90gal fish tank arriving on Saturday, already to go.

[coolfish]

I'm getting a 90 gal saltwater fish tank with live rock, sand, and a eel. I already have a 55 gal with corals and fish. And its a bare bottom tank (no sand). The tank I'm getting on Saturday already has about a 3inch sand bed. I'm thinking about doing another bare bottom with the 90gal. What do you think? Looking for ideas.

 

[butts182]

I think it is personal preference...the eel would probably like sand better, bt you might never know unless he tells you...you need to be careful when removing the sand so that you don't make a mess of the tank...try using a thicker tube and get a good siphon to pull it all out.

 

[btkrausen]

Personal preference, but I've never been a fan of doing it with no sand. I think the sand makes it look more natural honestly. I have seen bare bottoms on the site that do look nice as well.

 

[coolfish]

If I go with the sand, what is the depth of a good sand bed?

 

[fsu1dolfan]

If I go with the sand, what is the depth of a good sand bed?

Sand bed or no sand bed is definitely a personal preferance. I prefer a sand bed for the critters that enjoy sand - Gobies, Nass snails, wrasses, etc. As far as depth, mine is 1-2 inches but i have read people using deeper sand beds 4-5 inches.

Here is a recent thread with some good info - https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/general-reef-discussions/55855-sandbed-question.html

 

[btkrausen]

I use probably about an inch of sand on the bottom. Its just enough to be visually pleasing without creating a deep sand bed. I generally put a bunch of Nassarius snails in it as well.