Bare bottom aquarist help needed

[Reefing.with.Rich]

Going bare bottom on my new tank build and was curious what people do to protect their glass from the rock scratching it all up
Thanks!!

 

[Saltyreef]

I really enjoyed seafoam color king starboard from tap plastics.

 

[Reefing.with.Rich]

I really enjoyed seafoam color king starboard from tap plastics.

I’ll have to check them out

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Going bare bottom on my new tank build and was curious what people do to protect their glass from the rock scratching it all up
Thanks!!

I have 3 black abs bottom tanks, with black aquarium silicon around the edges and underneath securing it to the bottom, I wouldn't do it any other way. IMO

sand is so 1999'

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

the color doesn't matter because it will all be purple in no time

 

[exnisstech]

I don't even worry about scratches on the bottom panel. It'll get scratched barebottom or sand. Also once the tank is established coraline will most likely cover the bottom.
I run barebottom on 3 tanks, was 4 but I added a blue haddoni so added sand to that one. They never stay true barebottom in the sense it never looks like nice clean glass like the sides do. I always end up with a type of film and sugar sized grains seem to always show up from the rocks.
This is what my newest bare bottom looks like after a little more than 3 months.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

see the abs covers in coraline so much faster than bare glass its not so much just for protection or not scratching, it also functions as a media for algae growth. I'd never try to remove the abs since I used silicon but the coraline grows in weeks and starts the tank off much quicker IMO . and it's crazy how with abs the purple coraline will grow under rocks when I used bare glass it was spotty forever and it had a hard time going under the rocks as good so it was very spotty for a long time.

abs is relatively cheap and there are lots of sites online you can order exact cuts down to the .001" and thickness you want. I don't even bother thinking about cutting it, it's just not worth the time and it can be very thin, I just put silicon all over the glass bottom and set a few weights on it for a couple days as the silicon cures. then tape off the edges all the way around add some silicon to there pull off the tape and it's done!

good luck!

 

[X-37B]

I did this on my current 20g. All rocks sit on the 1.5" rack. No dead spots and great flow from beneath the rock stucture.
I also have it in my 80g which is a growout system.

 

[Science/G]

I went with a beige abs for a natural look

 

[00W]

All my bigger tanks have been barebottom so long I don't really know anything else.
After a while it'll turn all kinds of cool colors.
As far as scratches, never really thought about it I guess.

 

[Saltyreef]

I went with a beige abs for a natural look

Love it. Beautiful tank!!

This is similar to how mine looked before the bottom turned all sorts of coralline colors. For the most part you can still see the beige background color and that was worth it to me.

Pics are on my computer though :face-in-clouds:

 

[Science/G]

Thank you

Love it. Beautiful tank!!

This is similar to how mine looked before the bottom turned all sorts of coralline colors. For the most part you can still see the beige background color and that was worth it to me.

Pics are on my computer though :face-in-clouds:

 

[Reefing.with.Rich]

I went with a beige abs for a natural look

Where did you get your abs board?

 

[Science/G]

I ordered it from Amazon. It looks like they don't carry it anymore. This is the company

 

[Reefing.with.Rich]

I ordered it from Amazon. It looks like they don't carry it anymore. This is the company

Thanks man