- I'm Thomas and these are the top five
most frequently asked questions
on sand or substrate for our marine aquariums,
starting with,
"What kind of sand can you use for a reef tank?"
The vast majority of sand or substrate
marketed for our marine or saltwater tanks
is going to be some form of a aragonite.
Aragonite substrates are made from calcium carbonate,
the same stuff corals are made from
and what you'd find on the sea floor
when you're snorkeling around your favorite wild reef.
It makes for an excellent and natural substrate
and has been used successfully for decades.
It comes in various grain sizes,
from fine sugar sand
all the way up to coarse bits of crushed coral,
and the overall white appearance looks very natural
and completes the look of a reef aquarium
that aims to recreate the beauty of a wild reef.
Now with that said, there are other options out there.
The most common probably being the Hawaiian black sand.
But it does have some drawbacks.
First, it's quite sharp compared to aragonite substrate
and is less inviting to fish and invertebrates
that make the sandy bottom their home.
And secondly, it often has magnetic bits in it
that can stick to your pump motors
or your magnetic glass cleaner,
which can cause wear and tear and scratching.
It does look pretty interesting though,
so if black substrate
is something you're very interested in,
just make sure to proceed with caution.
"What is the best substrate for a reef tank?"
Okay, so although this question is somewhat subjective,
there is one particular substrate that is very popular
and widely used by many saltwater
and reef aquarium owners worldwide.
And that is CaribSea's special grade aragonite.
It is the perfect balance of sandy appearance,
while being coarse and heavy enough
not to kick up and float around the tank,
which is a common issue with finer sand.
It is suitable for a wide variety
of sand-dwelling inhabitants,
from snails, starfish, and cucumbers,
to sand-sifting and burrowing fish species.
It is easy to siphon and clean
without accidentally sucking it up out of the tank
and overall has been the go-to choice
for reefers of all experience levels.
A close runner-up and another substrate
that I've personally used a whole bunch
is CaribSea's Fiji pink.
It's slightly finer and does look a bit more like fine sand
and can be a better choice if you do intend
to have smaller sand-sifting gobies
or just really want a sandier look.
Just keep in mind, it will be easier to kick up,
so keeping flow pumps from pointing towards the substrate
is gonna be important
and you'll want to have a valve in your siphon
so you can regulate the suction,
so you don't accidentally suck it out during maintenance.
"Do saltwater tanks even need sand?"
The short answer is no.
A bare bottom tank,
which is what they're called
when you don't put sand in them,
do have some benefits.
Notably, for super high-flow SPS dominated systems.
However, sand does play a few critical roles.
Sand creates a necessary habitat
for certain species of fish and invertebrates
and without sand,
you may not be able to keep them successfully.
Sand also plays a huge role
in the microbiome and filtration in your aquarium.
It provides a vast surface area
for microbes like bacteria to proliferate,
which has a positive impact
on the biological filtration in the aquarium.
Without substrate,
it can take much longer for a re-tank to mature,
stabilize, and be ready to support corals.
Long story short,
bare bottom tanks should be considered
an expert-level option.
Adding substrate is going to be the best option
for most reefers out there.
"How much substrate do you need in your aquarium?"
Anywhere from one to two inches of substrate
is going to be plenty to get the job done.
I generally avoid going any deeper than four inches
or you'll end up harboring some pretty nasty-looking
slimes and algaes within the sand bed
that you'll be able to see from the side of the glass
and it's just not necessary for the vast majority of setups.
One to two inches is easy to keep clean,
it's deep enough for a wide variety of sand-sifters,
and it's enough substrate
that the pumps are unlikely to blow it away,
exposing the glass bottom of the tank.
"Should I use live or dry sand?"
If you're planning on using established rock
that's already alive and teeming with beneficial bacteria
and other important microbes,
then using dry sand is perfectly fine.
On the other hand, if you're gonna start with dry rock,
even the stuff that says it's seated with bacteria,
I highly recommend using a live sand as well,
CaribSea's Ocean Direct probably being the best option.
It's collected from the ocean
and packed up with all the wild strains
of beneficial bacteria and other microbes
important to creating a hospitable reef habitat
for your fish and corals.
A close second, for those who want a more manicured look,
would be CaribSea's Arag-Alive special grade
or Arag-Alive Fiji pink,
which is sifted and sorted to specific grain sizes,
then packed wet with added bacteria.
Now I just covered the most commonly asked questions,
but there's more you need to know
and thankfully Matthew is gonna walk you through
everything you actually need to know about substrate
before you add it to your saltwater tank or reef tank.
So click here, have a watch.
You're going to enjoy it. I absolutely love that guy.
He's fantastic at what he does
and maybe one day we'll do a video together.
But until then, check it out,
then go get your substrate and dump it in.
(upbeat music)