank. Others say that it creates a much more stable system with significantly higher biodiversity. It can lower nitrates if there is a large enough surface area for anxiolytic bacteria to grow - but you really need a big tank.
Nowadays there seems to be a consensus that a large remote DSB is the best usage.
In the end - go with what you want to look at day to day. If you have critters that require a DSB (sand sifting stars, some gobies, clams) then use one.
Bare Bottom-
Pros: Easy to clean, Cheaper, lower non-organics if skimming/changing filter media regularly
Cons: Looks unnatural (imo), critters that sift sand for food won't be happy, fish that like to burrow / move sand won't be happy, less bacteria growth
Shallow sand bed- .5-2 inches
Pros: looks more natural, crabs + stars + worms and the like will consume and break down larger organics more readily, fish feel more comfortable (imo...maybe not), suitable for some types of spawning rituals, more bacterial growth
Cons: fills up with organics, requires more thorough siphoning, more expensive, can scratch glass when cleaning with a magnet, potential for more algae growth
Deep sand bed- 4+ (this fad seems to be going away, but it is generally agreed that this is a longer term solution for larger systems where the sand bed will not regularly be disturbed)
Pros/Cons: Honestly there were too many / varied opinions on this. Some people say it's a ticking timebomb, and that if you disturb it or a power head falls it will nuke the tank. Others say that it creates a much more stable system with significantly higher biodiversity. It can lower nitrates if there is a large enough surface area for anxiolytic bacteria to grow - but you really need a big tank.
Nowadays there seems to be a consensus that a large remote DSB is the best usage.
In the end - go with what you want to look at day to day. If you have critters that require a DSB (sand sifting stars, some gobies, clams) then use one.
Your barebottom pro "cheaper" doesn't apply to the OP, since he alrady spent the money on sand.
I'm a deep sand bed person. Mine is around 5+ and 6"+ where the pistol shrimp plays. I never disturb the sand bed. I don't syphon it either, powerheads remove the crap, and my tank is overstocked with shrimp and serpent star fish, as well as an oversized skimmer.
I'm a deep sand bed person. Mine is around 5+ and 6"+ where the pistol shrimp plays. I never disturb the sand bed. I don't syphon it either, powerheads remove the crap, and my tank is overstocked with shrimp and serpent star fish, as well as an oversized skimmer.
OP
OP
jokersplayground
Guest
in total i think like 7-8 months. yea everything is growing. but the thing is cuz of the hight of my tank its hard to get a good flow going, with out the sand getting blasted everywhere.
OP
OP
jokersplayground
Guest
thank you everyone for all your help.
