Time for a Nice Bare Bottom!

[john.m.cole3]

I'm over it. It needs to clean itself. How can they eat that much food and still leave crap everywhere? My nitrates are high and won't come down. I can skip the wrasse this go round. I wonder what it would look like? Smooth, Clean, and Pristine!

... that's right, I'm ready to remove all of my sand!

what's everyone's opinion on sand vs. no sand?

If you were a sander and removed it, how did you go about getting it out?

 

[Pugfishluv3]

Sand holds bacteria but no sand would be easier to clean. Both have down falls and good. Basically if you wanna go bare bottom go for it.

 

[Dashiki]

check out the WWC tanks in the vendor forum they dont run sand but have favia's and such instead. I've seen the tanks in person and its a great looking option. you can really crank up the flow in the tank without sand as well

 

[john.m.cole3]

My sand is not even thick enough to stick a frag plug in it. It's just there for aesthetics. I have a marinepure brick , spheres, and live rock in my refugium section. It's an apartment for most of the bacteria.

 

[Dashiki]

yeah there are many options available to colonize bacteria on so sand is just there cuz that is what most people think of. if many aquarists saw these fish in the wild I'm sure they would be surprised that none of them live near the sand. unless they are white fish and use the sand as camo.

 

[Anirban]

I run barebottom with siporax and live rock in the sump. I just love high flow and with barebottom I can do that without issue.

 

[Pugfishluv3]

I was just thinking with nitrates that high have you ever used a turkey baster to clean you rocks? They maybe the issue depending on how long they've been in there.

 

[john.m.cole3]

I use a turkey baster to clean the rocks everyday. A fish died in there and I can't find the body. The sand is a pain to manage, but I did like the look.

Any advice for removing the sand in a fully stocked tank? I have 3 islands that are on the glass and can easily slide around

 

[nanodoc]

I have been running a bare bottom for 4 years now. Most of it is covered with coralline algae. My favia also has been spreading on the glass. Detritus usually collects in one part of the tank and can be easily sucked up during WC. I have a DSB in the fuge

 

[Zoaeasy]

I'm over it. It needs to clean itself. How can they eat that much food and still leave crap everywhere? My nitrates are high and won't come down. I can skip the wrasse this go round. I wonder what it would look like? Smooth, Clean, and Pristine!

... that's right, I'm ready to remove all of my sand!

what's everyone's opinion on sand vs. no sand?

If you were a sander and removed it, how did you go about getting it out?

I am with you. Rebooting my Nuvo 30 L . Going bare bottom as well so will follow along. I am using a ton of Marine Pure ceramic media in the back . This is my first go round with bare bottom as well.

 

[Lyzzie]

I went bare bottom for 2 yrs, loved it until the Coraline covered the bottom and I couldn't scrape it off anymore, I recently covered the bottom with white crushed rock, I like it much better than sand and I got a new look again

 

[Chac317]

Just started a new tank as bare bottom. I had maybe a 1/2" of sand in my old tank and when I transferred to the new one even that 1/2" of sand was filthy. In the long run I think the bare bottom will work better for me. But it does bug me how the light from the sump shines up through the bottom of the display tank glass. I need to get something growing over that part.

As a matter of fact I really wish I would have painted the underside of the tank white before I filled it

 

[Thle009]

I removed all my sand and haven't regret since. It's amaze how much poop they generate every day. There's an option to make fake sand if you prefer.
http://aquanerd.com/2011/01/faux-sandbeds-going-bare-bottom-with-a-more-natural-look.html

 

[john.m.cole3]

I removed all my sand and haven't regret since. It's amaze how much poop they generate every day. There's an option to make fake sand if you prefer.
http://aquanerd.com/2011/01/faux-sandbeds-going-bare-bottom-with-a-more-natural-look.html

thanks for the link

 

[john.m.cole3]

Will my nassarius snails be ok?

 

[Thle009]

Will my nassarius snails be ok?

I saw my nassarius snails hid in the rock work during the day and come out at night when the lights are on moon light mode.

 

[Anirban]

I used Kings starboard for my recent bare bottom build. You can check it out in my build thread linked below. It look nice and better than just glass bottom.

 

[ksanfranfan]

I'm in the process of doing the same thing. I've been removing my sand bed a little at a time during each water change. Over the years I've tried keeping my sand clean but detritus and wastes still build up in it no matter, even after weekly water changes.
My sand bed is only only about an inch or so deep so not too big of a deal.
I look forward to having a bare bottom myself and have no plans on ever going back with sand again for multiple reasons. Good luck with removing your sand and I hope everything works out for you.

 

[JMMJ13902]

I like bare bottom better cuz you can have more flows, all fish poops somehow stay at one spot so I siphoned them out during my WC, so easy. I would recommend you go for it.

Here is my BB tank.

 

[john.m.cole3]

Today is the day. I'm so glad my 3 islands can be slid around. That'll make this removal easier!