Sandbed in SPS Dominated Reef- What Grain Size?

[gofor100]

Hey Guys,

I'm set on having a sandbed in my upgrade, which will be mainly SPS, but some zoas/acans/mushrooms (I love the look of a sandbed and will be keeping gobies and wrasses that need it for shelter).

The question is, knowing that I'll have subsantial flow in the tank to keep SPS, what has been your experience as far as the best grain size in higher flow tanks?

I've previously kept sugar-size (.2 to 1.2mm), but it was a PIA and would get blown around by my Koralias at times. Which brings me to my next question, I've just started collecting what will end up being at least two MP40's and two Tunze Controllable pumps that will be "anti-synchronized" to create more of a wave-like motion in the upgraded tank. Do you think that not having a constant flow (like my current Koralias), and instead a wave motion, will also help not have the sandbed blown around?

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!

Thanks in advance for your help!

-Chad

 

[ndh78]

I have two 6105's and a spray bar system in my 36" cube I have nozzles on the spray bar that I shoot down between the rock structure and glass in low flow areas. I set up the tank with a TBS package and the sand is a good mix of size I keep gobies/jawfish and they have everything they need from fine to little rubble pieces and shells and such. I have very little sand movement the coarse seems to sit on top of the finer sand.

 

[gofor100]

Yeah, I was thinking about keeping a depth between 2 and 4 inches... the first inch or so, being sugar-size, but then topping it off with coarser/larger grains with sporadic bits of shells spread throughout (which will hopefully make it look a little more natural).

 

[RyDub03]

I use CaribSea Aragonite "seaflor special grade reef sand". I think it's a good sized sand.

 

[scottwhitson]

I have heard many good things about the "seafloor special" sand that was mentioned in the previous post.

 

[smoyer]

Hey Guys,

I'm set on having a sandbed in my upgrade, which will be mainly SPS, but some zoas/acans/mushrooms (I love the look of a sandbed and will be keeping gobies and wrasses that need it for shelter).
-Chad

Just so you know some of these gobies and wrasses do just fine in bare bottom tanks.

 

[gofor100]

Just so you know some of these gobies and wrasses do just fine in bare bottom tanks.

Yeah... some of them do, but I like the aesthetics of the sand. Thanks for heads up!

 

[Bayliner]

I used CaribSea Aragonite fine sand because I really like the look of it, However.. here is my situation. I could not keep it clean until I put an orange diamond goby in the tank. He is constantly stirring it up and now it is so clean it looks like snow, but all my rocks and corals are constantly covered in sand.

The other problem is I have a clam that is down near the sand and a few times a day he will just close up and squirt water... when this happens it is like a sand storm.

The tank is about a year old.. I am hoping that my filter socks will eventually catch all the small floating sand and I eventually wont have any sand storms in the tank

All that being said.... I really like the look of the white sand.

Hope that helps a little

Good Luck
Cam