Substrate?

[chen88]

So tempted to add some white sand in my tank instead of the black bare bottom...as most of you know once you add sand in your tank, its hard to get rid of when you (or me) change your mind!.....getting bored of bare bottom!

also if I add sand rather then black sand i'll add white pool filter sand from a pool place so that it will accent my BD's more....

What do you guys think?

 

[superleggera123]

chen with sand id be worried about clogging the filters bro
trust me i lost a crapload of money with sand
secondly if u decide to go back to the cleaner barebottom... oh man u got a problem on ur hands LOL
if i may suggest something then it would be white tiles

 

[chen88]

chen with sand id be worried about clogging the filters bro
trust me i lost a crapload of money with sand
secondly if u decide to go back to the cleaner barebottom... oh man u got a problem on ur hands LOL
if i may suggest something then it would be white tiles

not concern about clogging my filter since i'm on a sump and by the time it gets to the pump it'll all be cleaned....it's the change my mind factor and then getting it back out! LOL...I've taken sand out before and know it's not that easy but can be done!...

 

[superleggera123]

ughh i hate sand.. taking it out is another mission and a half
srsly bro
ur tank looks amazing cause the bottom is black

 

[chen88]

yeah...i know...

 

[homebrewed]

I've got a dusting of black/white sand on my black bottom tank. I like the looks of it and when I housed a few rays in there they really seemed to like it.

 

[Joey]

It would look fantastic with white sand...

but since you have a large foot print, cleaning it will be very hard, and take a long time.. With the rays, they will keep it stirred up though. But for you to not have to clean it, and to have the rays having the sand completly stirred up all the time, you'd only be able to put a small amount in...... then the rays eventually have all the sand in the middle of the tank. I find this happens because they climb the sides of the tank, and on there way back down, they push the sand to the center of the tank....

I felt the same as you and added some white sand a week ago.... 3 days later, i took it out... Theres no way im siphoning over 22 square feet of sand.....

So much easier to maintain prestine water condtions without the extra worry of substrate.

So i say, keep it bare....

If you want something instead of black bottom... do tiles..... still have all the benifits of bare bottom, but looks better.

 

[RTG_Gerry]

In my 8x3, my two motos are constantly pushing the sand away as they beg for food at the front glass. Because I also have the return pump form the sump pushing through the middle to the front, the sand is now in both corners, basically accomplishing nothing. I recently tiled a 5x2 tank and a 6'x18", and want to eventually do the same in the 8x3. Tile finishes a tank nicely, and you get same benefits of a barebottom tank. Nice thing about tile is you have lots of colours to choose from and sizes as well. Small, medium and large tile give lots of options.