Bare Bottom tank - I think I have to go back to sand :(

[EmptyWallet]

Since going bare bottom (best thing ever) I swore I would never go back to sand.

But after about 2 months my Alk consumption has more than doubled to nearly 1dkh per day due to the amount of Coralline now growing on the bottom (6'x3' is a lot of surface area for a lot of hungry Coralline) and frankly it looks terrible

I'm using Red Sea foundation B for Alk which is an expensive way of doing it, time to look at bulk options.

Anyone else having any unexpected side effects by changing to bare bottom?

don't mind 'ol nosey in the photo, your looking at the tank bottom

 

[Punchanello]

Stunning fish. I have very rarely seen them that thick.

I'm from Australia as well and I switched from name brand to 100% reef safe 2 part ingredients. Honestly, it takes no more time to mix it up than the Aquaforest I was using and it's so cheap even with shipping.

 

[Hemmdog]

Your tank looks great. That moorish idol is a beauty!!!

 

[EmptyWallet]

Thanks he is a real guts, on a good day he might let the other fish have some of the food. He really started to fatten up once he started snacking on my Acans. Doesn't touch any other corals. Now he 'drinks' the reef roids straight out of the Julians thing, a pain in the **** frankly buy I love him

 

[EmptyWallet]

Stunning fish. I have very rarely seen them that thick.

I'm from Australia as well and I switched from name brand to 100% reef safe 2 part ingredients. Honestly, it takes no more time to mix it up than the Aquaforest I was using and it's so cheap even with shipping.

Fellow Aussie, fantastic. Where do you get your '2 part' from?

 

[Punchanello]

Fellow Aussie, fantastic. Where do you get your '2 part' from?

100% Reef Safe – 100% Reef Safe

e.g. 1kg of calcium chloride is $3.50. Even if you pay $12 shipping you are saving a bunch (don't do that, just buy more). By comparison, an 850g tub of Aquaforest calcium for example is almost $25.

 

[ChaseBurke]

I just added sand to my tank. It was bare bottom for 9 months. reasons i switched were, like you said alk consumption was crazy, and this has been the hardest tank i have ever set up. 9 month old tank, everything has been as stable as i can keep it and as far as i can test and have yet to keep anything other than zoas alive. hoping the sand helps with things...

 

[EmptyWallet]

100% Reef Safe – 100% Reef Safe

e.g. 1kg of calcium chloride is $3.50. Even if you pay $12 shipping you are saving a bunch (don't do that, just buy more). By comparison, an 850g tub of Aquaforest calcium for example is almost $25.

Where do you buy it from? online? Do you do ICP testing to confirm no contaminates?

 

[EmptyWallet]

ICP in your tank after long term use I mean, not ICP on the calcium solution

 

[Punchanello]

The link to the online store is in the orange text in my previous post.

No, I haven't done an ICP. I do know that they have been doing it a long time and a lot of people trust their product. This is totally unscientific but there is actually less residue and bi-product to the eye, than in the Aquaforest I was using. That could be because Aquaforest add some good stuff but it smells, looks and mixes the same.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

Great fish.

Yes, I can see your frustration with a bare bottom tank. Fortunately, coraline is a great sign but terrible for the bottom glass. If you want to keep the bottom glass clear of any coraline, you will have to clean it periodically. If not, sand it is.

 

[EmptyWallet]

The link to the online store is in the orange text in my previous post.

No, I haven't done an ICP. I do know that they have been doing it a long time and a lot of people trust their product. This is totally unscientific but there is actually less residue and bi-product to the eye, than in the Aquaforest I was using. That could be because Aquaforest add some good stuff but it smells, looks and mixes the same.

Sorry bud didn’t realise that was a link. Thanks I’ll check it out. I think the company name 100% reef safe makes me more suspicious lol. I dumped the aquaforest stuff after a suss ICP and noticed the Red Sea stuff is heaps ‘cleaner’ albeit more expensive

 

[EmptyWallet]

Great fish.

Yes, I can see your frustration with a bare bottom tank. Fortunately, coraline is a great sign but terrible for the bottom glass. If you want to keep the bottom glass clear of any coraline, you will have to clean it periodically. If not, sand it is.

Thanks, it’s much worse my tank is acrylic and an absolute nightmare to get coralline off, can’t use scrapers and have to use a magic sponge and elbow grease. I’ve written off the bottom, back and sides of the tank

 

[kapnkush608]

Just get some corals to grow on the bottom. Problem solved

 

[Tastee]

Good to see more Aussies on the forum. You are ahead of me in terms of dosing, I am only just now switching from pre-mixed AF to mix-my-own. I’m only dosing 33 ml/day however so don’t have quite the expense you have.

I prefer sand myself and have a Nassarius and Sand Sifter Starfish helping keep mine looking good.

 

[Reefer40b]

Why not just try and get a few sea urchins and some limpets. Both of those should eat up that coraline no problem. If that is the only downside of course.

Just get some corals to grow on the bottom. Problem solved

Also a good idea, montis and cyphastreas are great for this!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Hmmm... not sure how many people running bare bottom have this problem. Following along

 

[kapnkush608]

Hmmm... not sure how many people running bare bottom have this problem. Following along

It's starting on mine the little circles of coralline are growing cover pretty fast. I have Monti cap frags growing on the bottom to shade most of it until I make up my mind on cyphastrea v. Encrusting montis.

 

[Saltyreef]

Ive been barebottom for over 6 months in a glass tank but I used seafoam colored starboard instead of bare glass and I love the coraline growth and look! No complaints and my 2 part is cheaper than dirt. To each their own and I can see why you may despise coraline on an acrylic tank and bare acrylic bottom.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Find a more efficient way to dose. I wouldn’t change a thing, looks amazing and healthy