BB is it really good.
 

Well After thinking and reading about it and doing it my BB I'm getting bored of it. reasons I think its great for SPS tanks with huge flow area's. you can keep your tank cleaner then a sand bed depending on the sand that you use. But with a mixed tank I'm thinking that a sand bed would be alot better like for example my tank i have alot of lps, softies clams , and a few Sps. I dont really have anything in the system to take out nitrates but I do have my so called RDSb that is 4 " in a 28 gal tank. But I dont know if that would be enought to take out the nitrates where I added it about 2 weeks ago. I run ozone in the tank. to keep the bacteria down and to clean the water. I have a maxima ,2 derasa's and buying another Derasa and Crocea clam tomorrow so I will have 5 clams in my tank hoping that the nitrates will drop some what. But actually how many clams would you need to comsune enough nitrates any ways?

I love the carib sea select sand its tiny rocks but small enough for wrasses to dive into and small for a sand bed too. That is what I have in my tank in the R sand bed. I know that I will put a sand bed of the carib sea sand in the cube when i get if going. I wondering if I should go 30" high or 24 hight for the cube. the size will be either 30x30x24 or 30x30x30 I havent decided with that yet. I'm going to be running a 400 w SE with a lumerac reflector and a ice cap ballast with it. because I love wrasses and cuke's and conchs too so there I go chatting away about other things.

Well how many are likeing the BB? and how many prefer the sand bed?

I wouldn't trade my sand bed for anything .

I prefer the sand bed. I like it mostly because it provides a home and food for my sleeper goby, but I also like how it looks.

well i look at all the tanks that have a sand bed like Marie's tank amazing, and others on htis board, chaulopa another one, there are so many that have great sucess with it. but on the other hand there is many with great sucess with out it, however alot of reefers are using many gaugets to take out the no3 and the phoshates. well i know that I'm going to ahve a sand bed with good quality snd for my cube when i get back from Afghanistan.

I've got a mixed reef with a little bit of everything like you and I've found a happy middle with just a 1" sandbed in the front half of the tank. It's essentially just for looks, but keeps my gobies and pistol shrimp happy. Looks much better than BB.

how is your nitrates in your tank

I haven't the faintest clue as I've never tested for NO3 in this tank. I'm assuming it's very low since my SPS are all nicely coloured up and growing.

I have a relatively low fishload for a 150 gallon system: 6" regal tang, 3" purple tang, 6-line wrasse, royal gramma, diamond goby and a couple oc. clowns. I feed once a day, skim wet and have a ball of chaeto in the sump on a reverse light cycle. I run purigen but have been too lazy yet to crack open the bucket of GFO that I just ordered. I also have some xenia in the sump which is the only unorthodox method of nutrient removal that I'm doing.

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A shallow sand bed of 1-1.5 inches is all I've ever had until i went bare bottom. Never had any issues with high nitrates, in fact I think mine are worse now without a sand bed. I can't wait until I set up the new tank and go back to a sand bed.

Well I hate my sand, so put me down for BB.

I would switch it in a heartbeat if it wasn't so hard to do.

The key is bioload and balancing your waste management. High bioload + a Sandbed is a recipe for disaster in the future. Unless of course you are the worlds best water changer. A sandbed will mask your high bioload problem until it no longer can, and then you're in for some major problems.

Having no sand will not mask this problem and you'll be forced to deal with it before you have major long lasting problems.

Flow is the other area of concern, 'high' flow rates are not possible using sand as it won't stay put. Flow is the #1 overlooked important thing in this hobby, water movement makes everything possible. Stagnant tanks aren't good for much..

*casts his lot with the pro-BB crew*