thinking about going bare bottom on the new tank im get

[raymond]

Im thinking about going bare bottom on the new tank im get. can i get a list of negatives and positives from people that have experianced bare bottom tanks. also do you think painting the bottom jet black would make the corals pop out more??

 

[eastamherstbias]

I like the idea but won't it encrust pink over time?

 

[skinz78]

I always go with sand in my tanks, for some reason BB just doesn't seem natural to me but to each their own. I do know that sand has a bad rep for causing detritus build up and nitrates but I am willing to take that chance.

 

[johnanddawn]

i'd give you a list of negatives if i could think of any :)
bb all the way and i have had all three; bb, ssb, and dsb
cleaner
more flow
no sand storms or issues with ph placement
no vacuming
no brown diatom covered sand
no detritus build up or clumping
no dead spots under the rock

opps i just thought of a negative = can't keep burrowing fishes

 

[tangboy]

I'm trying out BB on my 40g rebuild. I just like the fact that when I do WCs I can just suck anything off the bottom that doesn't belong :)

 

[Michael7979]

Bare bottom tanks have the ability to be keep much more clean then a sand filled tank. And as stated flow is never going to kick up or push around any sand.
Personally I have never tried a BB tank. But I think it looks ..... different and I would rather have sand and the creatures that go with it.

Just my $.02- I wish you the best with it.

 

[aalvarado87]

my only issue is when i see a barebottom tank i think of a store tank. I like the ocean look so I of course am going to have to vote sand. I think that this may be a pain in the butt, but it gives you the natural look that i feel most people in the hobby are trying to create.

 

[m and m]

I use BB and love it more flow easy to clean i truey see no negitive with it if you like the look.

 

[Jcr's Reef]

Any of you running BB have to dose more ALK, etc... to keep levels in check?

 

[kellyjn]

I've been considering going BB lately. If I do, I will get a piece of black ABS plastic (car stereo trim) and cover the bottom glass. I do like the look of a sandbed, so I don't know what I'll wind up doing......

 

[Friday Night]

I run a **** tank.. i love it gives me chance to see EVERYTHING. waste pests etc.. Sand is a nest for Detritus plus you have to vacuum etc... yawn.. ;)

 

[akabryanhall]

It just depends on what you like the look of I giess, I don't like the look of a bb tank at all, but there is something to be said for ease of use.

 

[dougers31]

What about a ss with a few sand sifting creatures like ss starfish and nassarius snails....

 

[Akwarius]

BB covered with zoas is the only way to go!!

 

[Wy Renegade]

Never ran a bb myself, but there are some interesting inferences drawn on them in the conclusion of this article. I wouldn't call their inferences scientifically based by any means, but interesting to see their thoughts regardless.

Feature Article: An Experimental Comparison of Sandbed and Plenum-Based Systems: Part 2: Live Animal Experiments | Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine

 

[m and m]

Any of you running BB have to dose more ALK, etc... to keep levels in check?

I herd this before and this issue and thought it was crazy mostly because i have never done sand but I recall sexy coral saying he added sand just because of this.

 

[Jcr's Reef]

I had this problem a few years ago when I tried BB. I loved being able to crank up the flow, but I hated my levels always being out of whack since I didn't have a doser hooked up. Being such a skeptical person it made me wonder what else (trace elements, etc.) my tank wasn't benefiting from the absence of sand.

 

[Michael7979]

As with so much in this hobby, not everyone will agree on everything.
If you go BB it's more sterile looking. If you use sand it looks more natural.
What do you perfer? (rhetorical)

 

[pitbullguy]

I went to bare bottom a couple years ago and love it. Not the greatest for aesthetics but killer for flow and to keep detritus in suspension. I have a couple spots that detritus collects at and a quick syphon takes care of it, other than that the bottom stays clean. It also adds more depth in the tank. Go for it, you will love it.