Sandbed questions...

[MikeP471612]

I have a sandbed in my 190g display and in my sump/refugium (there is also cheato, caulerpa and LR rubble in there). I was wondering....with 200 pounds of sand in the display is there any point in having any sand in the refugium? I have also noticed some small air bubbles in the display tank when looking at the sand that is pressed up against the glass, is this normal or the start of something bad? I also wanted recommendations for keeping the sand clean, I have had 2 diamond gobies so far (1 jumped out) and the other died (not sure why) the diamond goby did a great job but makes the tank cloudy What else could I try? I have 50 nassarius snails and 1 sand sifting starfish but it's only been a week without the goby and the sand is already starting to look bad. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[saltwater4life1]

The point of sand in the refuge i think is more for DSB. The air bubbles is normal it's just air exchange? Maybe a sand shifting goby?

 

[AZDesertRat]

I have 330 lbs of Southdown Sand in my 100 G reef tank, none in my 30 G sump or refugium. This gives me a 5" DSB which is ideal for a fully functioning deep sand bed which aids in nitrate removal and also provides a place for lots of fauna to live in. I recommend a single Fighting Conch or no more than two, nassarius snails and cerith snails. Though some dislike them I have never had any problems with scarlet hermits, I did have problems with blue leg hermits though eating all my snails so they went bye bye.

 

[MikeP471612]

I've got about 3 inches of sandbed in the diplay. If there's no point in having the sand in my fugeI would like to get rid of it just to give me a bit more depth in there. Any other opinions on the little bubbles in the display sandbed?

Tx

 

[AZDesertRat]

3" is about the minimum recommended for a DSB, I like closer to 5-6" myself based on Dr. Rons advice.
How old is the system? Gas bubbles are normal in the beginning. How is your sand bed life? Do you have lots of critters like mini brittle stars, snails and red spaghetti worms to keep it fresh? I find it good to bum a few cups off of friends occasionally to give things a boost, by trading sand we keep a real diverse life going.

 

[filmoholic]

I'm no expert But there are plenty of storys of the dangers in having a deep sandbed. Under 3 inches is where toxins can build and it only takes a snail or a little critter too release it.A friend of mine tank crashed do to a pocket of air released under his sand bed he did 2 100percent water changes and it didn't even help.There was a good websight about this I will try too find and post it for you.It scared me!

 

[AZDesertRat]

There are horror stories about bare bottom, crushed coral, plenums and every other method too. Good husbandry and housekeeping go a long way in a successful reef system.

 

[MikeP471612]

The tank is four and a half months old. I had about 20-30 pounds of LS to seed the 200 pounds of new sand when I started. I do have the nassarius snails in there and there seems to be lots of bristle worms and brittle stars throughout the tank.

 

[MikeP471612]

If the bubbles are because the tank isn't that old how long do they last? I'm just wondering if there's a point that I should start to worry.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

I have a 2-3 inch sand bed in the display. Its only there for asthetics, and a play area for my OD goby. The areas he doesnt go into have little gas pockets. Some look like veins in the sand. If he gets into a new area, I see the gas bubbles being released and float to the top.