Poll: Sand or Bare Bottom - What's your Preference?

saltyfilmfolks · Oct 26, 2017

Give me sand any day if the week.
(Says the guy with two Dsb in a 55)

Vince57 · Oct 26, 2017

McMullen said:
For me, sand, lots of fish and critters rely on a sandbed.

However, there are some really cool bare bottom tanks on this site with encrusting coral covering the bottom.

IMO, one is not better than the other, just a style preference.

I agree! It's all subjective.

ClownTang38 · Oct 26, 2017

I run a BB on my new 90 gallon and it looks pretty slick. I put a blue glass baking dish on the bottom and filled with sand so I can put plugs and whatever else in there! I like the looks of both but definitely think it's easier to clean. I may go back to sand for my next tank.....I've heard that Hawaiian black sand is awesome! The pic I have for my profile is BB as well.

GoVols · Oct 26, 2017

Rakie said:
I voted substrate, but I'm always interested to go Bare Bottom -- I blame @GoVols partially here, for having a nice looking aquascape on BB.

Lol!!!

BB over here with the ole Python - No Spill

Shep · Oct 26, 2017

GoVols said:
Lol!!!

BB over here with the ole Python - No Spill

Starting my fist BB tank soon, any advice on how to set it up? I am a little worried about the rock cracking the bottom of the glass

GoVols · Oct 26, 2017

Shep said:
Starting my fist BB tank soon, any advice on how to set it up? I am a little worried about the rock cracking the bottom of the glass

Shep,
For one that want's to go BB with a mature tank. Then take out the sand over weeks, to give your bacteria time to re-colonize into your live rock.

I welded my sand to my live rock by means of overdosing

can't promise that it will work for anybody else.

If you want to click on my build and read post #'s 62 / 189 - 199 / 302 - 303 it may help.

Sorry for all the jabber.

Freddie

cracker · Oct 26, 2017

I've got very little sand in the reef tank.3/4 average. Some glass showing some piled up. Iv'e done the dsb & it was a big hassle imho . Also every really nice, older tanks I see have shallow sand beds.

Shep · Oct 26, 2017

GoVols said:
Shep,
For one that want's to go BB with a mature tank. Then take out the sand over weeks, to give your bacteria time to re-colonize into your live rock.

I welded my sand to my live rock by means of overdosing can't promise that it will work for anybody else.

If you want to click on my build and read post #'s 62 / 189 - 199 / 302 - 303 it may help.

Sorry for all the jabber.

Freddie

It will be a fresh tank,

Greaps · Oct 26, 2017

Shep said:
Starting my fist BB tank soon, any advice on how to set it up? I am a little worried about the rock cracking the bottom of the glass

Some put down a HDPE bottom to protect from rocks falling. It also gives you the white aesthetic some like. Another option is to look into the variety of options for securing rocks together so they cannot collapse.

Lninwa · Oct 26, 2017

I had bare bottom years ago but have sand because I like the look and have a wrasse

GoVols · Oct 26, 2017

Shep said:
It will be a fresh tank,

A lot of reefer's silicone in starboard to protect the bottom glass on a new build.

I don't know if this will help but I was on this thread at the first of the year.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bare-bottom-epoxy-mixed-with-crushed-argonite.290453/#post-3936317

reef life · Oct 26, 2017

I used to have a sand bottom when I was a Chalice Freak. I lost several gems to being flipped over in the sand. I have never lost one Chalice(Or any Coral) from it being flipped onto BB. BB is easy to keep clean and turns purple from coralline. JMO.

flsalty · Oct 26, 2017

Sand just looks more natural. Plus, I like too many things that require sand. If I went BB I might as well just have a frag tank. They just look too utilitarian. Reminds me of when I worked in a pet store or when I was breeding cichlids.

Radman73 · Oct 26, 2017

Sand all the way. I SCUBA dive and the look of the reef is what got me into salt water tanks to begin with. One of these days, I'll see the perfect tank reef while diving, take a picture or video, and recreate in a tank lol!

schooncw · Oct 26, 2017

Having had both, I vote for any substrate, as it makes for a more "complete" biological system.

Stephen Glover · Oct 26, 2017

I have a hybrid approach right now. My flow is around 80X and the sand has blown halfway to the back of my tank so it's like half sand half bb. My wrasse and other creatures need the sand so I'll stay with this setup until it doesn't work anymore.

Seminoles76 · Oct 26, 2017

If I could keep PO4/NO3 up I'd say BB all the way. Feed like crazy with a fairly high bio-load and still run zero's for PO4/NO3. Back to dosing for both which is painful.

schooncw · Oct 26, 2017

Seminoles76 said:
If I could keep PO4/NO3 up I'd say BB all the way. Feed like crazy with a fairly high bio-load and still run zero's for PO4/NO3. Back to dosing for both which is painful.

What’s your secret?

MnFish1 · Oct 26, 2017

Vince57 said:
I agree! It's all subjective.

No offense to those with BB I have not seen a cool one. Even a scattering of sand - which would not prevent any kind of maintenance (JMHO) looks better than nothting