what is better , sand, crush corals or bare bottom

[JARJAR]

Hello,

I will finish to fill my 90 gallons tank tonight. ( it took 2 days with my RO/Di). I'm eager to start. There is still one point that i'm not 100% sure. Here my choices.

Starting my tank with one inch of aramax sand
starting my tank with crush coral
Or start the tank bare bottom.

I want the less trouble option.

And also, do I have to put sand in my sump, beside my skimmer??

thanks

 

[rbp 4 135]

bare bottom will be the less work option, and is generally easiest, all you need to do is siphon the detrius out every once in a while. you can use eggcrate or starboard for the bottom to prevent rocks from slipping.

 

[Andrew]

Well don't add crushed coral because its a nitrate trap and can cause many problems in the future. Its up to you if you want sand or to go BB. If you like the look of sand then add a sandbed. Then your have to deside if you want a DSB or a TSB. You don't have to add sand in your sump, sand would get into the skimmer pump and thats not a good thing. If you have a fuge thats in a differen't tank or divided from your sump, then yes, you can add sand to the fuge. Most people go for a 1-3'' sandbed in their fuge.

 

[JARJAR]

I'm sorry, I'm a newbie, What means DBS and TBS??

 

[Andrew]

Deep Sand Bed
Thin Sand Bed

Heres a whole list you can always check back to if you don't know what letters mean.

http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Encyclopedia&op=terms&eid=2&ltr=all

 

[TekCat]

SSB - shallow sand bed

 

[JARJAR]

Would you consider 1 inch deep, a thin sand bed.can I go lower than that. I'm thinking 20 pounds on a 90 gallons ( 48 X 18).

Is there any type a sand that I should not consider to buy?

 

[Andrew]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6523011#post6523011 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TekCat
SSB - shallow sand bed

lol. Thats it. I couldn't think of what word to use. :lol:

 

[Andrew]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6523027#post6523027 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JARJAR
Would you consider 1 inch deep, a thin sand bed.can I go lower than that. I'm thinking 20 pounds on a 90 gallons ( 48 X 18).

Is there any type a sand that I should not consider to buy?

1'' is a SSB. 1-2'' sandbed would be good. 20lbs in a 90 gallon might not be enough. I put 100 lbs in my 75 and that gave me a 3-4'' sandbed. Might be because of the density of the sand.

 

[TekCat]

Another consideration is what type of fish you want to keep. For example if you plan to keep a gobby, then BB won't work.

 

[TippyToeX]

Here is a good link that goes into which choice might be for you. It's very much a personal thing, there is no "one better then the other".

Click Me

 

[NeilPearson]

TBS = Tampa Bay Saltwater

 

[javajaws]

I'd suggest using a DSB unless you are prepared to invest in the equipment needed to support a BB. The maintenance issue I think is a wash between the two. The real difference is what infrastructure you can/will put into the system (water flow, skimming, etc.). The DSB will also allow you to keep the most variety of fish and corals. Having said that, I run a BB tank because it is a better fit for the inhabitants of the tank (primarily SPS corals) using the means I have chosen (high flow, low nutrients, etc).