Bare Bottom

[unclemuskie]

Hello all I am starting up a new 75 gallon with a 38 gallon sump.I am going to make it a barebottom and was looking for any advice as I have never done this before.Will be housing mostly sps and lps with some fish.Any advice from those in the know would be great and thanks in advance.

 

[flyyyguy]

to elaborate on olkellers response :lol:......that is a pretty broad question you asked

Why dont you go into more detail on the set up as far as equipoment and how you see setting it up, and we can offer input from there

 

[Palancar]

Without a specific question, I guess just take advantage of the BB and setup your flow in such a way that nothing settles. To accomplish this you will probably need more flow across the bottom than you think. Gravity is one tough nut to crack. I'm still reworking mine to get it right.

 

[Houtz]

Well, to begin you're going to need to not add sand to the bottom of the tank...

I'm not "in the know" per se, except that I have read some horribly long and passionate threads on this matter. I can only advise that you do the same. You will find every bit of condemnation and praise possible for BB and get a thorough look at how experienced reef keepers feel about it and what their methods are.
You might even start a long discussion with this thread, but I get the impression that a lot of people are weary of this topic. Maybe not.
Good luck with your tank by the way.

 

[Briankook]

My only advice would be to take advantage of the BB by having as much chaotic flow as possible. You won't have to worry about sand storms.
Also, when you do water changes, you can really siphon the bottom of the tank and not pull up any sand. I usually pull out a few rocks during my WC and really siphon the tank.
Third, don't skimp on a skimmer. Purchase one that has been proven in this hobby.
I should also add that whether you run a BB or DSB, you can have a successful tank. What works for one person, might not work for someone else. Personally, I like maintaining my BB. HTH

 

[phenom5]

here's a good place to start...

The How to Go Bare Bottom Thread

 

[seagirl]

I have almost the exact same set up. 75g/35g sump. Going bb was the best thing i ever did. One thing i did was line the bottom with HDPE and filled around the edges with silicon to stop stuff from getting underneath. Has been great, HTH.

 

[unclemuskie]

thanks for the posts and by the way what is HDPE ?????