Sand on top of gravel

[Leedowlrods]

Morning all,
I was just wondering if my nano would benefit from having live sand on top of my coral gravel, LFS told me sand is false economy because when you do a w/c all the critters leave with the water. Can I lay an inch on top of my gravel ?

 

[Khij159753]

Nah. It should stay in the sand.... And on everything else the water touches. The beneficial bacteria doesn't reside in the water. As for adding sand it's up to you really. It won't help or hurt your tank. just change the look of the sand bed. An make it a little deeper

 

[Leedowlrods]

Thank you, I'm tempted then, Sand looks more pleasing to the eye.
Roll on payday!

 

[Khij159753]

Then get some just be prepared for cloudiness anytime it's moved haha. I like number 1 it's a little more sandy but is still coral. Maybe add something and mix them together?

 

[AquaRick]

Morning all,
I was just wondering if my nano would benefit from having live sand on top of my coral gravel, LFS told me sand is false economy because when you do a w/c all the critters leave with the water. Can I lay an inch on top of my gravel ?

What do you mean by coral gravel? Do you mean crushed coral? If so I would recommend to remove it completely and just use sand. If crushed coral isn't cleaned often and maintained properly, it can cause nitrate issues. Sand is easier to just clean the gunk off the top when you do your pwc's.

 

[Ericwm]

I put live sand on top of my gravel, it has been good for the 4 months I have had it up. There are some pieces of gravel that made it up to the surface but it still looks pretty good. I would recommend cleaning the gravel pretty well before adding the sand so you don't trap waste that could lead to nitrates.

 

[Leedowlrods]

I do mean crushed coral, and yes it is very good at holding the waste!! A complete change would be a major upheaval and it puts the fear of god into me.
...Dunno what to do for the best

 

[Daniel Fishy]

I would remove the gravel I did with my75 and it's well worth it!

 

[Leedowlrods]

Isn't the sand still gonna hold the waste? I might take as much gravel away as I can, leaving live rocks in place,
Once I start I'll prob do the lot in one fell swoop

 

[Smudgy35]

unless you remove everything you won't get all the crushed coral out, just remove as much as you can, that's what I done and mine looks 100% better, just make sure you clean the sand before putting it in otherwise your gonna have cloudy water for a while