I have a brackish 1.014 tank containing Caulerpa prolifera, Chaetamorpha, and hopefully some jungle vallisenaria and a few other freshwater plants, that I am slowly increasing the salinity on. It has a 3-in sandbed, and I vacuum it about once a week.
My 46 gallon reef is bare bottom, with a refugium located next to it. The refugium has such a small substrate area, full of microorganisms in a 2-in sand bed, that I leave alone.
I also have a planted 29 gallon BioCube, which I have added an led fixture to the hood. It contains assorted macro algae and turtle grass. Underneath the fine Coral sand is a layer of aragonite, which contains iron for the plants. This tank I do not vacuum. When I do water changes, I stir things up before I siphon the water.
I test all my tanks water on a regular basis, and there are very low nitrates, and 0 phosphate.
My 46 gallon reef is bare bottom, with a refugium located next to it. The refugium has such a small substrate area, full of microorganisms in a 2-in sand bed, that I leave alone.
I also have a planted 29 gallon BioCube, which I have added an led fixture to the hood. It contains assorted macro algae and turtle grass. Underneath the fine Coral sand is a layer of aragonite, which contains iron for the plants. This tank I do not vacuum. When I do water changes, I stir things up before I siphon the water.
I test all my tanks water on a regular basis, and there are very low nitrates, and 0 phosphate.