Sand or bare bottlm

[k2-]

Thanks folks really helpful. I have bio bricks from my existing setup from past 2 years so i think that part will be covered.
i will be putting bi0 bricks (may be 2) and ~40 lb of live rock as i move corals - However main rock scape is going to be dry rock

In my previous experience - I have a 150 which is established for almost 4 years - From time to time i install a new coral on a dry rock and pop it in - Everytime i do - that rock (and only that rock) goes through a mini cycle or ugly phase - timeline had been around 30 days.

In this new setup is there anything i can do to reduce that time or its just part of the process and may be move my corals later once that phase is done


The reason is - I want to reuse my sump and dont want to make this process to take months else my 150 will be running without a sump. I can come up with creative strategies but wanted to learn first.

PS - I dont know if that matters but I use NSW - with inline Carbon filter

 

[Macdaddynick1]

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Thanks folks really helpful. I have bio bricks from my existing setup from past 2 years so i think that part will be covered.
i will be putting bi0 bricks (may be 2) and ~40 lb of live rock as i move corals - However main rock scape is going to be dry rock

In my previous experience - I have a 150 which is established for almost 4 years - From time to time i install a new coral on a dry rock and pop it in - Everytime i do - that rock (and only that rock) goes through a mini cycle or ugly phase - timeline had been around 30 days.

In this new setup is there anything i can do to reduce that time or its just part of the process and may be move my corals later once that phase is done


The reason is - I want to reuse my sump and dont want to make this process to take months else my 150 will be running without a sump. I can come up with creative strategies but wanted to learn first.

PS - I dont know if that matters but I use NSW - with inline Carbon filter

my vote is bare bottom. I wouldn’t set up another tank with sand ever again. However my advice is, start your tank bare bottom, then if you hate it add sand slowly.

 

[TheSheff]

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

yep, that seems to be the common idea. The ugly phase and first 8months-1year will be rough af but it will be much easier to maintain as the tank gets older.

 

[Timfish]

Definitely use sand. It gives you a lot more surface area for microborers and endoliths to provide alkalinity for your corals and help minimize swings between dosing if dosing proves to be necessary. And definitely get some maricultured live rock via air frieight or overnight. It will provide cryptic sponges and other microbial stuff essential for a healthy reef ecosystem that can't be stuck in a bottle.

 

[SaltyTwigs]

Thanks folks really helpful. I have bio bricks from my existing setup from past 2 years so i think that part will be covered.
i will be putting bi0 bricks (may be 2) and ~40 lb of live rock as i move corals - However main rock scape is going to be dry rock

In my previous experience - I have a 150 which is established for almost 4 years - From time to time i install a new coral on a dry rock and pop it in - Everytime i do - that rock (and only that rock) goes through a mini cycle or ugly phase - timeline had been around 30 days.

In this new setup is there anything i can do to reduce that time or its just part of the process and may be move my corals later once that phase is done


The reason is - I want to reuse my sump and dont want to make this process to take months else my 150 will be running without a sump. I can come up with creative strategies but wanted to learn first.

PS - I dont know if that matters but I use NSW - with inline Carbon filter

Not sure you will get around the rock uglies with it being stark white. However does not take long, maybe a month or 2, for it to get seasoned. I like how Abe at Coral Euphoria has his tanks set up. He drilled holes all over his dry rock and has larger tiles with pegs that he puts his coral frags and colonies on. It allows him to move things around whenever he wants, whether to frag something or if something is not doing well in a particular area. This setup would make it much easier to get in and manually clean the rock during the ugly period, as you could move colonies and frags out of the way for some brushing. Has a video here about it...

 

[jimfish98]

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.

For me it started with the rock and media. Media basket was loaded with Marine Pure as ceramic media holds a lot of bio. I also used Caribsea LifeRock as it is spored with bacteria so once its wet, it starts coming to life. From there I added some Dr Tim's and Microbacter7 starter so my biome was more spread out a bit. Cycled with lights on and ammonia for a fishless cycle. After 2 weeks I added pods and they cleared up some of the algae and were supplemented with phytoplankton. After the third week I added my CUC of snails, cleaner shrimp, and blue hermits. A week later I added a pair of clowns and waited two weeks. At that point it was adding the Royal gramma, Chomis, Cardinal, and a Firefish. Coral were started at the same time as the clowns. I got a few small bits of algae but my lights were on too long and I just adjusted the timer. Occasionally I pick up some live pods from the LFS and refresh them, but beyond that it's been smooth sailing.

 

[Tcook]

The sand is easy to maintain. No siphoning required. Add about 30-50 nassarius snails, a couple fighting conches, sand sleeper wrasses and you are set.

