Clean up crew for bare bottom?

[Dj City]

What should I get for a clean up crew in a bare bottom tank?

I am about to set up a new 180 gallon 5ft reef tank. I've always had a sandbed in previous tank but my 110 gallon developed a dino problem on the sand.
I decided to start fresh with a new (larger) tank and new rock.
I plan on painting the bottom of the tank white to have a sand "look" without the headaches of sand.

Problem is, I have absolutely no idea what to get as a clean up crew for a bare bottom tank.

Please help a fellow reefer out.

 

[DSC reef]

For bare bottom mostly relied on astrea and turbo snails.

 

[lolgranny]

I keep snails, urchins, and shrimp in mine. You can get crabs if you’d like, but they always end up eating snails lol.

 

[Dj City]

Snails and urchins sound good.
I wish I could keep shrimp. So does my lionfish.

Which snails to get?

 

[lolgranny]

Snails and urchins sound good.
I wish I could keep shrimp. So does my lionfish.

Which signals to get?

The lion would have a feast lol!

As for signals... I’m not sure. Snails however, I keep astera, margarita, creith, nerite, and turbos. I have to replenish some every year in the 400g.

 

[Dj City]

Autocorrect SUCKS!

Thanks for the advice. I've never run a BB before and I'm kinda intimidated at the idea. Don't know why I am but... I am.

 

[lolgranny]

Autocorrect SUCKS!

Thanks for the advice. I've never run a BB before and I'm kinda intimidated at the idea. Don't know why I am but... I am.

I’ve had both and BB is much easier imo. Not as natural looking, but much more room on the floor for coral

You’ll enjoy it. Keep higher flow so you can keep things suspended which would fall into the sand and die off. Your no3 and po4 will be easier to keep down as well.

 

[DSC reef]

Autocorrect SUCKS!

Thanks for the advice. I've never run a BB before and I'm kinda intimidated at the idea. Don't know why I am but... I am.

Don't be intimidated. It's much easier to clean and depending on what corals you want to keep on the bottom, you can crank up the flow. I will say though IME, I saw no difference in the ability to keep nutrients lower in a bare bottom versus sand and grew just as much algae. I believe that comes down to nutrient export.

 

[Hemmdog]

Not sure if painting it white will be the best. That will grow algae on it like crazy. It will look like a green bottom, in a year a purple bottom hopefully lol. If your gonna paint it, go black, reduce as many issues as you can before you start.

 

[DSC reef]

Eventually the bottom will be covered in algae, coralline and corals. However, I did see a member on here paint the underside of the tank white for light reflection like sand and it looks really cool. Keeps it clean though.

 

[Dj City]

Eventually the bottom will be covered in algae, coralline and corals. However, I did see a member on here paint the underside of the tank white for light reflection like sand and it looks really cool. Keeps it clean though.

That's my plan! Keeping it clean.

I have another question. I have a LARGE carpet anemone.
How would he do in a BB?

 

[DSC reef]

I honestly do not know, I've never kept one.

 

[K1ng]

After going BB in my FW tank I will never go back to any kind of substrate. I have a 220 BB but Ive been hesitant to put in any kind of CUC because I have 2 triggers. Would snails be my best option or should I go with urchins?

 

[sandy7263]

I’m cycling a bare bottom too and have the same questions. However, if you only get snails, if 1 dies, who cleans up dead body if u don’t have hermits or crabs?

 

[Bret Brinkmann]

Don't nassarius snails eat decaying matter including other dead snails?

 

[jurgenph]

i like cerith and trochus snails. and an occasional blue leg hermit.
unfortunately, my LFS is just about always out of trochus snails... so all i have is cerith now

oh! bristleworms and amphipods the hitch hiker clean up crew.


J.

 

[asome_one]

This is such an old post but i didn't see it mentioned...and as im currently on it searching for my own answers...why not just paint the outside of the bottom white. I think it would come through and there would never be any algae on it.

 

[Joe31415]

This is such an old post but i didn't see it mentioned...and as im currently on it searching for my own answers...why not just paint the outside of the bottom white. I think it would come through and there would never be any algae on it.

I'll bump this again. I have a bare bottom tank that I'm using just for quarantining coral frags. It's only been up and running for a few months, but I'm starting to get my first bits of algae so I'd like to toss something in there to work on it. Since it's only 20g and just frags, I was thinking one (maybe two) snails and possibly a hermit crab or shrimp. But I have to find something that doesn't need or want sand and will be okay with a handful of rocks and some frag racks that I'd prefer not getting tipped over everyday since nothing is glued down.

 

[brokeaquarist]

For bare bottom mostly relied on astrea and turbo snails.

seconded