Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2015 9:39 pm Re: Lots of Equipment Questions for a Newbie
I'm a sand fan. As you your original question about sand removing nitrate and promoting bacterial growth, well it certainly adds lots more surface area for the good bacteria to grow.
The nitrate removal? Possibly, but not so you would notice with a turtle.
I had read all about bacteria, substrates, etc... And had run across the nitrate removal concept with deep sand beds. The concept is that the bacteria that convert nitrate into nitrogen, which leaves the tank, are anaerobic. They need an oxygen free environment. They can grow deep in the sand.
A danger is that you can also get hydrogen sulfide, which gives a rotten egg smell and can be dangerous in the tank, particularly to gill breathers. Though, if the sand is undisturbed, as the hydrogen sulfide rises into areas of the sand with oxygen, other baceria will neutralize it before it reaches the water column.
I went with a deep 3+" sand bed and then a few months later when I added a refugium, I put in 4 or 5 inches in that. I've had that for three years now. I had fish, shrimp and snails. I've not had any issues because of hydrogen sulfide, and I've had the black bacterial growth deep in the sand that signals I've had bacteria producing it.
However, I've not noticed any appreciable change in nitrate reduction until I added floating plants to the refugium.
Last edited by
ljapa on Thu Dec 10, 2015 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tobi a RES born in 2012
1 dog, 1 teenager, 3 aquariums filled with fish, snails, shrimp and a bit of algae