Should i go with a thick or thin substrare?

[JOSE CASAS]

Thin looks good and we all know there is more than one way to skin a cat right lol!

Thick is better as far as reducing nitrate. Thin is all for looks and will acumilate stuff with no real benefit beside growing pods. You really need a DSB 4''-6'' to fully work on reducing no3 hth. Did you decide how much sand you are putting in your tank yet?[/Q

I went thin, because I asked the whole world (figure of speech) about it, and did a lot of research, and I learned that a DSB is good for a year or two, but the majority (people who had tanks for 10+ years) of the tanks that had a DSB all crashed, because of the build up of gases, released in their tanks over time, and I am doing this for the long haul.

Yes it is good for nitrates, but there is other ways of reducing nitrates, like vodka dosing, and using Prodibio BioClean, This stuff digests the sludge, and organic waste, and other stuff which reduce nitrates, phosphates, carbohydrates, and other stuff. Of course this means a cleaner, healthier, more flourishing tank, with out crashes!

I know a lot of reefers don't agree with this, so I ask those who don't agree, to go look at LFS's that have been selling corals for over 10+ years, and see if they have a DSB!

 

[jessesoto33]

Thin looks good and we all know there is more than one way to skin a cat right lol!


Yes Siry, you got it my friend, well said.

 

[JOSE CASAS]

:wink::wink:

 

[bkoo29]

Thin looks good and we all know there is more than one way to skin a cat right lol!




Yes Siry, you got it my friend, well said.

How much inches of sand is consider thin???

 

[JOSE CASAS]

Too me 1" and lower is thin.

 

[jessesoto33]

Too me 1" and lower is thin.

+1 on 1" or lower!

 

[therapy]

i go with thin and replace the whole thing occasionally. I do have some wrasses though that like thick sand thats piled up in some places

 

[Skidazl]

1-2" for me. I think BB doesn't look real natural. I think the key to high flow and no sandstorms is bigger grains of sand. I am currently in the process of removing my sugar-sized sand to replace with 1-2mm stuff. The left quarter of my tank will be closer to 3" deep for my wrasse(s) to sleep in, but the rest will be 1-2" max, mostly 1".

DSB are great for low nutrients, but why take 1/4 of your display space for it? I think they are best done remotely in a refugium. Just my .02

 

[jessesoto33]

13 to 6 on poll for thin over thick so far!

 

[JOSE CASAS]

I think he went with a thin sand bed already.

 

[jessesoto33]

I think he went with a thin sand bed already.

yes sir!

 

[bkoo29]

1-2" for me. I think BB doesn't look real natural. I think the key to high flow and no sandstorms is bigger grains of sand. I am currently in the process of removing my sugar-sized sand to replace with 1-2mm stuff. The left quarter of my tank will be closer to 3" deep for my wrasse(s) to sleep in, but the rest will be 1-2" max, mostly 1".

DSB are great for low nutrients, but why take 1/4 of your display space for it? I think they are best done remotely in a refugium. Just my .02

Someone mentioned that a thick sandbed is good for nitrate and other nutrients but in the long run it will cause your system to fail. Potentially killing everything in your tank. Is this correct??

 

[Skidazl]

Someone mentioned that a thick sandbed is good for nitrate and other nutrients but in the long run it will cause your system to fail. Potentially killing everything in your tank. Is this correct??

I agree completely. I had a 4-6" sandbed that stopped "working" and my nitrates were off the chart. My fish were still healthy so i assumed my amm and nitrites were ok, though i did not test them. I slowly started removing it in August and am getting close to where i can put the new bigger stuff in...