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

[Silent]

If you want a bare bottom you could cover it with something that you can scrape. That would be quite a task.

 

[EmptyWallet]

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.



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

Yes great idea, can you train them to only eat the Coralline off the glass and not the rocks?

 

[MTBake]

I agree with a lot mentioned already. Growing coral on the bottom glass is what I see most people do. Dosing with bulk supplies is another I was going to suggest.

Disclaimer, I personally prefer sand and have never ran bare bottom.

And that's a beautiful idol you have there

 

[EmptyWallet]

Thanks folks, thinking about it more Coralline still looks better than 'clean glass' or dirty sand so I might just fill it with more rock peices and low light/high flow corals and get onto the bulk Alk. Not sure I can use this an excuse to buy even more lighting to load up the base with Monti's - awfully tempting

 

[Reefcowboy]

I have crushed coral instead of sand, and it is covered in coraline as well..my alk consumption is insane, I scrape the coralline from the rear pannel, wish I could get rid of it from the tank.
Im keeping my Ph at a constant 8.2, coralline covers a recently cleaned pump in 2-3 weeks!

 

[tautog83]

Just get some favias , encrusting montis . I've had a 1 inch favia on my bottom but sadly after 8 months it's still 1 inch . But I have random.problems that I dont know what they are lol

 

[Leadfooted]

For what it’s worth, I had the same issue as you when I let Coraline take over my back glass. My Alk consumption went crazy high. I was adding reef complete like crazy to keep up. Then... out of no where, perhaps after the back glass was covered with coraline, my ALK consumption went right back to where it was before I let coraline take over. I thought I was in trouble as well but fast forward 4 months and My ALK consumption went right back to normal. I’m barley adding anything to raise my Alk now. So... maybe ride it out for a little bit. See what happens. Good luck and nice tank!

 

[Ashley Kekua]

calcium reactor is calling to you !

 

[EmptyWallet]

calcium reactor is calling to you !

calcium reactors are scary!

 

[bam123]

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.

Go with cyphastrea. I love montis and esp. monti caps but the fricking monti eating nudis are a nightmare and they always find a way. I dip all my corals and buy tiny plugs only, but those eggs always find a way. Go cyphastrea. They love low light and encrust fast. I love the varities as well.

 

[EmptyWallet]

I only get about 70 PAR at the bottom so Monti's are out (running 4x XR15 G4 PROS on AB+). I suspect the low PAR and blue light is a leading contributor to my Coralline growth. In other parts of the tank, I have the worlds cheapest cheato reactor going - it just sits in a big fish net under a radion next to a gyre (a temp fix when I moved house then never found the motiviation to change because it works so well) and under the net where the light is shaded the Coralline is insane, but just next to it not shaded far less so.

 

[bam123]

I only get about 70 PAR at the bottom so Monti's are out (running 4x XR15 G4 PROS on AB+). I suspect the low PAR and blue light is a leading contributor to my Coralline growth. In other parts of the tank, I have the worlds cheapest cheato reactor going - it just sits in a big fish net under a radion next to a gyre (a temp fix when I moved house then never found the motiviation to change because it works so well) and under the net where the light is shaded the Coralline is insane, but just next to it not shaded far less so.

cyphastrea do great in low par. I grow mine at the bottom of the tank partially under a ledge. 24 inch deep tank with orphek atlantek V4 set on soft coral/lps setting (in other words, dialed way down).

 

[Waters]

I just constantly scrape my bottom glass to keep it from growing. Doesn't help you know unfortunately unless you want to put in a lot of work

 

[Scorpius]

One blue tuxedo urchin would eat that stuff in two months flat.

 

[EmptyWallet]

It's hard to get certain things in Australia, i've been watching out for one of those bad boys for over a year. Also don't want it to eat the Coralline on the rocks

 

[BOWHUNTER4250]

I recently set up a DD300 ( 6 x 3 x 27" ) and went bare bottom for the first time , i am using black marine board and im not sure i like the look as mine has coraline , spots of cyano , and other spots of green algae ...... my plan is to cover the bottom with zoas and other pieces to hopefully almost completely cover the bottom and spread but getting there you have to go thru that " ugly " stage and in the long run i think it will be worth it

 

[Silent]

Is it easy to scrape away the cyano and green algae and stuff from the marine board?

 

[MrsBugmaster]

Urchins will scratch acrylic, so not advisable to add to an acrylic tank, glass only.

 

[Saltyreef]

Is it easy to scrape away the cyano and green algae and stuff from the marine board?

It is not easy. Its sort of a textured surface so the coraline sticks really good. Wish silicone stuck that good to hdpe lol.

 

[Saltyreef]

Is it easy to scrape away the cyano and green algae and stuff from the marine board?

Oops just saw cyano. You can usually siphon cyano out pretty easy.