how much sand would you use if you had to do it again?

[VintageReefer]

I hate sand I run a bare bottom in my mixed reef tank at home I have a piece of beige acrylic on the bottom.... looks beautiful. The reef tank that I take care of in my classroom at school was set up with sand because other people wanted it and it's been covered in Dino's for a year and a half now ughhhh

Do you have conches? If not add two fighting conch

 

[danreef55]

Thanks did they tell you why? Does detritus get under the board? Appreciate the input.

 

[VintageReefer]

I took close up my sand…at least 10 years old…never been vacuumed. And I don’t do water changes and don’t run mech filtration or a skimmer.
Nassarius snails help but the game changer for me was adding a fighting conch. You might need 2 but no more than 2

 

[Extremeengineer]

1/2” to 1” Carib Sea live sand. It’s always clean and white. Because I vacuum it monthly when I water change. Hobbyists have reasons why they have a bare bottom tank. Okay, But good reasons?

This. I put 4 bags of Carib Sea Live in a 75, so 1 1/4”, to allow plenty for any minimal losses vacuuming each month.

 

[Jeremy_d]

none. I don’t want the temptation of getting another pistol shrimp and goby pair. They are awesome, don’t get me wrong, by my god the sand bed is different every day, it drives me nuts.

 

[Jeremy_d]

I took close up my sand…at least 10 years old…never been vacuumed. And I don’t do water changes and don’t run mech filtration or a skimmer.
Nassarius snails help but the game changer for me was adding a fighting conch. You might need 2 but no more than 2

+1 on the conch. Mine is a work horse. I never do sand bed maintenance, just let the nassarius, conch, and shrimp/goby pair turn it over.

 

[Kodski]

I have been a big sand guy since I entered the hobby, that is up until a few months ago when I setup my most recent tank. I went bare bottom this time around just to give it a shot and I'll have a hard time going back. Its so nice to be able to suck up the detritus spots once in a while. I feel like my tank is overall much cleaner and healthier and I haven't missed sand once.

Now saying that, I do have sand in my refugium and believe its an important part of the "filter" of the tank. I can also see where keeping certain fish/shrimp would warrant having sand and I would still use it in that case, my approach would just be different. Many species of fish/shrimp that require sand need a deeper bed. So lets say theoretically 1-1/2" deep sand bed. I would make sure that I have one heck of a cleanup crew for just the sand. As it has already been said, fighting conch's are a must. They are super hero's for the sand bed. I'd also add quite a few sand sifting star fish along with the standard snail assortment.

 

[iannarelli]

In the 60 cube I just set up, where I placed the rock work directly on the glass, I *maybe* used 45 lbs of sand, and it's given me a >2 inch bed in most areas of the tank. I used one 20 lb bag of Ocean Direct, one bag of Arag-Alive! Special Grade, and then a couple pounds from a second bag of Arag-Alive! As I add livestock, I imagine it will even out some, but I definitely didn't use 1 lb/gallon, which is what all the online calculators were saying I'd need for 2 inches of sand.

 

[VintageReefer]

The sand I use I have bought 3x and used on 3 reefs and it’s the whitest sand I’ve ever used, perfect size and settled nicely and the company is out of business

It was called something like crystal reef sand

 

[crazyfishmom]

I am getting ready to put an order in with TBS. I am trying to figure out how much I want to use. I normally do about 1-1.5 inches.

What depth would you go with? Next - I don't don't TBS at all, but any calculator I see online is not 1 pound per gallon. I have 100 pounds of special grade brand new in bags I never used. I could mix that in with the TBS, but I would guess I would lose the high flow benefit of the TBS rock. My display will be 96x36, peninsula and 3/4 of the tank will be SPS dominate with high flow. BTW 0.6 inches of sand in my size tank equals 100 pounds. But the more I think about this, the TBS sand must be so dense, which causes it not to move much, which is why you need more for the same when compared to others. I guess I could get 270 - 300 pounds, but put special grade down on the glass and TBS on top. Anyway, curious if anyone can help with your experience and or ideas. Thanks!

