Why I went Bare Bottom

[G Santana]

Unlike fish waste, snail waste doesn't break up and dissolve into the water column. It's like compressed wood pellets rolling around the bottom of the tank.
I took a large power head and placed it at one end of the bottom aimed at the other end of the tank and weekly I syphon all this poop that it pushes to one side.
I love my turbo snails but they make me work almost as much as them.

 

[FMF0331]

I also went BB on my frag tang for the same reason

 

[Aboynamedsous2]

I have this too. I thought I’m certainly not overstocking I only have 2 fish but now I know lol.

 

[PeterC99]

Unlike fish waste, snail waste doesn't break up and dissolve into the water column. It's like compressed wood pellets rolling around the bottom of the tank.
I took a large power head and placed it at one end of the bottom aimed at the other end of the tank and weekly I syphon all this poop that it pushes to one side.
I love my turbo snails but they make me work almost as much as them.

Really? Snail pop doesn’t breakup and dissolve into the water column. Can one then assume that the stuff doesn’t breakdown into ammonia and nitrate?

 

[G Santana]

Really? Snail pop doesn’t breakup and dissolve into the water column. Can one then assume that the stuff doesn’t breakdown into ammonia and nitrate?

Everything breaks down, but compared to my two big depositors whose waste immediately starts to break apart and is in the water column within minutes, my snails whose waste also contains rock scrapings stays in the bottom for weeks at a time. Part of my weekly routine is syphoning that up. In the picture, that's one weeks worth and only part, the other part is in another corner.

 

[RedReefer]

Have you noticed any difference in the corals after you switched?

 

[G Santana]

Have you noticed any difference in the corals after you switched?

I started BB, I was away from the hobby a long time, but yrs ago I had limited success until I went BB.
This tank is only 8 months old and has only a handful of corals. Getting past the ugly stage is longer than if you had sand and live rock but IME BB worked for me and it's easier to maintain.

 

[Hans-Werner]

Can one then assume that the stuff doesn’t breakdown into ammonia and nitrate?

I guess yes, it doesn't breakdown to ammonia and nitrate. I guess it does not contain much proteins or other forms of nitrogen. I guess it is mainly cellulose and other persistent polysaccharides that leave the snail or fish largely unaltered.