Over the years I've had my share of different sorts and sizes of tanks. Some were gravel beds, some were gravel and substrate, some were sustate, and some were sand or sand and substate. How ever as my tanks got older and i would do battle with the nitrates monster and when I built my 180 a friend told me to leave it bare bottom. I thought he was crazy, and to be honest i'm still not crazy about it. How ever I am a heave feeder and do my share of water changes. One thing I did notice, was my nitrates were not even noticeable with this bare bottom. No waste or uneaten food. I have read that fine sand is the way to go, but that is gonna take a pretty penny to put 4-6 inches across the entire bottom of a 180. Now that I do think about it,the gravel and substrate is loose enough to hold waste and rotting food, hence us having to vacuum our gravel. I think I will use the sand method, but for now I am really pleased at how clean my water has been. anyone else use the bare bottom method and have good results?
Any bare bottom tank fans?
- Thread starter solojrbb
- Start date
njdevilsfan
New member
switched my 210'from 6 - 10 inch sand bed to bare bottom
it's the greatest thing I have ever done to my tank
I love the way my zoas look and acans and the rest of my lps look on the bottom
it's the greatest thing I have ever done to my tank
I love the way my zoas look and acans and the rest of my lps look on the bottom
I prefer bare bottom. If you don't keep an overload of fish then there is no problem with nitrates. The amount of time you can keep the tank safely after a power failure is extended by multiples. No vacuuming the bed. A refugium will support many of the beneficial creatures found in a sand bed. I have seen reefers with deep sand beds keep a nice aquarium for 7-8 years but once it gets polluted, the entire bed has to be removed.
Bare Bottom Fan here.
1. I like the look, purple coralline algae covers bottom.
2. I like heavy flow
3. I like low nutrient environment
I have a 6 gallon nano, bare bottom, with only a light, a power-head, and a heater, I do 10-20% water change every 2-3 weeks and have no cyano, clean water. Tank is lightly stocked, 1 clown, and one cleaner shrimp, 1 snail, SPS / birdsnest ( from a 1 inch frag, now 6 inches across) LPS ( frogspawn reproducing / splitting ) and Zoas, spreading out.
When I eventually setup a 120-180, depending on what I find used, I will definitely be going bare bottom again. Only I plan to build a low egg crate rack to hold my rock work, keeping the glass bottom even more open to power head current.
My number 1 suggestion if going bare bottom is to make sure you have cured rocks ahead of time, you wont believe what rocks shed. And they shed for months.
1. I like the look, purple coralline algae covers bottom.
2. I like heavy flow
3. I like low nutrient environment
I have a 6 gallon nano, bare bottom, with only a light, a power-head, and a heater, I do 10-20% water change every 2-3 weeks and have no cyano, clean water. Tank is lightly stocked, 1 clown, and one cleaner shrimp, 1 snail, SPS / birdsnest ( from a 1 inch frag, now 6 inches across) LPS ( frogspawn reproducing / splitting ) and Zoas, spreading out.
When I eventually setup a 120-180, depending on what I find used, I will definitely be going bare bottom again. Only I plan to build a low egg crate rack to hold my rock work, keeping the glass bottom even more open to power head current.
My number 1 suggestion if going bare bottom is to make sure you have cured rocks ahead of time, you wont believe what rocks shed. And they shed for months.
Politiceaux
Member
This thread had a unique idea for bare bottom, IMO. I'm going to try it with my upcoming setup. More of a natural look but bare bottom benefits. Win/win.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2291647
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2291647
I had a sandbed in my 90 gallon heavily stocked SPS tank. Had some big angels in there as well. I was doing about 10-15% water changes every two weeks and eventually I got a lot of cyno / slime algae. I could not get rid of it.
I decided to syphon out all of my sand over a couple week period. Bang! All of the issues went away.
Since then, all of my tanks are bare bottom. I do like the look of a sanded, but I like no algae better.
Ken
I decided to syphon out all of my sand over a couple week period. Bang! All of the issues went away.
Since then, all of my tanks are bare bottom. I do like the look of a sanded, but I like no algae better.
Ken
So you are saying bare bottom is not fine for fish? What do you base that on?
I don't think it's a matter of right or wrong. It's more of a it is what it is.
If it was detritus or uneaten food, you just siphon it out. For green algae, scraping I guess, even though I see that's what you are doing. It may come back again, but if you get it out and keep up with it as you would on the sides and front, it will stay out.
What about those Kent Marine or similar scrapers with a short handle for leverage. Maybe get on a stool so that you can get in easily and get at it as a good angle.
Ken
If it was detritus or uneaten food, you just siphon it out. For green algae, scraping I guess, even though I see that's what you are doing. It may come back again, but if you get it out and keep up with it as you would on the sides and front, it will stay out.
What about those Kent Marine or similar scrapers with a short handle for leverage. Maybe get on a stool so that you can get in easily and get at it as a good angle.
Ken
That's the reason I keep a BB.
With BB, you can siphon the detritus out quite easily. If you have sand, the detritus will still be there, but it will be very difficult to get it out. And if not removed, detritus will built up in the sand and cause other issues.
It is fine for fish that do not require substrate. My point is that fish often do not show their full color with a bare bottom tank. So it is not a health issue, rather a display issue. I have had many experiences where a tank would go to, or from barebottom, and the difference in fish coloration can be dramatic.
Steveb
Premium Member
You might take a look at the last post in this thread as an option
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1307433&highlight=travertine+bottom
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1307433&highlight=travertine+bottom
TimberTDI
Member
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