CleverBs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Should I go with or without sand for my Pico Reef? Its going to be an LPS tank
3g.
3g.
Sand or BB For Pico Reef?
- Thread starter CleverBs
- Start date
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Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
I happen to like the look of sand. I used live sand in my 8 gallon.
My vote... Sand!
My vote... Sand!
Pufferlove
Aquarium Advice Freak
Convict2161 said:I happen to like the look of sand. I used live sand in my 8 gallon.
My vote... Sand!
+1 I <3 sand
TigerBarbs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sand would also help stabilize parameters a little bit because of the beneficial bacteria. Plus I THINK a tank looks unfinished with a bare bottom. +1 on sand!
"To sand or not to sand" has been a question asked by many.... Having no sand bed is good only for one reason... It makes maintenance easier when you can siphons out most of the gunk that settles at the bottom if a tank. But this creates another glass surface to maintain and scrub for algae etc.
But the pros for a sand bed are limitless... Sand beds only become an issue if they are too deep and you don't have the proper critters to maintain it and what happens is that the nitrate pockets get trapped under the sand and start to leak back in to the water.
A shallow sand bed is the best for a tank as the bacteria and other micro organisms living on it break down proteins that settle at the bottom.
Not to mention it keeps your live rock in place as well as animals like goby fish, pistol shrimp, turbo snails and certain varieties of anemone to mention a few love a sand bed to really feel like home. Plus these critters sift the sand and prevent nitrate bubbles from forming unlike in a deep sand bed.
So to sun it up I am all for a sand bed
Here is a pic of my tank.
But the pros for a sand bed are limitless... Sand beds only become an issue if they are too deep and you don't have the proper critters to maintain it and what happens is that the nitrate pockets get trapped under the sand and start to leak back in to the water.
A shallow sand bed is the best for a tank as the bacteria and other micro organisms living on it break down proteins that settle at the bottom.
Not to mention it keeps your live rock in place as well as animals like goby fish, pistol shrimp, turbo snails and certain varieties of anemone to mention a few love a sand bed to really feel like home. Plus these critters sift the sand and prevent nitrate bubbles from forming unlike in a deep sand bed.
So to sun it up I am all for a sand bed
Here is a pic of my tank.
OP
OP
CleverBs
Aquarium Advice Addict
well the difference between a sand bed and no sand bed in a large tank is huge. I will never ever ever put sand in a large tank again after going BB on my 75g. I then took the sand out of my 2x 20g, 40, and 90 and the paramaters of the tanks are so much better and I dont need to do weekly water changes to keep my nitrates below 5ppm. However I was thinking that in a nano the tank may be better off with sand just for looks and for the simple fact that I am not worried to much about a sandbed in a 4g tank. There will be no fish in this tank I dont think. I am probably just going to sport some Sexy shrimp. MAYBE a neon goby at some point but im not sure if i want the waste that one will produce.
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