Sand or bare in sump?

[KevinMs]

I have a 30 gallon sump under my 120 and am considering placing some fiji mud and a sand bed in the center. Currently i have some live rock rubble and chaeto on a bare bottom with a small led light over it(upgrading soon on the light). The sand and mud I already have so cost isnt an issue, I'm just torn between leaving well enough alone and it being enough of a benefit to actually go ahead. Thoughts and advice welcome.

 

[Amba]

I would leave it out. LR and chaeto only.

 

[Civicdemon]

Yup thats what i did bare bottom with live rock and chaeto. working good for me so far. but i think i might add a little power head in the chambers to keep stuff moving a bit more with out to mutch water threw the section.

 

[poksal]

Opinions vary like mileage.
I run an empty sump with all the reactors, skimmer, main tank, & refugium running off it. I then DO have a thin layer of mud in my refugium. My current thinking is, it adds diversity & buffer, but only in a refugium.

FYI: I had bio-balls in my first sump section where the tank return came in and I tossed those guys out. I now run some floss in that chamber which gets removed and rinsed about once a week. The floss is to catch junk I don't want to get hung up in my pumps or skimmer air cycling tubes.

'coarse, what do I know? Do not count me as an expert... I'm learning fast and can almost find my way around my reef tank now. Actually, things have matured out nicely and I'm beginning to think I may have a grip on this hobby. Having said that likely means I have a new unexpected forced learning session in my near future to show me I don't know squat.

 

[KevinMs]

Thanks for the helpful input guys! Poksal, just when I think I have a grasp on things in the understanding dept, I'm humbled with a learning session that may or may not result in a gray hair being born or the introduction of a wet vac to the scene. :grumble:

 

[Cheeser]

personally i like sand in my fuge but your fuge is so small compared to your system that a sandbed wont really have any effect on your system as far as lowering nitrates or anything like that. i would just use as much of that space to grow cheato as possible if i were you.