bare bottom

[Hans-moleman]

What is the best way to covert to bare bottom? Just put all the rocks and corals in a budget and vacuum out all the sand?

Also, I heard you have to put some kind of mat on the bottom of the tank. Is this true?

Just want to experiment if this will be easier to maintain.

 

[amorpnai]

if you already have sand in ur tank, make sure that you don't vaccuum out all the sand too quickly or the tank may crash. Take out the sand half at a time till your done with all the sand. Depending on how big ur tank is and how much sand you have, it should take about 2 weeks for 100 gallon tank.

Whether or not you have a base board on the bottom doesn't matter... It is up to what you want. If you dose alot of calcium and you have bare bottom, you can have a good coralline growth on the bottom of your tank (that is if you want it).

With good circulation in your tank, top and bottom of the tank, debri build-up should not be too much of a problem. The debri can accumulate in one area where you can easily siphone.

I have a barebottom and i like it.

 

[MiddletonMark]

What do you run for filtration on the tank?
What kind of bioload do you have in there?

 

[Hans-moleman]

I have a 40 gallon tank with about 2'' sandbed. I fought the battle with cyano and now with hair algae. All seems to be growing on the top layer of the sand. I know the sand is not the source, but that maybe a barebottom tank would be easier for me to maintain.

I have various corals with 2 percs, sixline, and a watchman goby.

filtration includes a remora hang on and a cpr fuge trying to grow macro.

would be best to take out the sand part by part?

also, what is this starboard people talk about?

 

[dryice]

starboard is the stuff that cuting boards are made from.

 

[Hans-moleman]

any benefits with using the starboard?

 

[MiddletonMark]

If a rock falls, it's a little less likely to smash the bottom. Nothing's impossible, though.

Also, the white reflective nature [until coralline covered] reflects light up, increasing overall light in the tank for a while.

It also is a little less `slippery' than glass when aquascaping.

That said, my 58 is truly bare bottom [no starboard]. If I upgrade and still want BB, then I'll do starboard [bigger rocks, higher up].

For my setup, livestock - I'm happy with it. I'm also really happy with the DSB tub I have in the basement ... just depends what you're doing with it, what equipment you have [BB requires well tweaked export].