Thinking of going from bb to sand

[SnRFishies]

I love my barebottom on my 75 but am really beginning to miss the natural look with a sand bed.
Convince me to either stay BB or go to a sand bed.
Thing is, I dont really want a DSB more about 1-2" sand bed. Would i be hurting my tank more this way if i don't do a 3.5" sand bed. I just got started on sps and will be getting many more in the future so i will have a lot of flow. So i was thinking of doing the caribsea special grade.

What should I do and why?!?!?!?

If you vote please explain your vote.

Thanks

 

[BuckeyeTodd]

I did exactly what you are planning, and you can have a lot of flow with special grade sand. Mp40's were no problem, but the Koralia 7 and 8's were hard to position. I like my decision to go sand.

 

[bellis31]

I can't imagine having a tank with out sand, I know it can be hard to manage at times but the look completes the package....

 

[Ruskin]

I didn't vote, but you should just do whatever you want and would be happy with. It's something you have to look at every day.

 

[chrishayes]

Ive got a differing view of the carribsea special grade. I have an mp40 in my 45 cube and I cant crank it up much at all due to the sand just blowing back towards the pump...it sucks. I wish I could stand the look of barebottom. I know my tank would be healtier with more flow but the sand limits me. Im hoping its just because my system is young so the sand hasnt had time to "bed" in. I only have about 1" or so and vaccum it with every waterchange to keep the crud away. I also have very little sand critters if any. A few nerites and nassarius that never do well in my tanks are clinging to life. I almost want to put spaghetti worms in there to hold it together. That or some crushed coral. I think ill go the crushed coral route as ive seen others do this successfully. Good luck in whatever you decide but im telling you, if you dont put down a good amount youll still have sand blowing everywhere. Its a tradeoff either way. All in the eye of the beholder.

 

[SnRFishies]

I did exactly what you are planning, and you can have a lot of flow with special grade sand. Mp40's were no problem, but the Koralia 7 and 8's were hard to position. I like my decision to go sand.

did you go with the special grade aswell? and how deep did you do? notice any parameter changes?

I can't imagine having a tank with out sand, I know it can be hard to manage at times but the look completes the package....

Thats how i've always felt with my first tank and wanted to try something new with the 75 but now im debating if it was what i really wanted

I didn't vote, but you should just do whatever you want and would be happy with. It's something you have to look at every day.

I like both but probably with a sand bed better. I just dont want to have swings in parameters

 

[SnRFishies]

Ive got a differing view of the carribsea special grade. I have an mp40 in my 45 cube and I cant crank it up much at all due to the sand just blowing back towards the pump...it sucks. I wish I could stand the look of barebottom. I know my tank would be healtier with more flow but the sand limits me. Im hoping its just because my system is young so the sand hasnt had time to "bed" in. I only have about 1" or so and vaccum it with every waterchange to keep the crud away. I also have very little sand critters if any. A few nerites and nassarius that never do well in my tanks are clinging to life. I almost want to put spaghetti worms in there to hold it together. That or some crushed coral. I think ill go the crushed coral route as ive seen others do this successfully. Good luck in whatever you decide but im telling you, if you dont put down a good amount youll still have sand blowing everywhere. Its a tradeoff either way. All in the eye of the beholder.

this is one of my concerns. how high off of the sand surface is your mp40?


I've worried that with such a shallow sand bed im going to have to still siphon the sand bed as apposed to a deep sand bed which you dont touch and let the sand do the cleaning.

 

[chrishayes]

Its about 10" above

 

[cato]

Aesthetics

 

[BuckeyeTodd]

I did go special grade, and didn't have any issues. So then I got bold and added some oolite, and then it blew around too much. My tank is a 150, and the mp40's gave me no issues but the k7 and k8 were very hard to position.

 

[toothman]

just spread it around the rocks about .5 inch and do not put it under the rocks at all. Use as little as possible. I have two tanks set up this way for 5 plus yrs and it is the best. I also had deep sand in the day ss bed like 2".

 

[SnRFishies]

just spread it around the rocks about .5 inch and do not put it under the rocks at all. Use as little as possible. I have two tanks set up this way for 5 plus yrs and it is the best. I also had deep sand in the day ss bed like 2".

Do you have to siphon it when its only .5"?

 

[my2girls]

Put it this way, it's harder to pull off a good-looking tank without sand. Are you up to that challenge?

I alway go back to BB because that's where my success lies. BB is easier to keep nutrients down and flow up. Sand does look better, but it's tough to keep pristine.

Sand or no sand, either way you win. Cheers!

 

[Pallobi]

I alway go back to BB because that's where my success lies. BB is easier to keep nutrients down and flow up.

Agreed...

 

[Algaeking]

BB for life here but wish I could have sand because there's no doubt it looks better WHEN it's clean and white

 

[tankaddict]

You can try starboard if you like BB but cant stand it.

 

[lolgranny]

I have BB right now and everything is doing quite amazing, although i miss the sand look. Im about to setup a 180g in wall and ive been debating the same thing. Stay bare or go sand. With bare the floor will get covered in coarline and you can put zoas / palys / yumas...ect on it to cover the floor. Its really up to you and what YOU want. Always hard decision, but flow is a huge thing for me so thats what throws me one side or the other.

 

[Sps Dream]

Maybe you can use frag stones ( especially korellen-zucht ) on bottom. I had same problem. I have more natural looking after i used frag stones and no problem with flow.

 

[SnRFishies]

BB for life here but wish I could have sand because there's no doubt it looks better WHEN it's clean and white

Yea i'm worried my sand wont stay clean for too long then i'll regret it

You can try starboard if you like BB but cant stand it.

I currently have starboard which i have to scrub down every week to make white again

I have BB right now and everything is doing quite amazing, although i miss the sand look. Im about to setup a 180g in wall and ive been debating the same thing. Stay bare or go sand. With bare the floor will get covered in coarline and you can put zoas / palys / yumas...ect on it to cover the floor. Its really up to you and what YOU want. Always hard decision, but flow is a huge thing for me so thats what throws me one side or the other.

thats what i've always wanted but i dont have a good rock with coralline at all so i need to buy a rock which coralline to bring it to my tank but not one lfs within a 50 mile radius of me has rock with coralline. It's rediculous.

want to sell me a piece to seed the tank :dance: lol

Maybe you can use frag stones ( especially korellen-zucht ) on bottom. I had same problem. I have more natural looking after i used frag stones and no problem with flow.

i tried googling "korellen-zucht" but didn't find much. What exactly is it your talking about?




Thanks to everyone for your votes and replies. Keep them coming im still undecided !!!

 

[lolgranny]

Coraline will grow as the tank ages, eventually you will say to yourself "this coraline is a major pain" It looks nice, but it consumes CA/ Alk and is a pain to get off the walls. If i were you i would go on your local club forums and find someone selling some liverock. Heck you can order some online and do the rest dry that way you dont have to worry about alot of bad algae / aptasia...ect

I have about 10 different kind of zoo's on my floor and im just waiting for them to spread. One guy on here has a yuma garden with hundreds on his BB. Its quite awesome, ill see if i can find it