I really like the fine sand, medium seems to be a better idea. Shallow, deep, or none?

[SashimiTurtle]

Strombus looks sizeable!! I'm a big fan of cucumbers though there's speculation out there that they can nuke a system but I've never seen it and it's never happened to me in 10 years. Just like a dsb is a ticking time bomb too hey!

He's about a 3" Florida conch... definitely can bury himself completely in the sand.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Auto-stirrer? You mean the critter in the pic?

I mean I would prefer whatever will last the longest and be the best for the tank - be it shallow and manual stirring, deeper with critters, or a combination of the two. I did order 80 pounds of fiji pink as well as the special grade. Should be enough for 3" deep if I use both kinds [I was thinking about mixing them together] as the tank is 47" x 22.6". I could get more of either as well - and go deeper - but what does one consider 'deep' when it comes to a sand bed - and anything I should keep in mind? I.e. should I stir the sand myself or make sure to get critters to do it? Anything to watch out for?

Yes, the Florida conch is my auto stirrer.

I like the DSB because my pumps can push it around and not expose the bottom of the tank. I hate seeing tanks with half the bottom exposed. Almost as much as I hate seeing bare bottom tanks. It just looks so unnatural. That's why I have so much sand. I just get critters to clean it for me and I don't really have much to do... the conch may be on top of the sand in this picture, but he's buried shell deep most of the time bulldozing sand everywhere. Doesn't bother rocks or corals and he doesn't make a sand storm because he moves slow.

 

[Midrats]

I like the look and performance of Tropic Eden Aragasnow. It's pure white, very clean, and evenly graded.

 

[Luno]

I don't have any experience with it one way or another. I have 1" in my 29 Gallon and a few snails and the like and haven't really had any issues with it but it's only been a couple of years.

From what I've seen is that if it's not mixed up/stirred in any way that eventually it just becomes a nitrate farm and can be really bad if you do disturb/stir it at that point.

Auto-stirrer? You mean the critter in the pic?

I mean I would prefer whatever will last the longest and be the best for the tank - be it shallow and manual stirring, deeper with critters, or a combination of the two. I did order 80 pounds of fiji pink as well as the special grade. Should be enough for 3" deep if I use both kinds [I was thinking about mixing them together] as the tank is 47" x 22.6". I could get more of either as well - and go deeper - but what does one consider 'deep' when it comes to a sand bed - and anything I should keep in mind? I.e. should I stir the sand myself or make sure to get critters to do it? Anything to watch out for?

How would they nuke a system? By dying?

What we're saying is that snails, fish and other critters in your tank will sift the sand bed and clean it out. There is no need to replace a sandbed after "x" amount of years. And yup your correct, if it isn't agitated regularly by means of the inhabitants or you physically by stirring or syphoning. And then you suddenly disturb it there will be a problem. What happens is anaerobic bacteria comes out dies and causes sulfur dioxide an ammonia spike. If it remains undisturbed then there shouldn't be a problem. But by means of either you manually stirring the sand or tank inhabitants doing it means it should never be a problem.

 

[TinyChocobo]

Yes, the Florida conch is my auto stirrer.

I like the DSB because my pumps can push it around and not expose the bottom of the tank. I hate seeing tanks with half the bottom exposed. Almost as much as I hate seeing bare bottom tanks. It just looks so unnatural. That's why I have so much sand. I just get critters to clean it for me and I don't really have much to do... the conch may be on top of the sand in this picture, but he's buried sheep deep most of the time bulldozing sand everywhere. Doesn't bother rocks or corals and he doesn't make a sand storm because he moves slow.

Cool. In my 29 I had a few snails and things to move the sand around - and rarely saw them. Sometimes when I dropped food in I'd see an army of snails come out of the sand but most of the time they weren't visible.

That said it was only a 29G where as I'll be running an 88G [47" x 22.6"] so I'm not entirely sure what I want to do for the sand. What does one consider 'deep' as far as sand? 3"+?

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I'd say 3"+ would be a deep sand bed. I wouldn't really want to go past 3" tho. It starts to take up too much tank room for me at that point.

 

[JCM]

I disagree with some parts of what luno, and robin are saying.

There is absolutely a reason it was recommended to change the sand in the past. A decades old 3" sandbed that wasn't regularly stirred would be a huge contributor to nutrients in the tank.

