Should I use sand in my tank?

[jb61264]

Does having live sand in your tank create any problems versus just having a plain glass bottom (ie...buildup of waste, going anaerobic?)

My first reef that I had 13 years ago just had a plain glass bottom...seemed easier to direct flow at the bottom to keep things "clean"....my son however is petitioning me to have sand in the bottom to make it look as real as possible.

If I do add live sand...how much should I add to a 40 gallon breeder aquarium? Also, I have a 20 gallon refugium..how much of a sand bed should I plan to have in that?

 

[Doc]

2 inches is sufficient. a live sandbed is important for the growth of beneficial critters. it provides good bacteria for your tank as well. Not to mention, it looks really pretty

-Doc

 

[jb61264]

Does it all have to be "live sand" or do I add some regular sand and then "seed" it with a certain amount of live sand?

 

[reeffreak]

Does it all have to be "live sand" or do I add some regular sand and then "seed" it with a certain amount of live sand?

You can go all dry and seed with a cupful of live sand from an established system.You can go all dry,all live or any combination of the two.Make sure its ARAGONITE sand.It has the best buffering compacity than anything else out there.Bare bottom looks just to unnatural to me.Sure it makes it easier to clean detritus but the sand can help with nitrate reduction,added surface area for beneficial bacteria and breeding grounds for fauna(copepods,worms).They in themselves will consume the detritus and become food for other critters.

 

[jb61264]

I'm convinced (and my son will be very happy about this) to use sand...I think I'll use a 1-2" bed.

Since I'll be starting things up in the next week or two...should I add my sand, seed it and let things cycle...then wait to add my live rock?...or should I just add it all at the same time?

 

[Doc]

you want to put in sand and rock at the same time. keep your lights off or your tank will turn into a algae field. Add a piece of krill or two to the tank to start the cycle and wait about three weeks and you will be ready to start adding one hardy fish. Good luck

-Doc

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree with what the rest of them have said. Not only does a sandbed serve a functional purpose, but it looks nice, in my opinion. And you can keep cool animals that live in the sand that you would not otherwise have the option of keeping in a bare bottom tank. I also think that 2" is enough for the average tank. And aragonite is best. I know, I'm so redundant... I should have just said, "Nothing new to add".

 

[jb61264]

I know, I'm so redundant... I should have just said, "Nothing new to add".

Not at all...hearing the same thing from different people is great and makes you feel more comfortable about choosing a 'path'

What are some of the best animals to keep when you have a sand bed like this?

 

[reeffreak]

One of the sand sifting gobies depending on how large your system will be.Sleepers gobies in large systems,watchmen gobies in smaller.

Serpent sea stars,nassarius snails,cerith snails,queen and fighting conchs are sand cleaners/stirrers.I do like to say that I'm not a fan of keeping any animals that consume fauna.That includes sand sifting sea stars(Serpent) and gobies.Others here may have there own opinion on them.

 

[jb61264]

One of the sand sifting gobies depending on how large your system will be.Sleepers gobies in large systems,watchmen gobies in smaller.

Serpent sea stars,nassarius snails,cerith snails,queen and fighting conchs are sand cleaners/stirrers.I do like to say that I'm not a fan of keeping any animals that consume fauna.That includes sand sifting sea stars(Serpent) and gobies.Others here may have there own opinion on them.

My tank is a 40 gallon breeder...quick question about live rock...is it okay to add live rock and then add a bunch more a few weeks later?...do I need to wait for the initial batch of live rock to cycle first? My plan is to buy a "box" of about 45lbs...then a couple weeks later (mainly a financial constraint :) ) I want to add about 30 - 40 more pounds of much more decorative rock

 

[fatman]

I believe the wetweb forum consensus saying is, "over three or less than one." Meaning as a functioning live sand bed it works better when deeper and for just appearance sake less than one inch means no appreciable filtering function just appearance.

 

[reeffreak]

You can add one rock at a time if you prefer.

