Bare bottom or shallow sand bed for euphyllia tanks

[florix9]

Setting up a new 140-ish gallon LPS system and I'm curious about shallow sand beds - do they offer any benefits over a bare bottom. Considering the extra maintenance, I'd love to know if it's worth it. Any advice on maintenance routines, ideal sand grain size, or recommended clean up crew would be super helpful.

[bayo]

I'm a fan of the aesthetic sand provides. It also gives you the option to keep sand-dwelling species like diamond gobies and wrasses. Given the LPS-dominated setup, you shouldn't need the intense in-tank flow rates that can be an issue with sand beds. I went with about 1.5" of Fiji Pink sand in my tank.

[florix9]

I completely agree, the aesthetic of sand is hard to beat. My only reservations have always been about maintenance. I've always been torn between two approaches - do I thoroughly churn it up during water changes and remove all the critters that call it home, or do I take a more gentle approach and just vacuum the detritus from the top, leaving the sand dwellers undisturbed? I also worry about what's accumulating under the rocks - is it just a matter of letting nature take its course, or should I be taking a more proactive approach to keeping things under control?

[felinxo]

You're gonna get varied opinions on sand vacuuming and stirring, I'm a bare bottom fan myself, but aesthetics are subjective.

[coral8]

I switched from a bare bottom tank to one with a shallow sand bed and it's been a game-changer. I added just half an inch of sand, figuring my hermits and snails would do the rest, keeping it turned over and fresh without me having to lift a finger. And it's working - I've got a thriving population of pods living in the sand.

My nitrates are sitting at around 2ppm, which is exactly where I want them. I think a shallow sand bed is perfect for an LPS-dominated tank like yours, florix9. The water flow is lower, so you won't have to worry about the sand getting blown around, and you'll even get a bit of plankton production out of it. So, yeah, I'm a fan of sand - I think you should give it a shot.

[coral8]

I used to run my tank BB, but I found the water was a bit too sterile, nutrient-wise. I decided to add about half an inch of sand, and now my nitrates are sitting pretty at 2-5ppm – just where I like 'em. By keeping the sand layer thin, I'm letting my hermits and snails do the dirty work, turning it over and keeping it fresh. It's already made a huge difference, and I've got a bunch of tiny critters calling the sand home. For an LPS-dominated tank like yours, I'd definitely recommend giving sand a shot.

[coral8]

No clue, double post fail.

[florix9]

I'm leaning towards 1/2-1" of sand, seems like the sweet spot. What's the grain size you used, worked out pretty well for you it seems.

[zenoxa]

I'd probably stick with a 1" sand bed, and just give the substrate a good stir with a power head every now and then - maybe once a month or so, right before a water change. Siphon out as much detritus as you can, and then just run a filter sock until the water clears up again.

[coral8]

Setting up a new 140-ish gallon LPS system and I'm curious about shallow sand beds - do they offer any benefits over a bare bottom. Considering the extra maintenance, I'd love to know if it's worth it. Any advice on maintenance routines, ideal sand grain size, or recommended clean up crew would be super helpful.

I went with a sand that's a bit finer than the usual stuff, slightly larger than sugar. Dragging my fingers through it the other day, I noticed it was getting a bit darker at the bottom, so I'm thinking I'll have to stir it up pretty regularly - probably weekly before a water change.