Sand sifting snails and cucumbers are helpful, but they don't move fast enough to keep waste suspended in the water column. If the tank is a year old and you manally stirred the sand, I can almost guarantee you will release a large plum of nastiness. Regardless of whether or not you have snails/cucumbers in the tank. Wrasses and gobies do a much better job of stirring the sand but they will fail to get everything.

I can stir my whole sand bed right now and still be able to see through the tank because I do it regularly. I'll stick with that method.

 

[CNDReef]

I’ve had a tank get nuked by a cucumber.
He got stuck behind my rocks. Started losing my fish 1 by 1 until everything was gone. Ran carbon , did water changes and nothing helped
I still wanna one but won’t do it unless the tank is huge

 

[Susan Edwards]

I had a tiger tail sea cuc. Put it in and never saw it again. It crawled under the rockwork and died and sent my tank into a major cycle that lasted a long time. never could find it. Never again. I just set up a 125 gal. Used the 80 lbs pink fiji aragonite and 20 lbs pink fiji arag alive from brs. Rinse the 80 lbs. Took a couple days to clear. Like the look so far.

 

[Midrats]

Who wants a crawling turd anyways?

 

[Philt56]

I have two 8x8x1 blocks. I need to raise my skimmer up 2” so I was thinking about using them to do that.

Yep, I was thinking the same for my skimmer simplicity 240 on my 425xl. Right now I just have it on one piece of egg crate, not sure if I need one or 2” of marine block to raise it on? Too bad 2 x 1” costs as must as one 4” thick block. I guess you could cut it with a saw if you’re carefully.

 

[Philt56]

Fiji Pink is my go to size. I usually mix a bit of Carib Sea's "Natural Reef" with its larger size to add a bit of texture to the overall look. It's not really "pink" just a few flecks of pink.

I just put 4 x 20 lb bags of the caribsea natural reef in my 425xl.

 

[CherryStReef]

I prefer no sand because of the blowing.

 

[TinyChocobo]

Yep, I was thinking the same for my skimmer simplicity 240 on my 425xl. Right now I just have it on one piece of egg crate, not sure if I need one or 2” of marine block to raise it on? Too bad 2 x 1” costs as must as one 4” thick block. I guess you could cut it with a saw if you’re carefully.

My skimmer says 7 to 9 inches and the skimmer compartment the in xl 425 is 9.6” I believe so I was planning trying one block under the skimmer and then possibly one in the return compartment or somewhere else in the sump.

I did consider the 4” thick block but didn’t want to have to cut it. I may also use the other block for my QT. Not sure.

I just put 4 x 20 lb bags of the caribsea natural reef in my 425xl.

I ordered 2x40 pound bags of the pink Fiji and the special grade. Can you post a pic of the 4x20?

I prefer no sand because of the blowing.

I don’t like bare bottom tanks. I don’t mind blowing a bit.

 

[Philt56]

I have two 8x8x1 blocks. I need to raise my skimmer up 2” so I was thinking about using them to do that.

I was just looking at the 4” block I have in one tank. The top is slightly rounded. I wonder if you would need to sand them to make them level for the skimmer to sit steady on them.

Also I was googling about doing this and some one thought the vibration of the skimmer pump might cause the block to grind down. Don’t know how true this but thought I’d mention it.

 

[Philt56]

My skimmer says 7 to 9 inches and the skimmer compartment the in xl 425 is 9.6” I believe so I was planning trying one block under the skimmer and then possibly one in the return compartment or somewhere else in the sump.

I did consider the 4” thick block but didn’t want to have to cut it. I may also use the other block for my QT. Not sure.


I ordered 2x40 pound bags of the pink Fiji and the special grade. Can you post a pic of the 4x20?

I don’t like bare bottom tanks. I don’t mind blowing a bit.

 

[TinyChocobo]

I was just looking at the 4” block I have in one tank. The top is slightly rounded. I wonder if you would need to sand them to make them level for the skimmer to sit steady on them.

Also I was googling about doing this and some one thought the vibration of the skimmer pump might cause the block to grind down. Don’t know how true this but thought I’d mention it.

I do have a 1" thick piece of acrylic I can set it on if I have to .