# Need some advice please!



## verano (Mar 4, 2013)

I have a bare bottom tank. I want to add sand to it. If I put the sand in the sump will it serve the same purpose as putting it in the actual tank?


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

That depends on what purpose the sand is serving? Is it for the aesthetics, sand sifting gobies etc? Technically if it's in the sump, it's still in the tank. The sand doesn't know it's not in the display and will act exactly as it would in the main tank. If you have a bare bottom system, why would add sand to the sump?


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## fesso clown (Nov 15, 2011)

+1
What purpose are you talking about? To what end are you aiming at by adding sand to your system? 

Sand in the sump is a terrible idea and makes it terribly terrible to keep the sump clean and free of deterious. The only real purpose sand ought to play in a system is for aesthetic value or to provide an environment for fish and critters that need sand.


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## verano (Mar 4, 2013)

First of all I would like to thank both of you for taking your time and replying. I read on forums that people are having problems with bare bottom tanks. I have a frag tank so I dont really want to put in the frag tank but rather have it in the sump. I am having problems recently keeping my corals from dying. I dont have that much live rock either. Im just trying to figure out whats going on. The tank is a little bit more then a year old. All of a sudden stuff started dying one by one


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

Sorry to hear about that. But that doesn't sound like an issue a sand bed will help. What corals are dying exactly? and how are they dying? melting? slowly fading away? etc. It could be a nutrient issue of some sort. Is this the same system that you were temporarily holding your friends coral in that weren't doing well?


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## zoapaly (Jul 10, 2013)

10 years with bare bottom no issues , corals happy and growing like bam .


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## verano (Mar 4, 2013)

duckhams said:


> Sorry to hear about that. But that doesn't sound like an issue a sand bed will help. What corals are dying exactly? and how are they dying? melting? slowly fading away? etc. It could be a nutrient issue of some sort. Is this the same system that you were temporarily holding your friends coral in that weren't doing well?


Hi Elliot yes its the same tank. I have mostly zoas and they would just close up and wont open up and then eventually die. Mind you they were doing amazing for months and now all of a sudden they started to die off. The corals im holding for my friend are doing great they are all LPS corals.


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## verano (Mar 4, 2013)

zoapaly said:


> 10 years with bare bottom no issues , corals happy and growing like bam .


Do you dose?


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

That sounds like it could be a pest, possibly zoa-eating nudibranches or sundial snails maybe? Take a couple of random colonies out if possible and shake them off in a bucket and check out the debris with a flash light. Or check the tank at night with a flash light a couple hours after lights out.


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## zoapaly (Jul 10, 2013)

verano said:


> Do you dose?


Yes , 3 part dosing and wc


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## duckhams (Oct 13, 2009)

Could be allelopathy. A big influx of new corals from a new tank could create some pretty devastating chemical warfare.


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## aquatic_expressions (Mar 17, 2006)

One I would check for Zoa pox. Asterina stars or other pest

Two use chemical filtration. If you use carbon I would change it weekly.

Three get your parameters fully tested.

Do partial water changes more frequently.

Aside from housing extra corals have you made any other changes? Brand of salt, recently cut a lot of corals, anything?

Let us know your results.


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## deeznutz (Aug 21, 2013)

Name your fish, tangs eats zoos!


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