A General Question & Thought

[Cscultho]

Anybody every notice that most fish stores do not have substrates (sand or rubble)? At least in my area this seems to be more true than not.

Is there a purpose for this? Do they know something we don't know like having substrate is a magnet for nuisance algae such as Dino's?

Just curious if anybody has the down low on this? Due to my recent Dino breakout, I've removed 90% of my sand and the dino's have receded considerably and my corals seem happier.

Bare bottom is my way forward.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Anybody every notice that most fish stores do not have substrates (sand or rubble)? At least in my area this seems to be more true than not.

Is there a purpose for this? Do they know something we don't know like having substrate is a magnet for nuisance algae such as Dino's?

Just curious if anybody has the down low on this? Due to my recent Dino breakout, I've removed 90% of my sand and the dino's have receded considerably and my corals seem happier.

Bare bottom is my way forward.

Yes, it makes siphoning out the tanks much easier to keep them looking good. It actually stresses the fish when they have nowhere to even somewhat hide.

 

[Gill the 3rd]

I'm in the philly area and most of the LFS do have sand in their tanks.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I'm in the philly area and most of the LFS do have sand in their tanks.

All of the tanks have sand or some have sand some don't? Some holding tanks need sand because the fish burrow when they sleep. Regardless, I don't think they do it to prevent dinos since there are more plausible reasons such as making maintenance easier when siphoning uneaten food and poop, sand can work its way into the filter over time or simply be displaced, and it costs money to fill all the holding tanks with sand which they'd prefer not to spend. You don't generally notice dinos on the sand in Philly do you?

 

[Gill the 3rd]

They pretty much all have sand in their saltwater systems with the exception of some tanks, and generally speaking they are pretty clean. I cant speak for them, but I cant imagine it has anything to do with dinos. These are well established systems. I'm not sure how it is everywhere else. I've definitely seen stores with no substrate and I'm sure ease of maintenance is the reason, but I wouldn't say its the norm.

 

[MrGisonni]

I hate sand! In between my toes and in my reef tank. I care for my school reef aquarium that has sand, and I've been fighting cyano for months. My reef at home bare bottom.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I hate sand! In between my toes and in my reef tank. I care for my school reef aquarium that has sand, and I've been fighting cyano for months. My reef at home bare bottom.

Cyano caused by just having sand seems a little far fetched imo...are you saying the reason for the cyano the sand? If so, I'd be interested why you've drawn that conclusion.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Her, it is about 50/50 in LFS. I feel certain, as others have mentioned, that it is for ease of maintenance. Personally, I love wrasses, and therefore need sand. If you have a good, established bio system, then you really shouldn't need to disturb your sand bed much when siphoning. If you do, it could cause more harm than good. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MrGisonni]

Cyano caused by just having sand seems a little far fetched imo...are you saying the reason for the cyano the sand? If so, I'd be interested why you've drawn that conclusion.

No the sand hasn't caused the cyano directly, but by trapping detritus and being a low flow area perfect for accumulation of the cyano.....it has made it worse. In my bare bottom reef at home I had a little bout with cyano. One treatment of chemiclean, a water change or two and some increased internal flow in the system.... Gone for good.

 

[MrGisonni]

If I didn't have a sand sifting goby in the school reef, that sand would have been long gone and I would have more active flow along the bottom, stirring up the detritus for easy collection in the filter sock and making it more difficult for the cyano to attach.