Aquapod 12 Input

[Ganomish]

Blade,
I like the sand look also, and in such a small tank, I think the need for extra buffering and bio-filtration area is important. I have been a bare-bottom guy for years, but have started using sand.
You mention "washing" your live sand, warning: if you are buying actual "live sand" such as "ARAG-ALIVE" this should NOT be washed first. It comes sealed with critters in wet sand. Just carefully scoop it out and lay it on the bottom. If you are refering to a DRY such as your basic aragonite, or crushed coral type stuff, you will want to rinse it until the wash water looses it "milkiness".
How Much? - good question.
I went with 2-3 inches. Many suggest only 1 inch, since it is too thin anyway for a true "plenum" layer.
Just make sure you get some good "sand-turners" in your cleanup crew (i.e. nassarius snails, etc...).
FYI: regarding sand, I am speaking mostly from research in these forums, not experience.
Anyone else?
Fred

 

[blade25]

good info, so when you have live sand and you do a water change you dont have to disturb the bottom right, just wipe the glass and clean filters. In my fish only I dont have live sand or rock so when i do my water changes i also gravel vac my substrate. So no gravel vac on live sand right because you can remove the good.

 

[Witfull]

you wont want to vacuum sand, get the finest grain you can get, sugar sized is best. this keeps diterus form sinking into the sand. just wave the surface to suspend diterus while doing a waterchange. yu want the lower levels of the sand to become anairobic for nitrate conversion.

 

[blade25]

Thanks witfull, I plan on starting my nano in July that way it can cycle while I go to jamaica last week of the month and I wont have to much to worry about while im gone.

 

[Ganomish]

Blade,
Yeah, plus you won't have to stare at the empty tank while it is cycling.
I go down every night and stare at my (Day 18 now) tank. Astreas, worms, algae and pods.
The waiting is killing me.
Fred