How much sand depth do you use?

[king_neptune]

I know this is one of those topics that no two people will agree on. but i want to start building a picture in my head about how much sand depth ill have. I have a 55gal 48x12 main and a same sized sump(half will be LR biofiltration...so ill need to determine sand depth there as well.24x12).
It will be a reef tank. and i plan on a compliment of bottom feeders/sifters ect as well as fish. I took a stab at it and guessed 4-5 inches seemed to be what most people look like they put in. I'm checking out a sand calculator and wanted an idea.

 

[mboswell1982]

4 inches is good for a deep sand bed, and its perfect for the sandsifting gobies such as a diamond goby, thats about the perfect depth for them according to people who have them

 

[reefforbrains]

UNDER 1.5 inch or OVER 4 inch. Avoid anything in between
Deep sand beds have pros and cons, so do shallow ones.
For sake of beginning in the hobby, go shallow. Much less worry and chemistry issue for someone out of the gate.

 

[king_neptune]

why is in between depth bad?

 

[maeistero]

Originally Posted by ReefForBrains
http:///forum/post/2859354
UNDER 1.5 inch or OVER 4 inch. Avoid anything in between
Deep sand beds have pros and cons, so do shallow ones.
For sake of beginning in the hobby, go shallow. Much less worry and chemistry issue for someone out of the gate.

hmm.. so over 4" and under 1.5" have cons is what you're saying?
I don't like deep sand beds personally, about 2.5-4 depending on where the sand sifters push it. deeper and you can see the detrius where the light doesn't shine to. less and you'll see glass and not a lot of life goes there.
as far as chemistry, that is the reason for a live sand bed, to even out your nitrogen cycle. don't start a salty tank without live rock and sand, it's elemental.

 

[reefforbrains]

When running a deep sand bed, say anything over about 3 inches there are areas of the lower portion of the sand bed that develope and culture the bacteria that works like a septic tank.
The deep undisturbed sand that has this bacteria works great for digesting biological gunk from your tank but also poses a risk in iteself by virtue that if that layer is disturbed it can release toxins into the water colum.
Sand sifters and such are BAD when they over work or overly disturb a deep sand bed.
Sand beds of different depths foster environments for completly different bacteria to thrive.
Aerobic and Non-aerobic.
In shallow beds the "live" beneifits are still present but since fresh new oxygen rich water can penetrate all the way through, you dont have this issue. Shallow beds cannot pull as much toxin but they can be swished and moved with little fear.....IE perfect for the novice that might not know what they want for a stocklist.
That is the reason for the absence of inbetween. Over or under, typically not suggested to be caught in the middle.
-JMO

 

[mr_x]

i use about 1"-2". eventually, things will get shifted around and in some areas you'll have a half inch, and in others you'll have three anyway. i don't straighten it out when i see this. i just leave it. i've never had any problems.
if you want sand dwellers/sifters in the tank, you don't need to be concerned with the benefits of a sand bed from a filtration standpoint, because they will render the sand bed dead anyway.
make sure you use a finer grain sand. sugar sized, aragonite based, sand is best in my opinion.

 

[dennis210]

Yet still another opinion. If you want the DSB without the worry of disturbing the annerobic area's - place 2 inches of sand in the bottom of your tank, then cut some nylon screen (hardware store) to fit inside of your tank. Once this is done you can place your rock and then put in another 2 inches of sand.
It's like a plenum without the actual plenum's. But it works as far as giving the benefits of nitrate reduction in a DSB without worring about stirring up the bottom layers.

 

[karavak]

Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2859418
i use about 1"-2". eventually, things will get shifted around and in some areas you'll have a half inch, and in others you'll have three anyway. i don't straighten it out when i see this. i just leave it. i've never had any problems.
if you want sand dwellers/sifters in the tank, you don't need to be concerned with the benefits of a sand bed from a filtration standpoint, because they will render the sand bed dead anyway.
I have about 1.5" - 2" in my tank as well but I was curious as to why you say the sand dwellers/sifters would render it dead?
Currently I have Nass. Snails, a black brittle star and a serpent star that I have been told are good to help stir the sand a little but nobody said it would do bad things to the sand.

 

[mr_x]

they eat anything beneficial in the sand bed. that's why i say it will be dead.

 

[dennis210]

another reason for dividing the sand bed, keeping some prey away from predators.

 

[karavak]

Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2859442
they eat anything beneficial in the sand bed. that's why i say it will be dead.
Oh.. well that is a bugger. So the clean up crew and stars actually hurt part of the clean up

I have so much to learn...

 

[pumper]

Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2859418
i use about 1"-2". eventually, things will get shifted around and in some areas you'll have a half inch, and in others you'll have three anyway. i don't straighten it out when i see this. i just leave it. i've never had any problems.
if you want sand dwellers/sifters in the tank, you don't need to be concerned with the benefits of a sand bed from a filtration standpoint, because they will render the sand bed dead anyway.
make sure you use a finer grain sand. sugar sized, aragonite based, sand is best in my opinion.
Mines is the same way as Mr. X... I never had any problems and it is deeper in some spots because of powerhead flow and what not.

 

[king_neptune]

One important thing I forgot to mention when considering this....
I want bottom feeders/sifters. I just want to make sure I'm giving them all that they need to do what comes naturally to them.
If 1 inch is enough...then once inch it is...but if I need more than that I wanted to take that into consideration. I see the sand as a habitat for the bottom feeders and not as another filtration method.
If they need deep sand to be happy then Ill get them deep sand.
If i can get away with little...then Ill do little. Personally I like the advice to go around 1.5". This seems to me like good advice because the last thing I need is a tough to maintain tank for a noob.