I am SICK of sand!!!

matt b

matt b

Active Member
Over the past months I am really getting sick of my sand bed. Its about 1 inch if that. I just hate it blowing around with all the flow I need for my SPS and clams it just becomes a pain. So my question is if I SLOWLY take it out (over a month) will it work and not cause a spike? Like just syphon out a little every time I do a water change. And then another question... You know how when your looking at the tank from the front you cant see through the sides its just like a mirror will it be like that for the bottom?
 
bgbdwlf2500

bgbdwlf2500

Member
Originally Posted by MaTT B
http:///forum/post/2640361
Over the past months I am really getting sick of my sand bed. Its about 1 inch if that. I just hate it blowing around with all the flow I need for my SPS and clams it just becomes a pain. So my question is if I SLOWLY take it out (over a month) will it work and not cause a spike? Like just syphon out a little every time I do a water change. And then another question... You know how when your looking at the tank from the front you cant see through the sides its just like a mirror will it be like that for the bottom?
dont know about removing the sand but i think a bare bottom tank is a no no because the fish dont like it...i think ive read that on here but dont hold me to it...
 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Originally Posted by bgbdwlf2500
http:///forum/post/2640461
dont know about removing the sand but i think a bare bottom tank is a no no because the fish dont like it...i think ive read that on here but dont hold me to it...
I do not have ANY fish that burrow so thats not a problem. And I have a FUGE with macro algae and a good skimmer so I do not need the sand as a "filter" and I do not have any corals that need a sand bed.
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Haha, many many tanks around here are bare bottom. But I remember when I put my fish in my BB QT, they tried to swim down. They could SEE down there, but it took almost an hour before they realized they couldn't swim down there, lol.
As far as the reflection thing, I can see through to the bottom and see what's in my stand.
 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2640502
Haha, many many tanks around here are bare bottom. But I remember when I put my fish in my BB QT, they tried to swim down. They could SEE down there, but it took almost an hour before they realized they couldn't swim down there, lol.
As far as the reflection thing, I can see through to the bottom and see what's in my stand.
Hm, Maybe I will try and paint it black. but that will be hard getting under the stand and spray painting it and trying to make sure it does not drip down
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Don't know what size your tank is but I have a 29 gallon bio-cube and took all of the 1.5" of sand out one day and went bare bottom. I had about 35-40 lbs. of live rock and it is still in there today. I did not experience any spikes from doing so. But if you have a larger tank there may be some concern, don't know. The beneficial bacteria in a shallow sandbed only resides in about the top 1/8" so you are really not losing much in way of biofiltration capacity.
Here is a link to my thread if you want to read about it.
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...ight=beginning
 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2640965
Don't know what size your tank is but I have a 29 gallon bio-cube and took all of the 1.5" of sand out one day and went bare bottom. I had about 35-40 lbs. of live rock and it is still in there today. I did not experience any spikes from doing so. But if you have a larger tank there may be some concern, don't know. The beneficial bacteria in a shallow sandbed only resides in about the top 1/8" so you are really not losing much in way of biofiltration capacity.
Here is a link to my thread if you want to read about it.
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...ight=beginning
Its a 75 with a good size plastic bin for a sump. So I have alot of water valume and not that much sand so I think I should be fine
 
crush4989

crush4989

Member
i have had a bb tank for over a year with no problems. you cant see through the bottem after the coralline alge grow in. Took a little over a month
 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Well I started today and took not even half out and did a big water change with no problems. I am going to start mixing water and take out some more and do a water change in a week
 
T

tizzo

Guest
I wanted to go BB with my current set up. Yeah, I was having fun settin' up my new tank, adding rock, adding sand, testing parameters, blah, blah blah...
I FORGOT!!

Completely forgot I wanted to go BB...

Now I syphon out as much as I can with each water change. But my rocks are on my sand, so I'm afraid to move out to much.

Did I mention...
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
I know it is after the fact hindsight for you Tizz, but for others setting up a tank it is always a good idea to place rockwork in the tank first and then backfill around it with sand if you are going to use it. You get more stable rock and less chance that a burrowing critter will displace sand under the rock and cause a potential slide.
 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Originally Posted by Tizzo
http:///forum/post/2642049
I wanted to go BB with my current set up. Yeah, I was having fun settin' up my new tank, adding rock, adding sand, testing parameters, blah, blah blah...
I FORGOT!!

Completely forgot I wanted to go BB...

Now I syphon out as much as I can with each water change. But my rocks are on my sand, so I'm afraid to move out to much.

Did I mention...

Ya my rocks are on the sand to
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
Originally Posted by MaTT B
http:///forum/post/2642558
Ya my rocks are on the sand to

ugh, you're looking at an avalanche, lets hope your tank's bottom doesnt get broken...
also, and i'm sure you know this, but you'll want to top off with salt water as you're sucking out sand/water
 
matt b

matt b

Active Member
Originally Posted by renogaw
http:///forum/post/2642564
ugh, you're looking at an avalanche, lets hope your tank's bottom doesnt get broken...
also, and i'm sure you know this, but you'll want to top off with salt water as you're sucking out sand/water
Really?! Salt water?
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Yes, water is not evaporating it is being removed. Keep checking your salinity as you go. You will be fine. Rocks on the sand are problematic if you are removing it though!
 
gatorwpb

gatorwpb

Active Member
How much flow do you have in your tank? I have over 4300 gph in my 65 and I dont have any problems with sand blowing. Its all about how you aim the PHs so that they crash into one another and create intermitent flow.
But I plan to go BB when I do my tank upgrade whenever I move into a new house.
 
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