i have had my tank set up for over a year now but never took into consideration y my nitrates were always deletable but now i think i see the problem my sand bed is at least 3-4 inches high and i see bubbles about a inch into the bed is my sand to high? or do i just need to mix it up once in a while?
to much sand
- Thread starter raggie
- Start date
FishTruck
Premium Member
Right. You might have better luck making it shallower OR deeper. Let me explain...
1. Shallow sand beds / bare bottom tanks are nice because they do not trap detritus.
2. Deep sand beds (like 6 inches and deeper) are nice because they generate anaerobic zones where bacterial species flourish that, in the abscence of oxygen, can remove nitrates from your system.
If your sandbed is in between, it can (in theory) trap detritus without any denitrification benefit. You have three options:
1. You might carefully vacuum your bed your bed / do water changes to get the detritus / nitrates out and see what happens. Go slow, sometimes when people really stir up a previously undisturbed sandbed, they have problems. I know plenty of people with "in between" sandbeds that do fine with a little maintenance.
2. Remove sand to 1 inch depth or bare bottom and groom it frequently to keep it detritus free. Lots of circulation will help.
3. Add sand to make it six inches or deeper.
1. Shallow sand beds / bare bottom tanks are nice because they do not trap detritus.
2. Deep sand beds (like 6 inches and deeper) are nice because they generate anaerobic zones where bacterial species flourish that, in the abscence of oxygen, can remove nitrates from your system.
If your sandbed is in between, it can (in theory) trap detritus without any denitrification benefit. You have three options:
1. You might carefully vacuum your bed your bed / do water changes to get the detritus / nitrates out and see what happens. Go slow, sometimes when people really stir up a previously undisturbed sandbed, they have problems. I know plenty of people with "in between" sandbeds that do fine with a little maintenance.
2. Remove sand to 1 inch depth or bare bottom and groom it frequently to keep it detritus free. Lots of circulation will help.
3. Add sand to make it six inches or deeper.
VacavilleFC3S
Active member
sounds perfect as it is to me, 3-4" in deep is perfect
bubbles in the substrate is just nitrogen, they bubbles float to the surface and escape when they get big enough signs of a healthy aquarium.
nope don't mix it.
bubbles in the substrate is just nitrogen, they bubbles float to the surface and escape when they get big enough signs of a healthy aquarium.
nope don't mix it.
FishTruck
Premium Member
Whoa! Deeper is not better, it is different and depends on your situation.
If you have LOTS of detritus, it will overwhelm a deep sandbed and in that case, barebottom or minimal sand might be better.
Did you say... shark tank?
Hopefully, someone will chime in about what sand bed works best for sharks. I was thinking reefs. :strooper:
the tank i have now isnt a reef tank its just saltwater fish tank i haven't put in any corals in it its a 55 long tank with 50lbs of rocks
the sand bed is 2 inches deep right now and the bubbles get trapped there for weeks on out and my nitrates become deletable what should i do??????
the sand bed is 2 inches deep right now and the bubbles get trapped there for weeks on out and my nitrates become deletable what should i do??????
kau_cinta_ku
New member
check these out.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=803688
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=803688
Playa-1
In Memoriam
You might be better off with a deep sand bed in a large fuge or a Remote Deep Sand Bed in a separate container, or no deep sand bed at all. If you get anaerobic conditions under your sand bed in your display and something disturbs it then it could crash your tank. The problem with a DSB in a Display is there are many potential things that can disturb it, such as a falling rock, a burrowing fish, worms, crustaceans, somebody cleaning the tank, etc... What ever you decide to do, You need to carefully research your options and make an educated decision that is right for you and your tank. Deep sand beds also have a limited lifespan and will need to be changed out from time to time.
