Bare Bottom Tanks

[Neto]

If you like sand but cant to go bb, I suggest you paint the bottom of the tank white (from the ouside ofc)

 

[Crabs McJones]

I'll add another question to this thread that may be a dumb one but i'm unsure the answer. Would doing a bare bottom tank effect chaeto growth or the triton method in anyway? since you don't have that sand bed to catch and brake down foot and nutrients? I only ask because I have a fuge with Chaeto in it, and i'm looking to switch tanks from my 40 breeder with a hang on overflow to a drilled tank, and was considering bare bottom. But I don't want my chaeto to starve out.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

I have a B.B. tank that I put raw travertine tile in, my plan is to grow monti or whatever and then just change out the tile with a new one when I want to remove something. I’ll put it in my frag tank and makes for easy fragging also. I do have sand in my fuge and I grow chaeto like crazy.

 

[ricardh]

If you like sand but cant to go bb, I suggest you paint the bottom of the tank white (from the ouside ofc)

I did it and the result IMO is awesome.

 

[twf0369]

In my bare bottom tank I used black starboard. You can not tell it was ever black since it's covered in coralline algae. I guess if I were to start over again I'd use white. Having the starboard in there is nice so if you do drop a rock or anything heavy it will not crack the bottom glass.

 

[DSC reef]

Thanks! I painted underneath the tank. The downside is that you can see the bottom center brace through the glass but with rocks and everything else to draw the eye to it really isnt noticeable.

Wish I could keep the bottom glass as clean as yours!

 

[Syntax1235]

I'll add another question to this thread that may be a dumb one but i'm unsure the answer. Would doing a bare bottom tank effect chaeto growth or the triton method in anyway? since you don't have that sand bed to catch and brake down foot and nutrients? I only ask because I have a fuge with Chaeto in it, and i'm looking to switch tanks from my 40 breeder with a hang on overflow to a drilled tank, and was considering bare bottom. But I don't want my chaeto to starve out.

I have a BB tank (180g) and I grow about a gallon of chaeto a week.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I have a BB tank (180g) and I grow about a gallon of chaeto a week.

Thanks

 

[rygh]

Another option is to epoxy sand to starboard/acrylic or some other substrate. Then drop that in.
And add areas with lumps of sand and rubble mixed in.

When you first start, it looks like sand / live rock, not a sheet of glass.

Later as it gets covered with coraline/coral, the lumps give it some nicer texture.

 

[Biggles]

I personally like a 1" sand bed but.........

I removed the sand about 6 weeks ago so i could replace the maxspect x150 and two other small pumps running either side of the gyre with a single maxspect xf280. The display is 60" x 32" x 18" and has been running with just the single pump now for two weeks and all the corals are happy little campers

I'm used to old school SPS keeping, i had seven powerheads in my 4 x 2 x 2 years ago so when i look at my 160gal peninsula now it's almost like......... magic.....

Happy corals

A gyre needs to be tuned to your display. Offsetting the blades is a good start.......

 

[bubbaque]

Andrew, why remove the sand to replace the gyres?
I also want to say I miss your thread.

I personally like a 1" sand bed but.........

I removed the sand about 6 weeks ago so i could replace the maxspect x150 and two other small pumps running either side of the gyre with a single maxspect xf280. The display is 60" x 32" x 18" and has been running with just the single pump now for two weeks and all the corals are happy little campers

I'm used to old school SPS keeping, i had seven powerheads in my 4 x 2 x 2 years ago so when i look at my 160gal peninsula now it's almost like......... magic.....

Happy corals

A gyre needs to be tuned to your display. Offsetting the blades is a good start.......

 

[Biggles]

Andrew, why remove the sand to replace the gyres?
I also want to say I miss your thread.

Hi mate, the one place you can't have the sand stay in place with a single gyre pushing surges to the end of the peninsula is the far end along the bottom. To get water moving well five feet away with a single pump means the water has to roll into the top end panel and then surge down the glass and turn to head back along the bottom part of the water column.
I might end up putting sand back in down the track but it's much less stressful atm with my bottom completely bare

I should probably get another thread going soon, not much has changed though.

I use the same shop..........

See the same old stuff like SSC etc...........

Keep the same acros i like to keep.........

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

BUMP for more BB pics!

 

[Crabs McJones]

I'm currently in the process of going bare bottom on my tank. As soon as the transition is done i'll post up some pictures even some before and afters for comparison

 

[Dpitts28]

Sorry cell phone pics.. I finally got it all set up and it's been running fine, my parameters have been easy to manage and my coral and fish are thriving. I'm running 3 gyre 250's and don't have to worry about the sand blowing everywhere and I love the look and ease of cleaning so I'm glad I went BB.