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AquaDan

Advanced Reefer
Location
NJ
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What would you guys suggest for a beginner running a 125 gallon?

I've been told that bare bottom is the way to go but i've read that a Deep Sand Bed (3-5 inches) is the most forgiving for beginners.

I like the idea of using live sand and live rock because of all the life that develops over time.

I've read that CaribSea Arag-Alive is the way to go.

Thanks!
 

Awibrandy

Old School Reefer
Location
Far Rockaway
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All depends on what animals you intend to keep.

"Live Sand" if your talking about the "life sand in a bag" I would skip it. Save your money, and get dry sand, and seed it with a cup or so of sand from an established tank.;)

BB is easier on the strength that you can, and should vacuum the bottom easily.;) My 20g is such.
My 155 has a ssb, tends to get a little dirty, but a vacuum sections of it while doing weekly water changes. Unfortunately I cannot get under the LR: If you look under the tank you can see the muck under those sections.:(
Ran DSB on my old 120 can't tell you much on that one since that was in my early days, and things did not go well. But that could be attributed to many things not necessarily the DSB.
 
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beerfish

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All three have their pros and cons.

Bare bottom is easy to clean, and doesn't trap detritus but you should have a high flow throughout the tank to keep things suspended in the water column so that they can be removed by your filtration. They tend to look less natural than tanks with sand, especially when you don't have a lot of coral growth. Additionally, some animals require sand (i.e. some wrasses, blennys, snails), so you wouldn't be able to keep these in a BB tank.

A SSB won't help with your filtration, but looks more natural and is only slightly more difficult to clean, although as mentioned, can trap some detritus.

A DSB will aid filtration, as it will trap detritus and nitrifying bacteria will convert toxins into less dangerous compounds. It also allows you to keep animals that completely bury themselves in the sand. A DSB over time will benefit the tank, but comes with a big price tag. If a powerhead falls, rocks shift, or anything disturbs the sand bed, toxins can be released and your tank will crash. (Ask members that it's happened to.)

If you're ok with the look of a bare bottom tank, plan to provide the proper flow, and don't mind skipping some animals, it's not a bad option.

If you want to be able to keep a wide range of animals, with moderate maintenance, go with a SSB.

If you're an experienced reefer, want to keep animals that require a DSB, and are confident that you can avoid disturbing the sand bed, consider a DSB. That said, the DSB is a throwback from an older method of filtration and with improved skimmers, GFO and additional methods of nutrient export, I see almost no reason to risk the potential damage it can do.
 

jhart

Advanced Reefer
Location
Yonkers
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If you are going with a Bare bottom I would recommend star board on the bottom , to protect the glass from falling landscape.
IMO DS is the way to go with a plenum .. With crushed rock.
Myself I use live sand agra -live and I seed with garf grunge , that stuff is amazing , there's no need for live sand if you use some sort of activator . Also crushed coralline is an awesome jump start .. As mentioned there are upsides and down side to what ever method you decied to go with. As far as toxic spikes that can Easily happens by moving your rock work around to and not with just disturbing the sand bed .
 
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E.intheC

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Location
Suffolk County
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I wouldn't do a DSB at all, but especially if you're a beginner (and in a 125... That's A LOT of sand).

Best bet for a beginner is probably going to be a shallow sand bed. Just make sure to keep it stirred up. I like BB as well, but you really need to have adequate skimming and flow to make it work.
 
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Rating - 97.4%
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I wouldn't do a DSB at all, but especially if you're a beginner (and in a 125... That's A LOT of sand).

Best bet for a beginner is probably going to be a shallow sand bed. Just make sure to keep it stirred up. I like BB as well, but you really need to have adequate skimming and flow to make it work.

Agreed. Shallow bed stirred weekly is the best way to go.
 

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