 

[exnisstech]

I have 3 tanks running. I've ran sand and even had a deep sand bed on 2 tanks for several years. I prefer bare bottom. All 3 now have been bare bottom for a while but I recently added sand to one of the tanks because I wanted to add a blue haddoni. I also don't like the crap that grows between the sand and glass. Also sand makes it much easier to scratch the tank.

I recently set up a tank bare bottom with dry rock. I added a container of rock rubble and nasty muck from the bottom of one of my sumps to help the cycle. I cycled with fritz turbo 900. I did not dose any ammonia product. I added some corals before fish. Once the algae started I added a robust cuc and started dosing small amounts of microbactor7. This is my first time starting a tank with dry rock and bare bottom. It's extra work. I was getting cyano and still am but in very small amounts now. For a month or so I was blowing everything off then adding the microbactor7 with some DIY coral snow that @SunnyX discussed in one of his threads. I haven't had gha or dinos but the tank is young yet so we'll see. No sand lets me crank up the flow. I have two Nero 5s and 2 mp 10s on the back wall and no sand storm lol.
Sorry for being long winded but I wanted to add some info about my dry rock bare bottom experience along with my thoughts on sand
Sand if you want to keep critters that require it.
This is the dry rock barebottom today. It was started 2/20/23

 

[7of9]

I love gobies, brittle stars, and other sand loving critters, so I'll always have sand. I am considering black sand this time around, though. I know I'll have to be careful with magnets, but it just looks so darn cool.

 

[SPS2020]

Since moving from reverse flow undergravel in the 80's, I've been bare bottom. I like the clean look and fantastic flow, especially for Acropora.

Asking folks for an opinion on the two is like asking what motor oil someone likes...you're going to get an opinion!

 

[1112-425XL]

When there's a bare bottom ocean I'll start a bare bottom tank.

 

[k2-]

Thanks alot folks. Loving the opinions but also the great advice - I have a 150 which is sand so all my pets which require sand can live there. This one is specially for bigger fish / acros - Since i have never done BB and have heard from alot of people about the challenges - I was curious to find out - and definitely dont want to set myself for failure.


Question - What makes it difficult in the first year (stability ? ) and if there any way to reduce the chances of chaos ?

As per Algae is concerned i love the look of coraline grown everywhere (including the bottom) which in long run makes it look like a piece of reef rock.

 

[k2-]

yep, that seems to be the common idea. The ugly phase and first 8months-1year will be rough af but it will be much easier to maintain as the tank gets older.

Hey @TheSheff could you please help me understand first year challenges ? And if there are any tips to reduce the risk of chaos.

 

[00W]

Apologies for my short response. Probably not very helpful but at the doctor with my wife.
Both options provide different benefits and pitfalls.
I've always been bare bottom on my big tank because that's how I started a million years ago with a trickle filter, rock and a skimmer. I had 3 very large fish that were very messy. But I over feed.
I like how the bottom of the tank grows algae of all colors.
My tank now is bare bottom but I started it with 20 year old rock so I haven't had many new tank blues if you will.
Mostly, I think it is preference and the animals you want to keep. I run incredible amounts of flow and don't worry about it. I also don't have or want sand sifting sand burrowing creatures.
Some have to have that sand look. I get it. I've seen some incredible tanks on R2R. Absolutely amazing.
It's just not for me.
Don't know if that makes any sense but that's my 2 cents.

 

[AquAttila]

So, this is good timing as I had this same decision to make after doing a tank swap. In my previous tank I had a deep sand bed and a pain to keep clean, difficult to get the correct flow because of the sand blowing all over the place. I came up with this idea because I do love the look of sand, and also specific fish like goby's, wrassie's need it IMO. Take a look at the pic; I used plexi w/ aquarium sealant to create a divider (about 1/3 of the tank). Actually I didn't think of this but it actually keeps my large anenome in this area too. So far this really worked out - glad I went this route.

If you decide to go bare bottom. I would paint the bottom with semi-gloss white paint. good luck.

Attila

PS - tank looks like crap now because just starting to add some corals slowly. Having some high nutrient issues so taking it slow.

 

[billyocean]

Bare bottom checks pretty much all of the yes boxes except for looks for me....I have sand..lol. If I set up a frag tank it will be bare bottom...but my dt has to have sand..purely aesthetic for me

 

[Double monti 61]

I agree with Uncle99.

 

[Flame2hawk]

I wanted to go bare bottom but was over ruled by family as they wanted it to look more like the ocean floor…..

 

[vabben]

I have a bare bottom frag tank that I painted the bottom outside glass white to give me a faux sand bed look. Algae growing on the bottom glass is annoying, but I’am still under a year old and coraline is starting to take over.

 

[TWYOUNG]

Like sand for the natural look and sand dwelling fish and inverts. I do wonder if my ongoing battle with dinoflagellates would be won more easily with a bare bottom.