<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15753978#post15753978 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dieselgrk
that is exactly what i meant, thanks Leo. i have the same lighting setup. t5's are on for 12 and MH's for 6..... gonna increase that to 8 once the weather cools down. see if i notice any difference.
another question for you if you don't mind: you have ample experience with bare bottom, and more recently with shallow sand bed, which of the two do you prefer and what in your opinion are the pros and cons of both?
I'm still a fan of BB. My next tank will definitely will be one without sand.
It allows me to direct flow where I want, without worrying about sandstorms.
Next to that I noticed a smaller ALK uptake without a sandbed, which saves me $$ in balling salts (in heavy stocked +180G tanks you use a lot of salts)
And the most important for me is more direct control of the tank; With a sandbed I notice that most of the alternations in feeding, removing POM and DOM etc. are reacting much slower and indirect. Of course changes have to be made slow, but I like the strings to be short and direct.
I'm also getting nervous by the idea that food and detritus is constantly accumulating in the sandbed, and have to be removed manually (it can never be removed for 100% of course)
The only pro's of a sandbed for me are, more biodiversity (mostly in bacteria, I never saw a creature in the sandbed that I didn't see in my BB) and the ability to keep more, interesting fish and invertebrates that live in the sand. Next to that, most of the times it just look better
This is my opinion and my experience. I would advise you, try both, and see what you like best and what suits your tank
I saw a huge increase in color and growth after
reducing my MH for an hour a day in the Lagoon, so more isn't always better. But give it a try, and see what you experience.
Leonardo