Bare Bottom tank versus 1 inch sand bed

[ehutchby]

I'm sure this topic has been discussed before. Can anyone point me to a thread that has discussed this topic or weigh in on the long term pros/cons.
I'm currently running my SPS dominant system with a 1 inch sand bed and I'm currently fighting high phosphate levels with a good cleaning schedule. thoughts?

 

[wickedfish]

Only from recent experience can I tell you that I have always had elevated phosphates until I put gfo and carbon into 2 reactors. Big mistake got everything I needed to 0. and then my nightmare started I have a bloom of either cyano or dinoflagelettes in my system. According to a few of the better brains was do to pulling the phosphates and nitrates too quickly made the water go into a bloom of whatever the lesson is slowly lower your levels. I also have a 1" sanded 2" on one side because I was contemplating going barebottom and I was slowly vacuuming out the sand. Now I am thinking bigger gritted sand and doing a 3-4"bed. GL

 

[DreamMachine]

Sand does not create phosphates. All tanks generate phosphates, whether it's from rocks, fish, or fish food or whatever gets into water. You need to understand the nitrogen cycle, how one element feeds the other. The trick is exporting phosphates, whether biologically, chemically or mechanically. Ideally all three simultaneously.

 

[Alex T.]

Barebottom is a double edged sword. I started my tank barebottom. Things were great. I had a ton of flow too. If you're meticulous about maintenance and water changes, it may be for you. The problem is that no matter how much flow you have, detritus will settle somewhere. As corals start to grow, some of these spots will be inaccessible, as they were in my tank. Before it got worse, I added a sandbed of 1 1/2" just for aesthetics.

Either way works...neither is better than the other. But either way you can still have phosphates. Barebottom will not solve that problem.

 

[mrstihl]

I would go with whichever looks best to you. Sand has a lot of benefits but when you are dealing with such a shallow sand bed those really get reduced almost to the point of appearance.

 

[ehutchby]

Thank you all for your thoughts.
I prefer the look of a sand bed.
I would think that it would be easier to export the detritus with a bare bottom system. I just bought a new tank and will be moving to this new system.
I'm currently working through a diatom, algae bloom. I've cleaned, exported, blown the rock off, done large water changes. All this seems to accomplish is a drop in the phosphate level for about one week. I'm changing my GFO more frequently, from once per month to once every three weeks. I'm stratching my head with out any real good solutions.
below is a picture of the side of my current display tank.

 

[werdlone]

I like the look of a sandbed. I run my frag tank barebottom and hate the look of coraline algae and detritus for the bottom of a tank..and I vacuum regularly. I have a shallow sandbed of 2" in my display and used special grade sand that is a little larger sized so it doesn't blow around.

 

[allsps40]

I went BB for a while. Things where fine, I had no really issues. Parameters stayed stable, no3 and po4 stayed low. I added a lot more flow. I just got sick of having detritus in the dead spots, that I could not get rid of. I still have the same flow but added a thin layer of large crushed coral, the flow moves it some but no storms. It is just easier to keep clean.
My tank BB, this was over a year ago.

Here it is now

 

[denash24]

WOW BB looks awesome....
That picture seals the deal for me, I'm gonna remove the rest of my sand.

 

[BuckeyeTodd]

There will be a dead spot, varying in size depending on the amount of flow(the more flow the smaller dead spot)...the key is designing the system so the dead spot is in the front. You have your powerheads all running along bottom of tank and put them on three sides, and get the detrius to settle in one spot in front...I've ran BB for the last year and love it...I do bi-weekly waterchanges, and the week I don't waterchange I run a hose from tank to sump and attach filter sock and vaccum dead spot and rocks...I currently have about 50 times flow and thats going to be going up when my mp40 comes in this week...check out worldwidecorals.com these guys run all bb tanks and lucky for me are my lfs, and they have taught me the tricks of the trade(their display tanks are unbeleivable)

 

[MammothReefer]

I Keep wanting to go bb, but for whatever reason it never happens. I've got about 1-2" of sand in my new system. I got the tank used it was a rimless setup with an internal euro bracing. I didn't like the looked of the "stepped" bottom so I covered it with sand.

 

[allsps40]

Yeah looking at that pic makes it look really good. I do like the black bottom. I kept the acrylic sheet that was used in case I wanted to pull the sand out again. OR maybe I will get some black sand. Like I said I had no problems with going BB and with the lack of time I had I just could not keep up with cleaning out the waste on the bottom. I had and still have over 60 times flow. Plenty of flow, good results just no time. I work from 7am til 5-6pm so not home much. I hate those darn green zoas, they took over. I got that rock for the orange zoas but they took over a rock that my green leather is on.

 

[ehutchby]

Bottom Cover:
Should I use a PVC sheet (gray color), Lexan or Acrylic (both clear)? What thickness? 1/8 inch, 3/16th or larger?
Thoughts? thanks

 

[allsps40]

I used a 1/4 or 3/8 thick piece of black Lexan.

 

[agsansoo]

BB for life here. LOL Just place acans, zoa's and whatever on the bottom and ramp up the flow ! It's like Dreammachine said, everything generates phosphates. It's all a matter of choice.

OLD photo of my tank bottom ... But you be the point.

 

[keith sprague]

i gotta BB. as for build up every couple days or wheneve im in the mood i gotta maxi jet i can move around the sides of my rock work and blast the bottom to get the detrius stirred up in my water colum and let my overflow box do the rest.