The advantages and disadvantages of a bare bottom tank. Would you go BB?

[anemoneanatomy]

There are absolutely builds where a bare bottom would be preferable (tanks with lots of messy carnivorous eaters, tanks that need extremely high flow, and frag tanks all come to mind), but for an average reef display tank, I don't see that it provides any benefit. Sand sifting/cleaning/suctioning is definitely a necessary part of tank maintenance just as water changes are necessary to promote a healthy water column, but substrate provides a home for benthic organisms, a stabilizing base for live rock structures, and is quite pleasing aesthetically.

 

[Shooter6]

Any tank's bacteria, pod population would be 50% less without it (that isn't even arguable).
Bare bottoms show EVERY speck of dirt so you'll be cleaning with more frequency, you'll be replenishing your pods with much more frequency (again, less substrate is less SUBSTRATE. It's in the definition of the word), and it also assumes that you're going coral only because there are very few animals that don't have some business with the substrate whether it be food, shelter, breeding, playing. I know my gobies, blennies, and snapper would all be pretty ticked if I took the sand out. But even in the OP's pic there's a Tang at the bottom right lookin' all forlorn about the obvious lack of sand to pick at. And they're primarily vegetarians.
Really though, how can you reccomend something that you don't do to your own tank?

Pods live on bare bottom tanks too. Really bb is not bare just isn't covered in sand. Plenty of film algae that pods and tangs love.

 

[blasterman]

I've found BB tanks initially less stable biologically than tanks with crushed coral beds. BB tanks also don't have that same CC layer to act as a carbonate buffer so you have to pay close attention to your params. I have seen first hand tanks with deep CC beds sustain healthy SPS colonies without dosing or regular water changes. Live rock by itself is too inert to do this.

On the flip side Ive found BB tanks more biological stable in the longer term and much less maintenance. Thats why I've moved in that direction.

 

[Reefbuds]

BB Looks completely un-natural. It's like having a back yard of concrete.

 

[blasterman]

Is the ocean bare bottom? No. Sand bed is needed if truly trying to create a reef system akin to a natural environment with all the biodiversity.

So, now we have to have sand to run a succesfull reef tank? I thought we needed UV LEDs and wet-drys and metal halides?

You can never replicate the bio load of the ocean so the pursuit is moot. The ocean doesn't have fuges or skimmers or dosing or water changes either. Are you also going to try to replicate hurricanes, red tides and dead whale carcasses?

 

[revenant]

BB Looks completely un-natural. It's like having a back yard of concrete.This...

This... There is sand in the ocean/reefs.. Loads of surface area... Great for the bacteria.. and other critters..

It does limit some flow options but you can get creative and have great flow with a sand bed.

 

[Gup]

If anyone here wants to make their sandbed tank instantly bare bottom and with no recycling, holla, we can do that job live time here. Our reef tanks dont need a single thing found in sandbeds…they’re merely extra bioload our tanks tolerate. Specifically, you do not need any of the bacteria from a reef sandbed as a critical filtration link it’s fully uncritical and expendable in all systems.

if you want to change your whole sandbed out for a new one we can do that too, all in one pass.


that being said I keep a very deep sandbed bc I like the looks. Owing to the rule above I just deep clean or replace it occasionally to keep it tidy.

Interesting. So you swap out your substrate periodically. I can't imagine the amount of work it takes.

I can't see that you take out your rock work while life is on board. So just moving everything to one side and back, isn't that a lot of stress on your fish and invertebrates?

I'm certain I would not like the look so I'm not making plans to do it.

 

[brandon429]

All my rocks and corals stay in the air for 30-40 mins during the change, sitting on plates on the counter.


this is to make videos for others to demonstrate how strong bacteria are, and how far off the mark forums are regarding reef tank microbiology. Your rocks and corals too could do 30 mins or more


mine is a pico reef so it’s not hours of work, but in the link provided that’s fifty pages of all large tanks to show that what works for a pico reef also works for a 300 gallon reef.

fish obviously need to be in water, but rocks and corals can just sit there as you work. My record air drain for my tank is 40 mins/ no recycle done several times. My pico is 16 years old now so it’s been flip cleaned a lot, to get to this age at this volume scale.

