Bill1171, You say nothing about any live rock in your tank. In a reef the filtration is done by the combination of live rock and a deep sand bed. That is why you don't need any bioballs or sponges. It has been said that these items turn into nitrate factories and will add to a nitrate problem. There are a lot of people still using the system you have as it is probably cheaper to set up than buying all that live rock......In a natural system fowlr a rate of 2lbs of rock per gallon and a 4 inch dsb should do all the work for you. You need a cleanup crew to take care of detritus and keep the sand bed clean and a protein skimmer to remove organics from the water. Some people run carbon in the hob's or cannisters and some also run a phosphate remover such as rowaphos etc.
I don't think I have ever heard of sand in fw but I may be mistaken there
I don't think I have ever heard of sand in fw but I may be mistaken there