To Remote Sand Bed or not?

Salt Creep · May 3, 2016

I am putting the baffles in my 40B sump for my 45G frag tank that is going up tonight. I am unsure what I want to do. This will be mostly SPS with BB in the frag tank (I have 15 lbs. rock in there). I am wondering if I should do a remote sand bed in the sump? I think I remember hearing somewhere that sand has certain buffering capabilities that BB folks have to work around as far as dosing and keeping stable params. Is this true?

CodyRVA · May 3, 2016

Following.

Cory · May 3, 2016

Personally sand does little to nothing at all as far as buffering goes. I wouldnt use the "dirty carpet". Im bb but miss the sand look.

CodyRVA · May 3, 2016

Cory said:
Personally sand does little to nothing at all as far as buffering goes. I wouldnt use the "dirty carpet". Im bb but miss the sand look.

Kind of what I figured. Most LFS with frag systems in my area are all bare bottom. Not sure if they require additional maintenance as @Salt Creep is asking, but I can't see a major need for sand bottom frag tanks.

saltyfilmfolks · May 3, 2016

Just lr in the sump?

Cory · May 3, 2016

CodyRVA said:
Kind of what I figured. Most LFS with frag systems in my area are all bare bottom. Not sure if they require additional maintenance as @Salt Creep is asking, but I can't see a major need for sand bottom frag tanks.

There are now bb tanks with plastic rocks. The bacteria and corraline, and pods and algae all come in on frags.

Salt Creep · May 3, 2016

I have live rock in the back of the tank that I am going to put colonies on and the frag rack in front. I don't like LR in the sump because it just collects detritus too easily in a low flow area. Excuse the dirtiness, it's still a work in progress. I just decided to make a middle section anyway. I'll probably keep the sand out because now that I think about it when I put sand down there in a tank a while back it did just collect detritus as well. If it does little to nothing for buffering I won't even worry about it. I'll figure out something to do with the middle section.