Sand Bed

[cmdmd]

What's the optimal depth of the sand bed for a 28g NanoCube?
I have ultimately removed a few pounds of my sand bed over the past 2 years by siphoning portions of it accidentally.

Should I add some "dead" sand to avoid having that sand cycle and throw my balance out of whack?

Thank you for your attention.

 

[tankmates]

I would say..No sand bed at all..that is what i am going with my new 250 G..maintenance is breeze and no phosphates leaching over time...

 

[bertoni]

I don't think there's an optimal depth. It's a matter of personal taste. If you'd like more sand, or maybe want to add some burrowing animals that require more sand, then you could add some slowly. Otherwise, the tank will be fine as is.

 

[a.browning]

Sandbed depth is a pretty opinionated topic. I personally use about 1.5" of sand-- enough for burrowing wrasses and other animals, but not enough to cause problems down the road. On my old system, I had about 4" and wouldn't do that again! All sandbeds need to be maintained however. I stir my bed up every week when I do my water changes. This combined with strong flow keeps detritus from settling out in the sandbed and leading to nutrient issues. Live or dry won't make any difference. I would go with dry just to save yourself some money. I setup my system with all dry sand.

 

[swcc]

I think the best depth is an inch or less. I feel a key to long term aquarium success is keeping the substrate clean with siphoning, as well as replacement occasionally(especially in a smaller aquarium). Dry sand is fine for replacement.

 

[coralsnaked]

Never add or remove more than one inch at a time. If you add more than one inch then you are burying the living organisms in the sand and they die. You know what happens when living organisms die in the tank. They release trates and phates into the system. If you remove more than one inch at a time you are removing the beneficial living organisms, and more can actually release anaerobic organisms into the tank. Some of these organisms are very toxic to your aerobic marine life.

If you maintain a sand bed of one inch or less, it can be, and I stress can be OK to stir as A browning suggests, but a deeper bed means it is a no no to disturb for reasons mentioned above. And although sandbed depth is an opinionated subject, I believe it is more than a personal taste and that although there may be no optimal depth, there is a range to avoid. Anything between 2+ inches and 4 - inches is considered no man’s land. This is just deep enough to be problematic and not deep enough to be beneficial. Other substrates as well can be just as pretty and easier upkeep than a sandbed. Sandbeds are beneficial when trying to keep particular critters in the tank. Other than that shallow beds are for aesthetic purposes only.

Merry Skerry