removing sand and barebottom tank questions

[jcegt87]

ok so im contemplating a bare bottom tank ,just have some questions

#1
how much sand can be removed and how frequently

#2
what will happen to my nassarious snails,since for the most part they stay under the sand?

#3
the main reason i like the sandbed is it acts like a cushion for the LR could i add something under the LR so it doesnt sit directly on the tank?

#4
in your opinion is a barebottom tank better than a sandbed?


at the very worst ill not like having a BB and ill just add a larger grain sand

 

[little_fish]

You rocks should be sitting directly on the glass, otherwise they can change position as the sand moves and could cause a rockslide.

Also, i would just suck out a small section with every water change and spread the thing out over a month.

And that is a good idea, i have no idea what the nass snails would do. I dont think you need nass snails if you have no sand bed.

 

[Smitty]

I'd remove 20-25% every week...

They'll still continue to clean, they just won't have any sand to shift...

Not only is it a cushion, it's also a buffer for ph...you could probably try placing some eggcrate/light diffuser on the bottom...

I believe it's all personal preference...sand beds are more natural for the fish and inverts, it's what they're used to, it also reflects some of the light back up, giving the tank a brighter look, and a natural buffer...but it does trap dirt and can look nasty sometimes. And the bare bottom had a cleaner look...just make sure you have a powerhead pointing at the bottom glass to keep everything suspended and moving.

 

[fastrd400]

Hannah and Smitty have you covered. However, I went bare bottom, couldn't stand it for me. Things will still settle on the bottom, and there will be a dead spot that everything gets pushed to.Also, in my experience, bare bottom was easier for algae to grow on. You scrape your front and side glass? You'll be doing the bottom at times too.

 

[jcegt87]

Hannah and Smitty have you covered. However, I went bare bottom, couldn't stand it for me. Things will still settle on the bottom, and there will be a dead spot that everything gets pushed to.Also, in my experience, bare bottom was easier for algae to grow on. You scrape your front and side glass? You'll be doing the bottom at times too.

yeah i thought about that this morning lol ima see how it looks but most likely ill just be replacing the sand with a larger grain thanks y'all

 

[Zissou]

I had bare bottom once and I didn't care for it. The detritus would just find a place to settle into little caves or under the rocks, was a pain in the butt to try and keep completely clean.