Pros and Cons of going Bare bottom

[Lasse]

Can anyone give me an idea of what im fighting? To me looks like diatoms

It is difficult to see what it is but I have seen similar way of growing and I have always treat this like it is a type of cyano bacterial growth. There is many species of cyano bacteria out there

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lasse]

About sand and good flow - please see my build thread

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Alexreefer]

I would say diatoms too. Any noticeable bubbles that would resemble Dino?

No, When I let it accumulate it becomes wavy mats but not bubbles.

 

[madweazl]

I like to many critters that need sand (i.e. gobys, stars, conch, etc.). I have a 75g with two MP40s at 100%; the sand moves but never shows bare glass (I love the ripples and ridges it makes in the sand however). Sand bed averages 3" (think there is 100lbs in there but it might be 120lbs). As some of the SPS have grown out, the high flow has negatively affected their growth pattern. Since then, I've changed from Reefcrest at 100% to Slow Pulse to create a standing wave; this still produces high flow but seems to be much gentler on the corals.

As for maintenance, I've vacuum the sand a couple of times a year. I don't like coralline on the glass as I find it distracting (would drive me bonkers on the bottom). Ultimately, I think the choice is solely one of convenience; if you're willing to maintain it occasionally, it doesn't have any real negatives. Mine stays nice and clean visually without me disturbing it (though it does have a large number of empty snail shells in that need to be removed now); don't blame algae issues on sand, it isn't the causal factor.

In the 20+ years I've been in the hobby, the rock has always sat on the glass of my tanks.

 

[Aquanaut WA]

Ok thanks for your opinions. How would I protect the glass from rocks scratching it? As for the algae problem if your willing to look at some pictures to give me an id or a solution I would gladly send a pm to both of you guys.

I have black ABS on my bottom, altho a smooth texture would make it easier to scrape the algea off than a textured surface. Coral bonds to it as well as Coraline.

 

[Alexreefer]

I have black ABS on my bottom, altho a smooth texture would make it easier to scrape the algea off than a textured surface. Coral bonds to it as well as Coraline.

Thanks, Awesome looking tank btw!

 

[Jon Fishman]

Yeah, I’m using a black-pebble board for not only the benefit of the corals encrusting better, but for the look of it.

 

[G8rBait92]

I've never liked the look of bare bottom, but they are supposedly better in the long term because you don't have the sand bed as a junk trap.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok thanks for your opinions. How would I protect the glass from rocks scratching it? As for the algae problem if your willing to look at some pictures to give me an id or a solution I would gladly send a pm to both of you guys.

Egg crate

 

[vetteguy53081]

I compromised and have a bedding of about 1/4” - 1/2” thickness . Easy to managed yet covers the bottom

 

[Snitch]

I'm getting ready to start up a new system - 40 breeder that will be soft coral dominant with some LPS here and there - no SPS. There will be no sump, no skimmer, etc - super simple and elegant (at least for me).

I've been in the hobby for over 15 years and have never had a BB system and was really thinking of going BB this time around - but there's that gnawing thought in the back of my head that knows softies and LPS can benefit from a sand bed and some "dirt". I don't plan on a lot of flow like folks plan on for keeping SPS corals, but I have plenty of pumps if I decide to change that out down the road.

Thoughts on this? I'm really 50/50 on this whole thing.

 

[ReeferReefer]

I'm getting ready to start up a new system - 40 breeder that will be soft coral dominant with some LPS here and there - no SPS. There will be no sump, no skimmer, etc - super simple and elegant (at least for me).

I've been in the hobby for over 15 years and have never had a BB system and was really thinking of going BB this time around - but there's that gnawing thought in the back of my head that knows softies and LPS can benefit from a sand bed and some "dirt". I don't plan on a lot of flow like folks plan on for keeping SPS corals, but I have plenty of pumps if I decide to change that out down the road.

Thoughts on this? I'm really 50/50 on this whole thing.

I'm going BB on my new softie/anemone tank. Instead of sand I want to grow a GSP "lawn" across the bottom.

 

[Snitch]

I'm going BB on my new softie/anemone tank. Instead of sand I want to grow a GSP "lawn" across the bottom.

Sounds great - I've had it grow all over the back glass before... it turned into a maintenance nightmare for me, trying to trim it back all the time, frags of it, it grows so fast

 

[Tyler Bullock]

I have had my 90 BB up for about 2 months. Now there are no corals in it just about 10 fish. I do have 2 x mp 40's on it pretty high. I do have ABS board in the bottom and I do like it a lot. It is going to filled with sps. I'm over the sand.

 

[Entz]

As a new convert to BB, not by choice (helps with treating amphidinium), one negative I have found is hermits sure make a racket when they move as I think the silicone helps them walk and the shells tap the glass

 

[KenO]

I read an article on R2R awhile back about stirring your sand bed a few times per week. I just started this, so the jury is still out. Seems to be helping, each time I see less and less detritus getting stirred up. Go slow if your tank has been running for awhile. Mine is new, so I've been stirring all of sand each time. In my grow out an QT setups, BB much easier. The wife likes the look of sand, and I do to in my 2 main DT's. I only have 1/2"-1" of a course sand which keeps it mostly in place. With the sand stirring, it doesn't really matter if it piles up since I level it back out each time I stir. I also vacuum it from time to time, with a sock in my sump so I can vacuum as long as I want without draining the tank empty. It all depends on your preferences of if you like sand or BB. The debate will live on for as long as there are reef aquariums in our homes.

 

[BryanD]

Only con I have had is if you'd like something that needs a sand bed, like a tube worm or something. But considering all the issues I had algae-wise with sand and crushed coral, worth it to me. And no, it does not look horrible.