Bare Bottom?
- Thread starter ericp2311
- Start date
robchuck
Active Member
My current tank is the first one I've had setup with no substrate. It's only been running for about 3 months in my care, but the previous owner had it running this way for several years for a few years.
I decided to go the bare bottom route partly based on his successes with this method, but also to allow for virtually limitless flow options (no possibility of sand storms), to lessen the chances of scratching the viewing panes with my cleaning magnet (I have an acrylic tank), and out of paranoia of having a DSB crash on me sometime down the road.
The way that I aquascaped the tank helps make the tank look natural and keeps the focus away from the bottom of the tank. I have yet to have any visitors ask "where's the sand?"
For the first month, I noticed that nuisance algaes were starting to bloom, detritus would build up in certain areas, and I was getting really inconsistent skimming. After rearranging the flow patterns and performing a few 10% water changes, I've noticed that the tank looks really clean, nitrates stay below 10ppm, and my skimmer consistently pulls out a medium/dark green skimmate.
I decided to go the bare bottom route partly based on his successes with this method, but also to allow for virtually limitless flow options (no possibility of sand storms), to lessen the chances of scratching the viewing panes with my cleaning magnet (I have an acrylic tank), and out of paranoia of having a DSB crash on me sometime down the road.
The way that I aquascaped the tank helps make the tank look natural and keeps the focus away from the bottom of the tank. I have yet to have any visitors ask "where's the sand?"
For the first month, I noticed that nuisance algaes were starting to bloom, detritus would build up in certain areas, and I was getting really inconsistent skimming. After rearranging the flow patterns and performing a few 10% water changes, I've noticed that the tank looks really clean, nitrates stay below 10ppm, and my skimmer consistently pulls out a medium/dark green skimmate.
bdubbya
Member
I too have a 75g bare bottom tank. Had it up and running for over 8 months now with a Cal reactor used for buffering the water. So far, so good. Like an earlier poster said, with carefuly laid rockwork/coral-clam placement, nobody has ever said "Where's the sand, etc." and the water movement in the tank is phenominal. Detrius can easily be siphoned out as well with a smaller diameter tube utilizing a small pvc stick at the end. 0-1ppm Nitrates with weekly 15 g water changes. SPS coral growth is awesome as are zoos and a couple of LPS's stuck here and there hidden from the blasts of two sea swirls and two spray bars hooked up to a SCWD. 10" Derasa clam spawns about once a month to the day making the whole tank go into feeding frenzies. Yes, I don't miss the sandbeds nowadays with this current set-up, though some fish really do need substrate to thrive and be happy. A yellow watchman goby turned electric blue for about two months (really cool looking), while still eating and everything, but didn't survive a grouper thrown in to eat some peppermint shrimp who had gone insane eating zoos at the time. He too was eaten before the grouper was finally fished out to go back to a LFS. Tough world.
fishamajig
Member
I too have a bare bottom tank, as dru said the sand requires more maintenance but I have to say i like the clean look of the bare bottom and i like the ease of the cleanup. plus when you get corralline growth on the bottom it looks cool, and small frags attach themselves to the bottom too. I happen to like it but I understand why people wouldent. I had a dsb and HATED it. you have to make the decision on preference, both are functional in their own way.
golfish
Active Member
I have a StarboardBB bottom tank...Its been BB about 10 months now (?) Things are ok. I've had problems with this tank since day one (I'm sure I have some kind of contaminates in the LR.. ie cannon ball, gold coins, lead balls) so I really can't blaim it being BB.. I did run a fuge for a while but their a waste of space if you ask me. I have a 30 gal frag tank and 40 gal sump. I do run an ok skimmer (Euro Reef CS6-3..120 gal tank)..
I also do about 6000-7000 gph of flow. If your going to go BB you need to have TONS of flow to keep the detritus suspended in the water, plus have a GOOD skimmer.
I also do about 6000-7000 gph of flow. If your going to go BB you need to have TONS of flow to keep the detritus suspended in the water, plus have a GOOD skimmer.
dmitry
Member
People talk about bare bottom vs. deep sand bed. It doesn't have to be a deep sand bed, does it? It could just be 1'. And just curious why having sand would require more work? A clean-up crew should take care of any waste settling on the sand. It's not recommended that you vacuum the sand. So what maintenance is there for it? As far as sandstorms...just some imagination with power-head placement - which needs to be used with a bare bottom also.
edwar050
Member
i think a fuge is a waste of space as well if you have near zero phosphates. I like a little something to compete with my hair algae...
I like my 55 bare bottom. I figure I have alot of rock which would make siphoning the sand out a real chore, its alot easier for me to siphon out detrius under the rocks in a bare bottom and alot faster. I do believe though it should be done more often on bare bottom depending on tank stocking. I like to turkey blast my rocks, turn off powerheads for 5 minutes, then suck it up. It has helped regress my hair algea that was devistating my tank-
I like my 55 bare bottom. I figure I have alot of rock which would make siphoning the sand out a real chore, its alot easier for me to siphon out detrius under the rocks in a bare bottom and alot faster. I do believe though it should be done more often on bare bottom depending on tank stocking. I like to turkey blast my rocks, turn off powerheads for 5 minutes, then suck it up. It has helped regress my hair algea that was devistating my tank-
acrylic51
Active Member
Originally Posted by Dmitry
People talk about bare bottom vs. deep sand bed. It doesn't have to be a deep sand bed, does it? It could just be 1'. And just curious why having sand would require more work? A clean-up crew should take care of any waste settling on the sand. It's not recommended that you vacuum the sand. So what maintenance is there for it? As far as sandstorms...just some imagination with power-head placement - which needs to be used with a bare bottom also.
No a sand bed doesn't have to be deep 1" would surfice if that's what you wanted.....I've been saying that for some time....If you do a little reading you will find that the nitrification and denitrification process actually takes place with the top 1" of a sand bed, so IMO what is the other 2-3" of sand for???? IMO a waste of space.... I also think there is more to maintaining a sand bed for longevity than just a clean up crew.....You have to tumble the sand bed periodically IMO from time to time to assist your clean up crew...if you do a smalll section of your sand bed from time to time you shouldn't have a problem with any spikes
People talk about bare bottom vs. deep sand bed. It doesn't have to be a deep sand bed, does it? It could just be 1'. And just curious why having sand would require more work? A clean-up crew should take care of any waste settling on the sand. It's not recommended that you vacuum the sand. So what maintenance is there for it? As far as sandstorms...just some imagination with power-head placement - which needs to be used with a bare bottom also.
No a sand bed doesn't have to be deep 1" would surfice if that's what you wanted.....I've been saying that for some time....If you do a little reading you will find that the nitrification and denitrification process actually takes place with the top 1" of a sand bed, so IMO what is the other 2-3" of sand for???? IMO a waste of space.... I also think there is more to maintaining a sand bed for longevity than just a clean up crew.....You have to tumble the sand bed periodically IMO from time to time to assist your clean up crew...if you do a smalll section of your sand bed from time to time you shouldn't have a problem with any spikes
edwar050
Member
Our local reef club just had a aquascaping lecture in which the lfs owner told us how he keeps his sandbeds clean. He uses small fiji rock for the base, large rock for the middle, and small for the top. He creates plenty of caves and room for flow on the bottom. He stacks the rock against the glass on the bottom and then adds sand. He does bi weekly maintenance. During maintenance, he removes the 1in sand beds from one side of the tank. The next two weeks he does the other side. Pretty cool-