Sand

yakfishin

New member
I have a tank that is now over 15 years old. I haven't added any new fish in the past 5 years or so, knowing that I was going to redo my system. So that time has now come. I redid my plumbing, making use of my 15 years of experience to create a better, easier to maintain setup. Before I start to restock, I still have some old brittle stars, but everything else is gone, I am thinking to replace my sand bed. For an aggressive fish tank, where sand is only there for looks, what type of sand and what depth would be recommended? Thanks in advance for any replies, it's greatly appreciated.
 
I use 1"-2" of crushed coral for my fish-only. I don't like my substrate too deep as it traps detritus and is more trouble to clean.
 
If you want sand just for looks, put whatever sand you think looks the best. Me, I like my sand bed to perform filtration, besides looking nice.

Fish-only tanks tend to accumulate Nitrate, which can encourage algae growth. A deeper sand bed can accommodate both nitrifying and de-nitrifying bacteria, which reduces Nitrate. It doesn't even have to be very deep, with a fine sand. It's a thought.

Good luck with your tank redo!
 
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