Rocks First or Sand First?

[EmeraldCoastReef]

Its been 15yrs since I had a reef. I'm setting up a 75g and will be using the Berlin method, with a quality skimmer and a lot of live rock in the tank and sump.

Do you put the rocks in and arrange the aquascape first, THEN add the sand? Or visa versa?

 

[Waters]

Its been 15yrs since I had a reef. I'm setting up a 75g and will be using the Berlin method, with a quality skimmer and a lot of live rock in the tank and sump.

Do you put the rocks in and arrange the aquascape first, THEN add the sand? Or visa versa?

You will get answers on both sides. I have done both. I prefer to put sand down first then rock. People worry about fish toppling rock formations by digging underneath but I have yet to see that ever happen in 20+ years of setting up tanks. I just press the rock down into the sand when I start placing. If I add sand afterwards I end up missing all kinds of holes and crevices.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I did sand then rock first. Laid a layer of sand, then pushed the rocks down onto it. Worked fine for me!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Same ,I add sand first, then push rocks down into the sand.

 

[toothybugs]

I'm the oddball who DID have a rockscape collapse and kill some livestock (granted it was a small temporary tank and it only killed my yellow watchman, but man he was BELOVED) after putting rocks on sand.

Eggcrate, rock layer, sand, finish rockwork.

 

[Subsea]

I'm the oddball who DID have a rockscape collapse and kill some livestock (granted it was a small temporary tank and it only killed my yellow watchman, but man he was BELOVED) after putting rocks on sand.

Eggcrate, rock layer, sand, finish rockwork.

I second the rock on egg rate. Maybe for a different reason. When I move rock every few years I don’t like seeing black where rock was under substrate.