Sand or bare bottlm

[k2-]

Hey guys , I have come a long way jn hobby and nothing but humbled and appreciative.

Now I am setting up my leisurely 240 gallon 8ft tank - and want to get everyone’s opinion on sand or bare bottom ?

I will be awuadcaping so dry rock but definitely can add some live rock.

I have never had a bb but I like the plan purely for astherics - but I have heard some horror stories and want to learn how to do it right.

 

[Devan Patel]

Hey guys , I have come a long way jn hobby and nothing but humbled and appreciative.

Now I am setting up my leisurely 240 gallon 8ft tank - and want to get everyone’s opinion on sand or bare bottom ?

I will be awuadcaping so dry rock but definitely can add some live rock.

I have never had a bb but I like the plan purely for astherics - but I have heard some horror stories and want to learn how to do it right.

Hi, going bare bottom is best in my opinion. Just because it’s easier to not have to move around if it gets blown around, which then lets all the built up ammonia,phosphate,detrius all come out from the bottom. And yes it may be good for beneficial bactiera and the nitrogen cycle. But bare bottom allows for the movement of everything so it goes right into the filters

 

[Propane]

Bare bottom will be harder at first but if you use more media elsewhere or more live rock it will probably settle faster.

 

[Tcook]

I’ve done both and liked both. I have sand now because I can’t do without sand sleeping wrasses. If you are going for a high energy reefcrest sps tank with achilles tangs blown by MP60s then bare bottom is probably best.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Did bare bottom twice and eventually sand made it into the tank

 

[MoshJosh]

I will warn you, bare bottom tanks are only for cool and awesome dudes and dudettes. If you are not prepared to be cool and awesome, better stick with sand. . .

 

[Devan Patel]

Hey guys , I have come a long way jn hobby and nothing but humbled and appreciative.

Now I am setting up my leisurely 240 gallon 8ft tank - and want to get everyone’s opinion on sand or bare bottom ?

I will be awuadcaping so dry rock but definitely can add some live rock.

I have never had a bb but I like the plan purely for astherics - but I have heard some horror stories and want to learn how to do it right.

Also going bare bottom is insanely good for corraline because it grows everywhere then and it looks amazing

 

[secret_reefer337]

I did a bare bottom for a while then went back to sand. Both are ok but since my wife love having yellow corris wrasse and diamond goby, so it is an easy decision to get back to sand.

 

[k2-]

Hey guys , I am planning to have a sand box in the tank for my wrasse - but mostly bare bottom - what made @vetteguy53081 to turn back to sand ? Tank stability or something else ?

 

[silent1mezzo]

I've always thought sand made the tank feel more natural which is important for me

 

[dstockwell]

Sand..

 

[Rmckoy]

Sand ….

I’ve always believed sand not only looks natural .
Provides home for critters .
Somewhere for the wrasses to tuck themselves in at night .
But also think In some weird way the light reflects off the sand in some weird way to help corals ..
weird I know … but I’ve always had sand as a preference

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey guys , I am planning to have a sand box in the tank for my wrasse - but mostly bare bottom - what made @vetteguy53081 to turn back to sand ? Tank stability or something else ?

Aesthetics. The bottom started to get algae and I then had enough- Not scraping a tank bottom and also at lights out, my scrubber underneath the tank was lighting the tank up

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I prefer sand over bare bottom as well

 

[k2-]

Thats what I am also learning - i have heard folks run into strangest of the issues without sand - but then maintaining it is a PIA - specially for such a long tank and I am not particularly known for sand maintenance -

Do you all move your softies when maintaining the sand ?

 

[Uncle99]

Sand provides both homes and a ton of surface area for your micro friends all of which keep your system clean and stable, but is just a matter of personal choice, and we can compensate for the difference.

 

[jimfish98]

Bare bottom hands down in every system for me. That's a lot of sand to buy and clean out, and fix after sifters get into it. I have done both sand and bare bottom and will only do bare bottom now. I can run a razor scraper across every surface and quickly clean the entire thing and siphon out junk cleaned off in a short amount of time. Keeps the tank really clean and prevents build up of waste on the bottom. Once you are cycled, its an amazingly clean look.

 

[k2-]

Thanks @jimfish98 - Any suggestion on right way to cycle the tank. With this one i am in no hurry so if its leaving the tank alone for 6 months - so be it.

 

[00W]

I've been bare bottom for over 25 years. Any questions let me know.

 

[SaltyTwigs]

Thanks @jimfish98 - Any suggestion on right way to cycle the tank. With this one i am in no hurry so if its leaving the tank alone for 6 months - so be it.

Just setup a bare bottom tank. Took some rock and a brightwell export brick that I had put in one of my established tanks sumps for like a month prior so I could seed the bare bottom tank. Pretty much an instant cycle. If you have another tank you could do the same. If not maybe a friend's tank that you trust does not have fish and coral pests.