How Deep Should the Sand Bed Be?

huskysglare1

New member
How thick should the sand bed be? the LFS says at least 3". i researched on the internet, they said 1/2-2". The LFS says that the top 2" are "Live sand" and the bottom 1" is Dead sand. he also stated that the bottom 1" is the most important part of a sand bed. the dead sand helps eliminate some nitrates.


so, what is your opinion? Please Share. Thanks.
 
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sand

sand

be careful opening that can of worms... You can find thread, after thread, after thread on that subject. Your LFS is over-generalizing the subject. Most people recommend either a Shallow Sand bed 1/2in to 1in or the whole Deep Sand bed of 4-6 in.
Mine ranges anywhere from 1/2in to 3in depending on how its been blown in place.
 
There is no right or wrong answer really. Denitrification will take place in shorter sandbeds than most people realize and if a tank has good protein skimming and good amount of live rock there's really no need to remove nitrates via a deep sandbed. So, in short, add what you think looks nice.
 
IMO 2-3" should be more than sufficient. Like PE said, good skimming, live rock, and don't forget flow, are musts in most modern aquariums, especially considering that instead of buying an extra 20-30lbs of livesand, for the same price these days you can buy a few maximods and a nice skimmer online.
 
IME go shallow, 1 inch or less, or deep, 4+ inches. The in between ranges are more likely to have problems
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15460294#post15460294 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by noboddi
IME go shallow, 1 inch or less, or deep, 4+ inches. The in between ranges are more likely to have problems

I'm of the opinion that this is old school thinking that had little basis in the first place. Do you have anything to support your beliefs?
 
.5" for looks :D The whole DSB theory is very flawed IMO. Do a LOT of research & then make your decision before pouring in a ton of sand.

I have to agree 100% with Peter Eichler, DSB is an old school way of keeping a reef. I think reefkeeping in general has advanced far beyond the DSB theory.
 
My sand bed is just thick enough at the front so you don't see it on the front glass. It gradually gets deeper towards the back where it is 2" thick. This slope also helps larger bits of stuff remain visable at the front of the tank so it can be removed or eaten.
 
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