Sand vs No Sand : More Questions for yall

[PotRoast]

Thanks so much for the input on my last post regarding using sand or not using sand in a reef tank. I learned a lot and have acquired the knowledge I need to move forward.

That being said, I am leaning towards either going with no sand at all, or a very shallow sand bed....basically a light dusting of sand on the bottom for visual effect.

Here are the questions.....

1. If I go with NO SAND, how much flow do I need to have in a tank of SPS, LPS, Anenome? Or to put it another way, do I have enough flow? (I have a 240 gallon tank with 2400 gph overflows and two vortechs.)

2. If I go with NO SAND, is my skimmer adequate to handle the load? I have a turbofloater 5000 shorty by aqua medic. If the link does not work please go to the aqua medic website.... protein skimmer link

3. Can you have anenome with no sand?


4. If I go with SSB (shallow sand bed), will I have the same issues with blowing sand that I might have with a regular sand bed? In other words, is there any advantage to having a having a SSB over a DSB as it pertains to blowing sand?

5. Is the idea of a SSB kinda dumb? Is it all or nothing? Is there a middle ground (SSB) or did I just make this up?

 

[Double-J]

No sand = lot of flow 75-100x tank volume 210x100= 21000 GPH IMO
Big skimmer

Yes on the anenome

Not sure on SSB over DSB. Never used sand before

I would say skip the sand and go barebottom which equal a much cleaner tank IMO.

It may cost more to go BB because of the flow and bigger skimmer but the system will never fail because of nitrites or ammonia being trapped in the sand.

 

[dascharisma]

1. In my experience, you don't have enough flow. Firstly I would say that you don't want to push 2400 gph through your return. I wouldn't do more than 1200 gph. Return pumps are incredibly inefficient.

If you want to go BB (I would if I were you) then you need more flow. My guess is that with 3 Koralia 4s, and your vortechs, you could get by for quite a while. That would be the cheapest route.


2. I haven't ever used the skimmer you are going to use. My guess is that it will work for a sand bed tank, but you may have to keep your bioload light. For a BB tank, I would get a monster skimmer.


3. You can definitely have an anenome either way. Just make sure you have the water parameters and the lighting.


4. You are going to have blowing sand with a DSB and a SSB if you have a lot of flow. The differences are that a SSB will look really bad when the sand is blown away and the bottom is exposed.


5. I don't like SSBs. I don't think they offer any benefits beyond aesthetics. Plus from my perspective a black bottom looks way better than sand. Corals' colors simply stand out better against black. The glare from the sandbed detracts from the look of a tank IMO.



I strongly suggest you take a look at some local tanks before you make your decision. You don't want to jump the gun one way or the other and regret your decision on something that costs a fortune. For BB tanks in the DM area, you should check out Double-J's tank, Nielsen's, or my own. I can't suggest any sand bed tanks locally (DM area), but you might want to contact Slovan, as his tank is a great example of a SSB tank.

Brad

 

[Philby]

I would agree with everything Brad and JJ have said above but would like to make one point about having an anemone.

There are some anemones that prefer to bury their foot in sand and some that prefer LR. So if you do go BB please avoid those species that bury their foot in the sand (although some reefers have added a container with sand specifically for their anemone as a comprimise).