Successful tanks with DryRock and Barebottom?

javisaman · Mar 25, 2021

Hi,

After some major struggles with my reef tank (another post) even after 20 months and watching the new BRS videos. I wonder if anyone has had any success with barebottom (no sand, starboard/abs plastic OK) and completely dead dry rock (no seeding with live). My 75 gallon has about 70 lbs of dry rock in my tank on top of starboard and a large marine pure block in the sump. I started with Dr. Tim's and ammonium chloride for cycling. I have pretty heavy filtration: socks, skimmer, and fuge. All corals were dipped, bases removed and brushed with hydrogen peroxide. For the first 8 months, things were good, but I slowly noticed corals getting paler and eventually dying. With the current sentiment of zero/low nutrients being a problem I believe that caused much of my issues. However, I also believe the lack of biodiversity (aka no sponges, feather dusters, micofauna) was also a huge contributor.

Just my two cents. Does anyone have any success with barebottom/dry rock no seeding?

buzz1ightyear · Mar 25, 2021

I doubt the rock and no sand is your problem. What lighting do you have above the tank and what we’re all the other spect like salinity, temperature. My guess was there was a different issue

javisaman · Mar 25, 2021

Actually, I made a post about my particular struggles in this thread.

I made this thread to get a sense of what worked for everyone else.

reefinatl · Mar 25, 2021

Considering Ryan of BRS punched out of the barebottom dry rock approach on his personal tank despite having laid out so many videos, plans, and ideas as well as having near infinite access to equipment, chemicals and experts should say it all. Is it possible to do? Yes, but you will be facing an uphill battle for a couple of years.

bobnicaragua · Mar 25, 2021

I used live rock from multiple sources on a 3 ft barebottom sps tank last year. None of it was out if the water for more than 25 minutes, so minimal cycle and a brief ugly stage. I had fish within a week and acros in 2 or 3 weeks.

Pale corals sounds like low nutrients, that can be an issue with barebottoms. I've done better not with no fuge and a heavy fish load when running barebottom.

bobnicaragua · Mar 25, 2021

reefinatl said:
Considering Ryan of BRS punched out of the barebottom dry rock approach on his personal tank despite having laid out so many videos, plans, and ideas as well as having near infinite access to equipment, chemicals and experts should say it all. Is it possible to do? Yes, but you will be facing an uphill battle for a couple of years.

My thoughts exactly. Something like 8 months and no coral?

Acros · Mar 25, 2021

My tanks was setup with dry+live rock, bare bottom following the BRS/WWC method. It is only 5 months old and I struggle to keep basic mushrooms. All water parameters are within range and been tested by me and the LFS.

Anyway, I am tearing the tank down as I am spending summer out of the country. I am planning on a new tank in August with live rock and live sand. lol

mdb_talon · Mar 25, 2021

I had a frag tank that was almost that scenario and did great. It went through a horrible ugly stage from about month 2 through 8, but then did great. I fed a lot and kept nutrients high. Caused a battle with algae i did not enjoy. While it did eventually do great i would never start a dry rock tank again. Barebottom though always in frag tanks.

I say "almost" because i did have a small tupperware of sand for a yellow coris wrasse.

javisaman · Mar 25, 2021

mdb_talon said:
eventually do great i would never start a dry rock tank again.

Was this an aesthetic choice? Or you didn't like the extra maintenance (battling algae) that you had to do. I guess the extra maintenance defeats the purpose of a barebottom tank.