Barebottom Tank Coral Recommendations

stscream4187 · Apr 22, 2015

Hey everyone - I am going to be setting up a new tank and have decided to make it barebottom after visiting WWC a little while ago. I love the way the corals encrust on the bottom and the look. My favorite type of coral is Montipora, which is why I am posting in this thread. I'd love to see some examples of them growing on the bottom of tanks, or any SPS for that matter, as well as your experiences with placing them and caring for them on the barebottom.

I have tried looking for, but have been unable to find an example of anyone growing a Monti Cap from the bottom of their barebottom tank. Has anyone tried this? I would love to see how this looks.

Thanks!
Jeff

Rob.D · Apr 22, 2015

I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that, or at least seen pics of it......Cool idea!

glb · Apr 22, 2015

I saw a pic of a tank where the owner painted the underside of the bottom white. You couldn't tell there was no sand.

stscream4187 · Apr 22, 2015

Rob.D said:
I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that, or at least seen pics of it......Cool idea!

Yeah I would love to see pictures. Right now, I am thinking to get a few small colorful Cap frags and place them on the bottom, not too close to rock, and see how they grow together and upward.

glb said:
I saw a pic of a tank where the owner painted the underside of the bottom white. You couldn't tell there was no sand.

Thanks. I am actually going to get pieces of starboard and use a sand/epoxy mixture on top to make it look like i have a sand-bed. Trying to figure out livestock now.

cultivatedcoral · Apr 22, 2015

I have a green cap on my glass on the bottom. I'll try to get a pic tonight.

ritter6788 · Apr 22, 2015

Not sps but this is an older pic of my war coral. I've moved it since and it's encrusting 2 places now.

War Coral by ritter6788, on Flickr

You can see it here in the beginning of this video. It's covering most of the left bottom of my tank.

[video=youtube;cpaxyrIDVJo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpaxyrIDVJo[/video]

stscream4187 · Apr 22, 2015

ritter6788 - Wow that looks awesome, thanks for posting. I am definitely considering other corals than SPS in this tank. How long have you been running the barebottom on that tank? It looks great.

duke62 · Apr 22, 2015

Love barebottom. I will never go back

ritter6788 · Apr 22, 2015

stscream4187 said:
ritter6788 - Wow that looks awesome, thanks for posting. I am definitely considering other corals than SPS in this tank. How long have you been running the barebottom on that tank? It looks great.

Thanks! I think sometime in 2012 I took the sand out. I haven't regretted it a bit and won't add sand to my tanks again ever.

stscream4187 · Apr 22, 2015

duke62 - Love those montis, what kind are they?

ritter6788 - great to hear.

Question for both, what's your favorite coral that the barebottom highlights?

duke62 · Apr 22, 2015

Sunset and android montis. Funny no one around me wants frags of them lol I have like 20 frags of each. Montis are the nicest on the barebottom. I am barebottom to keep my nutrients low though the encrusting montis are a plus

stscream4187 · Apr 23, 2015

duke62 said:
Sunset and android montis. Funny no one around me wants frags of them lol I have like 20 frags of each. Montis are the nicest on the barebottom. I am barebottom to keep my nutrients low though the encrusting montis are a plus

Well I wish you were closer then! How did you get them to form that pattern? Did they start as a frag on a rock and the rock is the pattern? Thanks

duke62 · Apr 23, 2015

Yeah it's on a rock. I won't put my montis on my main rock work they will kill my other sps

pickupman66 · Apr 23, 2015

Hmmm... I like the montis on the bottom. Maybe I need to get a few encrusting ones this weekend and put them on mine.

MIKE NY · Apr 23, 2015

Hey James I kept my tank BB for years but it limited me to the types of fish I can keep. I like my wrasses too much...LOL

afamousjohnson · Apr 23, 2015

MIKE NY said:
Hey James I kept my tank BB for years but it limited me to the types of fish I can keep. I like my wrasses too much...LOL

Bare bottom with a sand dish

ptreef · Apr 23, 2015

glb said:
I saw a pic of a tank where the owner painted the underside of the bottom white. You couldn't tell there was no sand.

will look white for a short time time coraline takes over!:car:

stscream4187 · Apr 23, 2015

afamousjohnson said:
Bare bottom with a sand dish

Did you do this? Any pics? I am curious about this. I love wrasses but I figured I would not be able to keep them with going barebottom. How does it look and how does it get hidden? Thanks

afamousjohnson · Apr 23, 2015

stscream4187 said:
Did you do this? Any pics? I am curious about this. I love wrasses but I figured I would not be able to keep them with going barebottom. How does it look and how does it get hidden? Thanks

Right now it is just a dish with sand. I am making a couple out of e-Marco 400 mortar and rock rubble for the new tank. I'll get a pic for ya when I'm done.

Another easy way would be glue rocks to my dish making it blend in