Sandbed Thoughts....Part II

[Beverly]

We went BB in our 37g, 67g and 120g.

Positives:

- can siphon out crud thereby reducing overall tank nutrient content
- no more black or other stains creeping up the glass in the sandbed
- coralline algae grows to cover the glass bottom quickly if Ca levels are properly maintained

Negatives:

- loss of bacteria that would have been in the sandbed, so we keep fewer fish in each tank

Nuetrals:

- got used to the lack of white sandbed pretty quickly

Overall, I'm glad I got rid of the sandbeds in my three tanks. Makes for a little more maintenance doing the siphoning, but the extra work is worth knowing there are fewer nutrients in each tank.

Also, the extra work is satisfying because:

- I get a closer look at the tank during water changes that I didn't get before
- I'm a hands-on, low-tech person and I feel more in tune with my tank