My tank is 72 long by 24 W. I bought 40 lb of TBS sand and mixed it with 100 lb of arag alive sand. That mix has worked pretty well for me.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

My new build will be bare bottom
Has anyone used starboard as a bottom?

there is no issue using starboard, I BELIEVE they still have the first versions underwater in testing facilities with no chemical breakdown.

it's just expensive and heavy.

you can get abs cut to exact measurements much thinner and cheaper and more availability.

all my tanks are abs bottoms and the coraline covers it so fast it doesn't matter if it's a few pieces or what color it is, everything turns purple in the end and looks like hard bottom.

 

[BigAsh]

I would say no sand but I never tried the Fighting Conch when I had sand. I rebooted with a bare bottom with dry rock starting in March 2023. It is just now maturing. Sand may have helped speed things along. There was an extended ugly phase. I used the aqua forest mud and a dose of rubble from Aquabiomics. Still had Dinos and turf algae. Looking good now but I’m still trying to get nitrates down with carbon dosing. Now getting white filament bacteria on the glass and in the pumps. I assume from the carbon dosing. Seems like there is always a new cycle of some sort going on with this tank.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Thanks did they tell you why? Does detritus get under the board? Appreciate the input.

I tape a line around the tank glass down low and use aquarium silicone under and all around the edge of the abs. put some weight on it for a few days and the abs will be secured to the glass enough and the detritus will be minimal if any.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I tape a line around the tank glass down low and use aquarium silicone under and all around the edge of the abs. put some weight on it for a few days and the abs will be secured to the glass enough and the detritus will be minimal if any.

I assume you put sand on top of that or just leave it like that? Have any pics?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I assume you put sand on top of that or just leave it like that? Have any pics?

lol no sand!!!!

no when I say I tape a line around the glass down low, it's just above the abs sheet on the bottom basically sealing in the abs edges with silicone so nothing gets underneath the abs.

I also put a bunch under the abs so it can bond as good as it can to the glass. (abs will bond to glass with silicone but not as good as glass to glass)

this makes the abs some what permanent but that's ok if that's the plan

I don't have any exact pictures of the process but if you go through my 2 build threads in the beginnings you can see the install of the black abs.

heres a picture in my 48g fijicube

Post in thread '20gallon long tranformed into a 48gallon cube! Soon two cubes = 120g' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...cube-soon-two-cubes-120g.845454/post-10850510

 

[PharmrJohn]

My new build will be bare bottom
Has anyone used starboard as a bottom?

I haven't, but am looking into it. Glass Cages offers the option. Still undecided tho.

 

[danreef55]

Glass tanks recommend against starboard bottoms. I am going to listen to their advice. My aquascapes will consist of approximately five structures that interlace but have individual flat bottom bases. Once arranged I won't be moving them. Going to put heavy cardboard in the base of the empty tank as a safety precaution when lowering the structures. This is far from finished but here is what I am refering to

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Glass tanks recommend against starboard bottoms. I am going to listen to their advice. My aquascapes will consist of approximately five structures that interlace but have individual flat bottom bases. Once arranged I won't be moving them. Going to put heavy cardboard in the base of the empty tank as a safety precaution when lowering the structures. This is far from finished but here is what I am refering to

@danreef55 i was given the same advice against them. I am going to go for an inch to inch and a half of TBS.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I am getting ready to put an order in with TBS. I am trying to figure out how much I want to use. I normally do about 1-1.5 inches.

What depth would you go with? Next - I don't don't TBS at all, but any calculator I see online is not 1 pound per gallon. I have 100 pounds of special grade brand new in bags I never used. I could mix that in with the TBS, but I would guess I would lose the high flow benefit of the TBS rock. My display will be 96x36, peninsula and 3/4 of the tank will be SPS dominate with high flow. BTW 0.6 inches of sand in my size tank equals 100 pounds. But the more I think about this, the TBS sand must be so dense, which causes it not to move much, which is why you need more for the same when compared to others. I guess I could get 270 - 300 pounds, but put special grade down on the glass and TBS on top. Anyway, curious if anyone can help with your experience and or ideas. Thanks!

About an inch. Bare bottom is ugly - just like a hospital room

 

[danreef55]

This is Reef Bum tank and I dont think it is ugly. The easy of Maintenace and ability to keep excellent water parameters are beneficial. I am going to have a refugium with a sand bottom as well. I feel it is the best of both worlds. I have experience with both and for the long haul I think bare bottom is superior. At the end everyone should do whatever they find best to suit their tastes.

I wish everyone well regardless of your approach.
Keep reefing and be happy.