What's on the bottom and why do you love it or hate?

How much do you like your current substrate?

  • Love it

    Votes: 157 30.3%
  • Like it

    Votes: 260 50.2%
  • Thinking of changing it

    Votes: 59 11.4%
  • Don't like it

    Votes: 20 3.9%
  • Hate it

    Votes: 14 2.7%
  • Changing is out ASAP

    Votes: 8 1.5%

  • Total voters
    518

Jjd531

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Not even sure what the substrate for my reefs are in terms of sand type, but neither was the one I'd initially intended to use and both I liked better that what I'd originally thought of using, the biggest thing is substrates that are gonna help buffer your water.
 

Mr_Knightley

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I love it! I have Caribsea aragonite sand.
I just don't think I could ever go bare bottom, it looks so strange, too industrial for me. I like the look of a reef tank, not an overgrown piece of plastic.
Also consider this: in the ocean, there is SO much sand and dust at the bottom, like nearly a eighth if the volume of the water and growing every day,, several hundreds of feet deep in some spots, and is the ocean suffering?
Just a penny for thought.
Good day and God bless you guys!
 

vetteguy53081

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I run roughly a one inch layer of pink Fiji sand
 

Mattman1977

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I went left field with mine and purchased live gulf sand. I can’t lie this stuff isn’t for everyone as it’s not uniform as some store bought bag sand with pieces of shells, snails, pods and even found a micro bristle star in it. I’m very happy with it
 

saullman

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I have Caribsea Special grade and I absolutely love it.
It's good for sand sifters, looks beautiful and doesn't blow all over the place even with relatively high flow!

IMG_20200325_153632.jpg
I believe I am using the same substrate as you are. I really like the look of it, but my problem is that I get am algae buildup on my sand bed. I siphon the sand when I do water changes once a month, but it doesn't help. It comes back after a few weeks. The sand looks great when it's clean like yours, but it looks like crap in my case.

D9BD7756-9F4F-400F-9973-31EEC29FEEA7.jpeg
 

JoshO

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I believe I am using the same substrate as you are. I really like the look of it, but my problem is that I get am algae buildup on my sand bed. I siphon the sand when I do water changes once a month, but it doesn't help. It comes back after a few weeks. The sand looks great when it's clean like yours, but it looks like crap in my case.

D9BD7756-9F4F-400F-9973-31EEC29FEEA7.jpeg
How old is your set up?
 

mitch91175

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Cannot select an option that I removed the substrate cause it was more of a PITA than necessary with nutrient control. Ever since removing it from my system, my tank has flourished. No more nutrient concerns like before.
 

Victor_C3

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To those of you with sand, how far off the sandbed should I keep corals so that they don’t get covered by sand from fish that like to make messes?

I’ve always gone bare bottom since my first tank in 2006 and I’m considering trying a sandbed this time.
 

temfinger

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Sand, and now hate it! I am in the process of removing it now, and going bare bottom. The tank has been set up for about 6 years, though its been moved several times. I shouldn't have any issues going bare bottom.
 

Sonor

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Carib Sea special grade in my display tank 1 to 2 inches. Carib Sea oolite in my fuge and remote DSB, 2 inches in the fuge and 6 inches in the DSB.
 

mitch91175

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Sand, and now hate it! I am in the process of removing it now, and going bare bottom. The tank has been set up for about 6 years, though its been moved several times. I shouldn't have any issues going bare bottom.


Only issues is you'll have to get used to not having the sand. But the benefits to me outweigh the aesthetics. You'll be able to put more on the bottom of the tank once removed, essentially give you more space to add more stuff to your system. ;)
 

mitch91175

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To those of you with sand, how far off the sandbed should I keep corals so that they don’t get covered by sand from fish that like to make messes?

I’ve always gone bare bottom since my first tank in 2006 and I’m considering trying a sandbed this time.


You know what they say, "Once you go sandless, you won't go back, lol". Well maybe not that but you get the drift.
 

xlzerolx

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Bare bottom tank here. I don't like cleaning the detritus that builds up. I've been meaning to fashion some sort of vacuum cleaner to do it without doing a water change. once that's solve I will be golden!
 

Mattman1977

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Bare bottom tank here. I don't like cleaning the detritus that builds up. I've been meaning to fashion some sort of vacuum cleaner to do it without doing a water change. once that's solve I will be golden!
I had bare bottom in a frag tank and used a piece of hose zip tied to a fiberglass rod on one end and had the other end in the filter sock. Worked great
 

Cell

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Special grade all the way on larger tanks. Bare bottom on nanos.
 

Reefnsail123

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Tampa Bay Saltwater live sand. Fairly coarse sand and shells. I really like the natural appearance because it is very irregular. When I put in sand and rock there was truly no ammonia spike. As I went through “ugly” phase it would become discolored with brown algae. But, once that phase resolved it is all clear. I have an old all-glass aquarium with framing so don’t see edge in front. CUC keeps surface clean. I assume stars and cukes are at least partially stirring depth. In weeks waiting for cycle that never came it was fascinating seeing different creatures emerge. Feel like I have enough copes right out of the box but trying to hold off on getting my Mandarin to be sure they won’t be hungry
 

temfinger

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Only issues is you'll have to get used to not having the sand. But the benefits to me outweigh the aesthetics. You'll be able to put more on the bottom of the tank once removed, essentially give you more space to add more stuff to your system. ;)

Yes that's for sure, just going to be a pain bc of the rock placements. Trying to get the sand from between the rocks.

20200311_184910.jpg
 

mitch91175

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Yes that's for sure, just going to be a pain bc of the rock placements. Trying to get the sand from between the rocks.

20200311_184910.jpg

Super easy once you get majority of the sand out. Just do it in phases as you do you water changes. You can siphon out as much as possible then the rest will end up in an area where your detritus collects.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 69 52.7%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 68 51.9%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 34 26.0%
  • None.

    Votes: 29 22.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.9%
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