What to do differently on a bare bottom tank?

[russell13]

im setting up an AIO nano SPS tank. I’m going to go bare bottom so I can increase flow. What do I need to do differently in this tank? This is my first tank with no sand. It will have plenty of Liverock but should I add some bio media?? Is there anything else I need to do different???

 

[James M]

There’s nothing special you need to do since your rock also hold bacteria

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Something that I have always added to my tanks is siporax, it helps add a good amount of surface area without taking up a lot of space. In my red sea reefer I have it in my sump and my IM 25 I have it in the media baskets.

 

[Murica]

You won't need to do anything else. I went bare bottom and will never turn back. You'll notice that parameters are much easier to maintain with bare bottom. Good luck and send pics!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

You'll need to watch some of your livestock choices to be sure you don't get something that needs sand.

 

[brandon429]

The thing you should do is feed your tank way better than sand tanks can feed

Blast it in, circulate it, then rip it out as detritus since it won't be in your sand storing up, making you feed less as age sets in (whereas the reef wants more with more coral mass)

 

[CNDReef]

I’d suggest one thing, add a sheet of hdpe on the bottom if the tank is glass. A buddy came home to a shattered 80g low boy because a shelf rock fell on the bottom.

 

[GThompson]

I’d suggest one thing, add a sheet of hdpe on the bottom if the tank is glass. A buddy came home to a shattered 80g low boy because a shelf rock fell on the bottom.

This

 

[donomite]

Use some sort of live rock otherwise your cycle takes forever. Just got done with mine. I used all stax and no live sand or rock. Only Red Sea mature tank. It worked well, however it took far longer than previous BB cycles using live media of some sort. My two cents.

 

[PhreeByrd]

Good suggestions here. One other thing to consider is that without regular maintenance, a bare-bottom tank doesn't stay bare-bottomed for long. Mulm and detritus (and often even actual new sand particles) accumulate quite quickly on the bottom, and need to be siphoned out with (probably) every water change. It's a good idea to lay out your rockscaping accordingly to make sure you haven't created some areas that are really difficult to reach with a siphon.

 

[Cory]

Ime its best to get rock that sits off the bottom. Rock like tonga branch. This prevents detritus from accumulating.

Also a good plastic scrubbing brush is needed on the bottom once every 2 months or so.

 

[HOLYREEFER]

Have more flow lol

 

[ScottB]

A sand bottom acts a nutrient buffer IMO. It stores some NO3 and PO4. Rock also stores nutrient. For many reefers, that becomes a problem over time. But if you run your water too clean, those nutrients gradually leach back into the water, so nutrients don't bottom out as quickly.

Without sand, there is less stored nutrient available when your water gets "too clean".

Finally getting to the point: feed more in BB setup than you would in an equivalent sand bottom setup. I find I must dose nitrates and phosphates to my bare bottom systems, and never have to dose my sand system.

 

[hart24601]

Sit back and enjoy it is really all you need to do.

 

[russell13]

I’d suggest one thing, add a sheet of hdpe on the bottom if the tank is glass. A buddy came home to a shattered 80g low boy because a shelf rock fell on the bottom.

What is HDPE?

 

[russell13]

Never mind I looked it up.

I have a piece of acrylic that was a lid for my old tank. Do you you all think this would work on the bottom??

 

[CNDReef]

Some people have used acrylic and it’s curled because of the lights and the fact acrylic won’t bond with silicone. I just used 1/4 hdpe on my new build

 

[AZMSGT]

There are multiple threads about ABS, HDPE and acrylic used on bare bottom tanks. Also there are a few threads about how this stuff warps, twists, and curls. Also they trap junk under them if they are not properly sealed. When things went south with these coverings people had to rip everything out, fix clean and redo or just go true bare bottom.

I looked at all those and I made the call to forgo the potential problems. I have my aquascape right on the bottom glass. To keep pieces from falling I mortared, epoxied and glued parts together.

You need to do your own assessment of risk vs reward.

As for ease of use I plan to use a couple powerheads to help keep the bottom clean and free of junk, I.E. lots of flow. During my weekly maintenance a portable powerhead will be used to blow the stuff out of the nooks and crannies.

I wish I could speak from experience but I don’t even have water in my new tank. What I can say is I researched and researched and made my own decisions on what will be best for me.

Also rock does hold bacteria, but to help get the tank stable I am going to be adding rubble and marine pure to the sump to give me more surface area.

 

[Silver14SS]

I have a barebottom tank and agree with the recommendations to use a sheet of HDPE or something similar on the bottom and seal it around the edges to keep anything from collecting under it. I went with black, and it was covered in coralline until I went overboard with urchins I don't miss having sand a bit.