The first 45lbs will start the cycle and may finish by the time the second batch is added.The second may start another cycle.If you don't have any critters then you can add it to the display.Otherwise,you will need to cure it in a separate container before adding it in.

 

[Bifferwine]

The best thing to do is to add all your live rock before you add any animals. Like Freak said, adding a second batch of rock will probably start another cycle. So if you can't add all the rock at once, then don't add animals until you've added the second batch of rocks and you're sure the cycle is over (if it cycled at all).

 

[Doc]

I'm not a fan of keeping any animals that consume fauna.That includes sand sifting sea stars(Serpent) and gobies.Others here may have there own opinion on them.

He means me. I love sand stars. I have never had a problem and I keep four in my 125 and 2 in my 90. In a 40, that is just big enough for 1. they keep the sand stirred up well and are really cool.

-Doc

 

[jb61264]

He means me. I love sand stars. I have never had a problem and I keep four in my 125 and 2 in my 90. In a 40, that is just big enough for 1. they keep the sand stirred up well and are really cool.
-Doc

and this won't mess with any corals I will add in the future?...what other "sand sifting" critters would be good to add? I've read about some aquariums that have tons of astrea snails...like almost 1 snail per gallon...is this a common practice? any other good sand movement critters that would be good to consider?

Gosh...just slightly ahead of myself here considering I don't even have water in my tank...let alone my sump/refugium built or return system finished or...:sad:

 

[jb61264]

I believe the wetweb forum consensus saying is, "over three or less than one." Meaning as a functioning live sand bed it works better when deeper and for just appearance sake less than one inch means no appreciable filtering function just appearance.

and with as much live rock as I plan to put in...I probably don't need to really consider the sand in the tank for "filtering purposes"

I think I should probably keep a 3" sand bed in my refugium though eh?

 

[reeffreak]

Don't listen to Doc,sand sifting sea stars and gobies consume the fauna that consume the detritus.Okay,I know-I've said this already.

You don't want to start out with that many snails.Start with small amounts and add more if they are not keeping up with algae growth.In other words,let the algae be your guide.Most don't have one kind of snail per gallon.I may have 100 different snails in my 210 that I bought.I have hundreds of hitchhiking stomatella snails as well.

 

[Doc]

Don't listen to Doc,sand sifting sea stars and gobies consume the fauna that consume the detritus.Okay,I know-I've said this already.

Yeah, don't listen to me. I don't know crap and my tanks are really ugly and just suck...:mrgreen:

Sand stars will not leave your sand unless they are not getting enough to eat. I have kept them for years with no problem. They do not touch corals. It is a personal choice. If you are nervous about them, don't add them, but I promise, they will be fine. wait til about the 3-4 month mark to add them. nasarrius snails are great for the sand as well. the trick to keep the sand stars happy is to feed your tank sufficiently. they eat the left over food in the sand and ignore the fauna

-Doc

 

[jb61264]

Yeah, don't listen to me. I don't know crap and my tanks are really ugly and just suck...:mrgreen:

Sand stars will not leave your sand unless they are not getting enough to eat. I have kept them for years with no problem. They do not touch corals. It is a personal choice. If you are nervous about them, don't add them, but I promise, they will be fine. wait til about the 3-4 month mark to add them. nasarrius snails are great for the sand as well. the trick to keep the sand stars happy is to feed your tank sufficiently. they eat the left over food in the sand and ignore the fauna

-Doc

Thanks for the advice...I will add one after my 3-4 month mark...what do you feed your tank with that keeps your sand star so happy?

 

[reeffreak]

Yeah, don't listen to me. I don't know crap and my tanks are really ugly and just suck...:mrgreen:

Sand stars will not leave your sand unless they are not getting enough to eat. I have kept them for years with no problem. They do not touch corals. It is a personal choice. If you are nervous about them, don't add them, but I promise, they will be fine. wait til about the 3-4 month mark to add them. nasarrius snails are great for the sand as well. the trick to keep the sand stars happy is to feed your tank sufficiently. they eat the left over food in the sand and ignore the fauna

-Doc

I guess mine suck then?