Starboard
- Thread starter BradyLink
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afboundguy
acanaholic
Sand or no sand is a personally preference IMO. There are pros and cons to sand vs barebottom. I personally like sandbeds and will probably never go barebottom. Generally speaking tanks cycle faster with sand due to much more surface area for the bacteria to colonize. Sandbeds also allow for safer areas for microfauna to grow. Barebottom allows for more flow which is desired in SPS dominated tanks but they cycle slower. Again I think it's mainly a personal preference...
slojim
Active Member
regarding starboard under sand - I like putting something down there to spread out the contact points of the rock and to provide some protection against a dropped rock. I am confident this is not necessary, but I do it anyway. I used to use plexiglass, but stuff could work under it over time. on my current tank, I used white floor tile - it was cheap, easy to cut, and I siliconed it down. I kept the edges away from the tank seams.
But this is purely a preference or opinion that gives me some extra confidence, lots of people don't take this step with no apparent risk - and as I allude, you always have the chance of adding risk if you do something unusual - could the extra layer expand or move against a silicone seam, could it release a toxin, could it trap detritus underneath, etc.
But this is purely a preference or opinion that gives me some extra confidence, lots of people don't take this step with no apparent risk - and as I allude, you always have the chance of adding risk if you do something unusual - could the extra layer expand or move against a silicone seam, could it release a toxin, could it trap detritus underneath, etc.
Saltyreef
I'm not your dad...
Heres the bottom of my tank 2 years or so after installing starboard. I liked it at first and still kinda do. Very clean looking bottom.
But my wife hates the look of coraline growth on the bottom so ill be doing sand in my next build i think.
Personal preference IMO.
But my wife hates the look of coraline growth on the bottom so ill be doing sand in my next build i think.
Personal preference IMO.
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Manny Tavan
Active Member
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- Oct 30, 2017
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I have starboard bottom, kinda wish I didn't and went completely bare bottom
Saltyreef
I'm not your dad...
No. I dont think its worth the cost or necissary.
Theres a video somewhere showing a guy putting a bunch of rocks in an empty 10g aqueon tank with no bottom support to show how much it can hold.
He then removed the rock and stepped inside without cracking the glass.
