sand or bare glass bottom?

kodak · #1 11-25-2008, 06:35 AM

I am curious... sand or bare glass bottom, which is better and why? I have a 10g nano with one clown and a small few frags.

RuGlu6 · #2 11-25-2008, 08:01 AM

BB here and not looking back!

kodak · #3 11-25-2008, 02:53 PM

Thanks, I'll keep it bare...

Reefer Rob · #4 11-25-2008, 02:54 PM

Sand is for aesthetics, it depends on your own taste. There is no better

Whatigot · #5 11-25-2008, 03:11 PM

Sand can actually help a lot.
Aragonite breaks down, introducing trace elements and calcium naturally to your system.

It also can host a number of living organisms that are beneficial to your system as a potential food source for inhabitants or as detritus/waste eaters.

If you have enough sand, it can act as a significant addition to your biofilter as well and help give beneficial bacteria surface area to populate.

I will always put sand into any reef tank I have, not just based on how much better it looks either.

Marlin65 · #6 11-25-2008, 03:48 PM

+1 on the sand

kodak · #7 11-26-2008, 12:14 AM

Well.. I will have to give it some more thought...
I will be switching tank from the 10g with 2x hob filters,
which Im using right now to a 10g with an attached glass overflow filter system.
I want to get rid of the hob filters so I've started building the new tank..
Though I think Iwould like to see the tank with sand....

Lance · #8 11-26-2008, 12:22 AM

Undecided. I have a 90 gal reef now with sand. Am in the process of setting up a 225 gal with large fish & softies. Planning on going BB with this tank. Will see which I prefer. If I don't like the BB, can always add sand later.

kodak · #9 11-26-2008, 12:32 AM

Thank you Lance

Does anyone else have an opinion?

link to my new tank diagram
http://www.riftzoneaquatics.com/foru...achmentid=2915

2manytanks · #10 11-26-2008, 12:57 AM

I also am partial to sand. As someone else said, if done properly it also adds to your capacity of biological filtration. But do a bunch of reading on the internet about sand beds and make up your own mind.

You'll hear a lot of people talking about the lower levels of sand going anaerobic but with the depth you'd likely be using in a nano tank that shouldn't be a problem. In any case, with a deep sand bed the lower anaerobic layer is important to it's proper biological function. Once established, the bacteria that populate the top will remove ammonia and feed nitrite to the next layer down which is populated by bacteria which convert the nitrite to nitrate which is consumed by the anaerobic layer. But to work properly the sand not only has to be live with bacteria but other critters like worms which will channel and mix the sand to allow flow between the different layers.

It also opens up the possibility of having other animals like sand sifting stars, gobies and sand dollars - who will also help keep the sand mixed and clean. With a shallow bed in a nano tank you'll want to keep the sand stirred up to prevent the build up of detritus and stars and gobies can fit right in. I had a 12g tank with both a sand sifting star and a goby, they did just fine and it was a beautiful tank.