 

[Gup]

Currently thinking of doing bare bottom for the predator tank build.... Petey the puffer and Picasso the trigger are very messy when they eat, and I really enjoy that I can just use a turkey baster to clean up the mess after Petey is done eating in the quarantine.

However, the reef they currently live in has sand and the mess is controlled by the CUC and gobies. But I know when they get bigger then those snails and gobies wouldn't survive in the same tank as the Lionfish or Puffer......

Same with me. I rely on my diamond gobi, cerith smails and an emerald crab

 

[Gup]

All my rocks and corals stay in the air for 30-40 mins during the change, sitting on plates on the counter.


this is to make videos for others to demonstrate how strong bacteria are, and how far off the mark forums are regarding reef tank microbiology. Your rocks and corals too could do 30 mins or more


mine is a pico reef so it’s not hours of work, but in the link provided that’s fifty pages of all large tanks to show that what works for a pico reef also works for a 300 gallon reef.

fish obviously need to be in water, but rocks and corals can just sit there as you work. My record air drain for my tank is 40 mins/ no recycle done several times. My pico is 16 years old now so it’s been flip cleaned a lot, to get to this age at this volume scale.

Wow. When I purchase corals, I'm quick to get them a bath and just as quick to get them in the tank so I'm talkin seconds, out of fear.

 

[Shooter6]

Shelf rock isnt too bad on the bottom if u have enough flow...does that count?
D

I like this idea, my bottom has a black 1/2 plastic sheet on it but my plan is to add small glued together caves and such for wrasse. . Shelf rock would serve the same purpose.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Yes. It is often not perfectly.flat. and with a large.flat head screw driver and hammer larger pieces can be broken into fit to need sizes.
Kinda like break up a piece that fits and re assemble it in place leave openings as ur saying ur needing. Hths.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Some of those dang wrasses need the sand bed...lol. :/
D

 

[Snookin]

Is the ocean bare bottom? No. Sand bed is needed if truly trying to create a reef system akin to a natural environment with all the biodiversity.

This thought makes logical sense if you are recreating a reef ecosystem from top to bottom. But, most bare bottom tanks are SPS dominate. So they aren’t replicating the entire coral reef ecosystem. These types of reefers are just trying to recreate the top 1/3 of the reef with SPS usually Acropora and crank the flow. The live rock over time will host enough bacteria to handle the tanks bio load and diversity. They aren’t trying to replicate the complete natural environment. To each their own.

 

[Hermie]

I'd like to see a rubble bottom, basically take caribsea rubble zone and put it all on the tank bottom, 1" sized aragonite rocks and then maybe at in some large grain sand just to blend a little

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Ud need a good strong reverse ugf. Lol.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Under gravel filter.
D

 

[Sunny Goold]

There are generally two ways to maintain a reef tank as far as the substrates are concerned. You can either use some type of sand or you can use no sand and go bare bottom. Which is actually no substrate at all! We talked about sand the other day so today let's talk about bare bottom and the advantages and disadvantages of it.

1. What are the advantages of having a bare bottom reef tank?

2. What are the disadvantages of having a bare bottom reef tank?

3. How many of you run your tank bare bottom and how many of you used to but switched back to sand and why?

bare bottom tank image via @irwin_fletch

I have about 2/3 of the bottom of my mixed reef with sand - I like it that there is a bare section to grow encrusting corals but I want the diversity sand brings and the ability to keep certain critters

 

[Smoke-Town]

livestock Choices are my biggest issue with bb. I don’t mind the unnatural look, but most of my favorite fish and critters live on the sand or sleep in the sand or come down to sift through the sand. Biodiversity is my favorite part of reefkeeping so I will probably always have sand in display tanks... some people are just in it for coral or specific fish so I can definitely understand the appeal of bb for others.

 

[Ro Bow]

never ever bare bottom. I want to try as much as possible to recreate the fishe's natural habitat, and going bare bottom reef would not do that. Plus it would limit a few animals you could get.