Bare bottom???

[package]

Thought I would post this here just in an attempt to revive the ARS a bit as opposed to a world wide RC forum.

I am setting up a 125g that was going to be FOWLR if it were a 300g, now I suspect I will go soft coral and some LPS.

I always ran sand primarily for the looks, I run crushed coral in my 75g although there is so much hair algae on it who would know. Obviously all of the garbage/waste falls to the bottom, I keep snails, crabs, vacuum the sand when doing water changes but the bottom is still sort of a mess.

This time I am thinking of mounting 2 tunze 6100s sort of low on each side, run bare bottom (spray painted the bottom tan) and set the coral 6" or so up above the bottom of the tank.

Anyone have any bare bottom pitfall advice?

 

[jmccown]

I am doing BB on my 500 and so far I like it. There is so much crud that builds up in the sand over time. Other than aesthetics I like BB so far.

 

[coralreefer]

Anyone have any bare bottom pitfall advice?

Can't keep certain sand sifting/dwelling fish or critters.
I do have brittle stars 1 over 8 yrs and 2 for 5 or 6. Cucumbers 5 or more years. Have had nass. and cerith snails long term in the past.

Might have to be a little more on top of exporting detritus since you have no nutrient sink. Then again if you stay on top of things now probably no difference. I don't really remember caring for a sandbed except water changes are easier with a bb.
From you plans for flow it shouldn't be a problem.

Sometimes I miss the look of a nice sand bed

 

[package]

Maybe I should just plan on never having a cyno or hair algae issue and use the sand?

Maybe my BB plan is more realistic?

 

[carb850]

I had 2 Tunze 6100's in my 120 that was bare bottom, well it had a sheet of HDPE on the bottom but no sand. I like sand dwelling creatures, I like the look of sand, but I found the BB much easier to care for. Taking a power head to the bottom quickly put any detritus that settled into the water column for my skimmer to remove. Had I done it over, I would have passed on the HDPE sheet because I did have some detritus that got trapped under it that I could never remove. Otherwise, I recommend it.

I don't think you will see the tan color of the bottom unless you look through the top. When you look at say a side panel from the bottom doesn't it just appear as a reflection? In any event, if you eventually get some coral growing on the bottom and a nice coating of coraline then it won't matter anyhow.

 

[DJ in WV]

what about coating the bottom with a sand and epoxy mix that way stuff cant become trapped under it and still get the look of sand bottom plus no blowing around of the substrate. I my biggest regret is using fine agro it limits your options with flow to much but it keeps the rock clean by sand blasting

 

[coralreefer]

what about coating the bottom with a sand and epoxy mix that way stuff cant become trapped under it and still get the look of sand bottom plus no blowing around of the substrate.

That's been tried many times before. Problem is if you're shooting for a "true" bare bottom ie. starboard reef the goal is having enough flow to keep the bottom "swept" clean. The faux sand bed traps detritus plus it quickly gets covered in coralline algae.

 

[package]

I just painted the bottom tan, put 60-70 1"-2" size pieces of rubble down there. I want to keep the bottom clean, this has always been a struggle for me, in part perhaps due to lack of good house keeping - but I think that is going to happen from time to time.

 

[package]

 

[jmccown]

turned out great. Nice fish selections.

 

[package]

Thanks

Someone asked for a photo of a barebottom tank so I used this forum to practice post.

 

[coralreefer]

Looking great Lloyd...I was wondering about your tank the other day. I take it you like bb?
Gonna steal your thread to practice uploading pics again too. :bum:

~ 6 month old bare bottom 30g cube

New camera big learning curve.

 

[package]

Looking at it on my phone. Is that a ricordia garden? I used to pick up a couple every time I drove through Columbus. I love that stuff but it always seemed to shrivle up and fall off the rocks.

 

[package]

Amy
Now using a larger screen, where are you scoring the ricordia?

Are you feeding it at all?

 

[coralreefer]

Looking at it on my phone. Is that a ricordia garden?

Wondered if you'd notice them...played with cropping pics last night so these aren't great shots

Haitian colony

All in this tank,except the Haitians, are frags from my ricordea tank at the house. :beer:

Amy
Now using a larger screen, where are you scoring the ricordia?

Are you feeding it at all?

Lloyd they all came from Phishy Caribbean over the last couple years. Sadly they don't seem to be around anymore. I've never bothered to feed them...generally have seen slow but steady growth and naturally the nicest ones grow the slowest. LOL

 

[package]

I for sure need some ricordia now.

 

[carb850]

Looking great Lloyd...I was wondering about your tank the other day. I take it you like bb?
Gonna steal your thread to practice uploading pics again too. :bum:

~ 6 month old bare bottom 30g cube

New camera big learning curve.

Looking great Amy! Makes me have consider setting mine back up. Wife might kill me though. LOL

 

[coralreefer]

Looking great Amy! Makes me have consider setting mine back up. Wife might kill me though. LOL

If I'd known you could be tempted I'd have posted pics earlier. Guess we're both lucky you sold your tank.
Don't even want to tell you it's been running with tap water.

Sorry for another hijack Lloyd...some time I'll get motivated to start my own build thread. Then again since it's bb guess I'm still on topic.

 

[package]

Amy,

That is OK - you can hook me up with some ricordia, save me the long drive to buy them in Columbus.

On a different note, you recommended CJ Maggies to me a long time back as a good place to eat. I started going there sort of regularly just for the Pizza - and they closed! I was heart broken.

 

[coralreefer]

LOL we can probably work on something after I get the 120 up and stocked...right now I don't have much to spare.

Since you and Hoos are both ric heads too maybe we could all get together with a group buy this spring/summer somewhere if we find a good deal? It's always nice to split shipping costs and we're not that far apart.

Oh man I miss Maggies too. We didn't eat there a lot but always the pizzas...sigh.