Live sand in a new tank?

[toejam]

I have a 180 setup cycling and I wonder will it be ok without some live sand or do I need to add some? I will be adding live rock from a 55 thats established but has no substrate in it after the cycle.

The live sand bags in the store seem to be more sand than I would prefer. I am using CaribSea Seafloor Special Grade sand.

I am sorry if this has been posted before or a just a dumb question...

Thanks for any responses.....

 

[jcJokr]

I know a lot of people are starting to run bare bottom tanks. I hear it’s supposed to help keep your nitrates down. I myself have always had high nitrates so I have gone to a very thin layer of agronite. It's seems to help but I'm not totally convinced yet. Maybe someone else will have more input on this. But theoretically the live rock should cycle the tank. Most "live sand" you buy in the store is not really "live", usually your fish or live rock create the bacteria needed to start the cycles in your substrate.

 

[Fragtastic Reef]

Not sure if sandbeds are proven to cause nitrates. Personally I always have run sandbeds, and never had nitrate problems. Always at 0 or undetectable. Seafloor grade is a really good sand, I would add it to the display and it looks nicer anyways.

 

[toejam]

I run my 55 bare bottom with no problems. I just wondered on the micro criterz in the sand that would give food to crabs and fish.

 

[nixer]

i have that seafloor special grade and i must say its crap!
the larger grain size just makes it collect detrus.
it doesnt blow around as much as the oolite though.

 

[Dalbery]

No live sand needed. Are you cycling your tank with no live rock? What do you have for filtration? Are you saying you have a clean up crew in there already (crabs,snails, or both) ? Anything but bare bottom could be a nitrate trap as well as liverock in your sump Heck just the liverock in your tank can be a nitrate trap. You do need to vacuum your sand and should blow the liverock off in your main tank on a regular basis.

 

[toejam]

No live rock until it show signs of nitrites.

I have a WM skimmer.

There is nothing in the new tank except some raw shrimp.

I have had no problem 3 years without sand.

 

[FishyFarr]

I did a lot of research on this when I was starting out and I must say I learned you either go bare bottom or DSB. If you go DSB as I did in my first 55 make sure to clean the sand once a month but dont clean it everywhere. The DSB does help keep good critters in the tank and I now run a very thin layer in my 120 and I believe I like the thin layer more. I think both methods work you just need more rock with a bare bottom than you do with a DSB, A DSB builds up nitrates only if you don't clean it every now and then just like not blowing off the live rock will cause the same effect.
IMHO anyways