another BB thread(not meant to be a war)

[The Reefer91]

Hi, i was looking into several BB threads and have come to a slight conclusion on going BB. i know each one has it's benifits, but i don't want to have to change the sand in a 125g! so i was wondering if you could outline some of the benifits you like most about going BB?

thanks

 

[NoSchwag]

Pesonally, I like knowing that I'm in total control of my tank. If something is wrong chances are that it's my fault and I can fix it real quick.

(Also the look)

 

[Sindjin]

I agree with NoSchwag.

A DSB has that level of uncontrollable uncertainty that gives me the creeps.

 

[NoSchwag]

Maybe even the heebie jeebies.

 

[The Reefer91]

lol. also, for looks, i heard someone say using sand "glued to starboard or something. does that defeat the purpose of a BB tank? and what do you use on the bottom of your tank?

 

[Sindjin]

I use white Polyethylene or Starboard material. Right now Im seeing a lot of Coraline growth starting to cover it. I think it will look good as the tank matures.

I got it from here:

http://www.usplastics.com

 

[The Reefer91]

thanks. do you guys think you could post pictures of your tanks?

 

[Sindjin]

Here's a link to my tank thread. it will depict a lot of my trials and tribulations.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=671979&highlight=Sindjin

In additon...COOK YOUR ROCK for 3 or 4 months in total darkness before placing it in your display.

 

[elephen]

Yes cooking rock is a must if you are converting to BB. If not you will be doing a substantial amount of siphoning EVERY SINGLE DAY if you don't due to the rock shedding.

I picked up 2 peices of HDPE (starboard) from CuttingBoardCompany.com for $42 shipped. Covers the bottom of my 120 - had to cut it a little to fit snug.

BB means you have 110% total control of your system and you have the ability run as much flow as possible without any problems -- maybe water sloshing out but I think thats a good problem to have =)

 

[The Reefer91]

i'm not converting, i'll be starting out with BB. and if i start BB do i still have to cook the live rock. cause if i cook it, i may as well, buy dead rock. i'll be killing everything on it

 

[NoSchwag]

This is my first fish tank too reefer.

There is no problem with using all dead rock.. Just throw a piece of shrimp in the cooking tub to get the bacterial process started. Then just cook like normal.

The most important piece of advice I could give you is to buy a powerful pressure rated pump and a beckett skimmer. It's all about the skimmer.

 

[The Reefer91]

but why pay the same price for dead rock that will likely never get the same amount of living organisims, like good hitchhikers, ALOT of bactieria and others? wouldn't that be like uying a cracked tank, and then attempt to fix it? and if the rock is cured, than why bother killing everything?

sorry for all the questions

 

[NoSchwag]

What organisims and good hitchhikers?

 

[The Reefer91]

litlle prizes, like reef safe crabs, feather dusters, bactieria, and occasionally corals. all i'm saying, is that there is good things on live rock that the reef aquariest wants, like copepods

 

[NoSchwag]

See that all depends on what kind of tank you want. The crabs and stars would survive, just leave the top opened a crack for a little light. They'll more than likely have more than enough food to survive.

In order to keep feather-dusters and pods alive, you need a not so clean tank. The type of tank I am going for wouldn't do so well "not so clean" which is why I personally went BB.

I would rather put stuff into my tank on my own terms, I don't like "prizes"

 

[The Reefer91]

true, but is it neccesery to cook live rock that has been cured? i mean, you're still paying a good amount of money for something you are about to kill

 

[Weatherman]

Someone needs to answer this question once and for all:

How Does Cooking Live Rock Kill Everything?

 

[The Reefer91]

i heard on a thread( not sure what website) and was also told by a store owner that cooking it would kill it. correct me please, cause i am probably wrong about the killing. i read on a thread here about cooking the live rock, and it sounded like a smart idea. then i read somewhere else it would virtually strip the rock of life. if anyone can clear this up, it would be appreciated

 

[Weatherman]

Itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s unfortunate how this rumor got started. It probably has a lot to do with the name ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œcooking rockââ"šÂ¬Ã‚. It sounds a lot like boiling it to sterilize it.

Anywayââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ For a new tank, all you are doing with ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œcooking rockââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ is extending the curing process until everything on the rock thatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s dead or dying can die and decay away before you expose the rock to light. As long as you keep the water warm and circulating in your cooking bins, the only things that will die (which wouldnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have died already) are algae.

Once all the dead stuff has decayed and washed away, you can expose the rock to light without the fear of inducing a huge cyano or hair algae bloom.

For rock taken from a tank, which has become a little bit too nutrient rich, all ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œcooking the rockââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ does is allow you to clean it up in a controlled, nutrient-poor environment before putting it back in your clean bare-bottom tank.


Maybe a better word for the process is ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œcleaning live rockââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ rather than ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œcooking live rockââ"šÂ¬Ã‚. (But then people might start thinking we need to use soap and fresh water ).

 

[The Reefer91]

lol ok, i'll look into "cleaning" it