Tank upgrade, Sand or Bare bottom?

[Coody]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm pretty convinced with the special grade one (as much as bare bottom also sounds tempting - won't be the best for some of my inhabitants).

My last question here it goes haha, what about mixing ? Like Fiji pink and special grade as an example. Like the very top layer being the larger granule.

Has anyone tried? And we're results satisfactory?

Mixing never works, it will separate like oil and water with the bigger pieces on top.

 

[mook1178]

I honestly despise the look of bare bottom. As detritus settles it just looks dirty, let alone the unnatural look of bare bottom.

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

I would go bare bottom unless you have your heart set on fish that require it.

 

[Science/G]

Bare bottom! Silicone down a piece of beige acrylic to the bottom for an all-natural look. Ease of maintenance, increased flow along the bottom and less area for pest algae and cyano to grow in the aquarium are pros. Less biological filtration is I guess the only con.

 

[rcpiv93]

I really like the fiji pink. I have used it in moderate flow tanks without a problem and plan to use it again for my current build.

 

[Raphael Dalmeida]

Bare bottom! Silicone down a piece of beige acrylic to the bottom for an all-natural look. Ease of maintenance, increased flow along the bottom and less area for pest algae and cyano to grow in the aquarium are pros. Less biological filtration is I guess the only con.

Good looking tank, the CADE would have sort of a white frosted bottom. I might go bare bottom first for a week or two just to see how I feel about it. I do have quite a few encrusting corals that I could just let them encrust on the glass instead of rock.

I can always add the sand after.

 

[JonoH]

Caribsea special grade here...especially if you end up wanting a Goby.

Just takes ages to clean the sand (check my build thread...)

 

[NY_Sea]

I went barebottom after years of having a beep Sand bed. To be honest I’m a huge fan of BB for one reason. ITS EASIER TO KEEP MY TANK CLEAN. Once a week I just siphon out the detritus that settles in the front. I keep high flow and let corraline grow on bottom. I use a power head and blow the whole tank once a month also and feel Like it’s a good way to deep clean the rocks and botom
Of tank.

I don’t worry about old
Sand syndrome and sand becoming a nutrient holder. My corals Look great and because of the ease of maintenance I don’t think I’ll over go back. I have thought of running a sand bed in a fuge for the added bacteria benefit but not sure i need it.

With that being said I love tanks with sand. I just don’t want to have to clean it!

 

[liddojunior]

How about rubble substrate? Mushrooms, nems, zoas all love it. It’s like free surface for pods and bacteria.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

wondering how a 1” layer of tampa bay saltwater sand would look. Anyone have pics of it? Want a natural look

 

[backbayreef]

BB all the way for me, unless you intend to keep creatures that require sand.

 

[jonelder68]

wondering how a 1” layer of tampa bay saltwater sand would look. Anyone have pics of it? Want a natural look

TBS sand in my refugium tank with 16lbs of live rock.

 

[Desert Seahorse]

For what it's worth-I bought tile that looks like sand on Wayfair. Even has starfish on it. Of course it's not quite the same look as sand, but it's the next best thing, looks decent and is a world easier to keep clean. Have it in two of my tanks.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

TBS sand in my refugium tank with 16lbs of live rock.

i like that. Looks more realistic to me. Thinking of getting 20-40lbs to add to my 83g when i set it up

 

[Reef.]

Good looking tank, the CADE would have sort of a white frosted bottom. I might go bare bottom first for a week or two just to see how I feel about it. I do have quite a few encrusting corals that I could just let them encrust on the glass instead of rock.

I can always add the sand after.

A bare bottom tank is not as easy to mature a tank, cycle etc in the first year…sounds as you really prefer the fiji so instead of trialing the bare bottom, go for the fiji pink, then you can always swap it for the special grade if it doesn’t work out.

 

[Scotty8284]

How about rubble substrate? Mushrooms, nems, zoas all love it. It’s like free surface for pods and bacteria.

I just started a nano using a combination of 2 Little Fishies Natural Bottom Coarse Sand and Little ReBorn Calcium Reactor Media. I like the look and maintenance hasn’t been bad. I’m hoping to add a Pistol Shrimp/Goby combo and wanted to give them some good material to work with. I’m waiting for my new lid before adding them. And you’re right, the Zoa’s seem to like that bottom.

 

[Generator]

This is 1 inch of sand from Tampa Bay. The mound in the middle is under constant construction by my tiger shrimp, which is why some areas look more sparse than others, he keeps stealing it and moving it around. He does a fine job keeping the sand turned pretty much 24/7. I just leave it wherever he puts it since it's his house, not mine.

I placed my rock scape on a bare bottom in a 3/4 full tank. The rocks don't shift from things trying to burrow under. Plus it can't get stagnant if it's not there. Then used a 12oz plastic cup to scoop and gently place the sand around the rockwork. Then filled the rest of the way with water.

It's only been running 10 months so forgive it being a little naked. I did add about 3lbs of Caribbean aragonite in the back so my wrasse had something a little deeper to hide in. It's mixed in very nicely with the rest of the sand.

 

[vlangel]

I had seahorses and they do best without sand. I painted the outside of the bottom of the tank with a sand texture paint. I never really warmed up to the look of bb as it was too pristine for my liking and detritus looked like a sore thumb as it built up. I added real sand when I didn't have seahorses anymore and have never looked back.

 

[Generator]

I had seahorses and they do best without sand. I painted the outside of the bottom of the tank with a sand texture paint. I never really warmed up to the look of bb as it was too pristine for my liking and detritus looked like a sore thumb as it built up. I added real sand when I didn't have seahorses anymore and have never looked back.

Beautiful!

 

[vlangel]

Beautiful!

Yes it had a beauty but it also looked so sterile and that just wasn't for me.