hondadude2k5
Awesome Dude
What is the benefit or down side to having a bare bottom tank? Does anyone here have one or pictures of it? i am thinking about making mine a bare bottom.
Barebottom Tanks
- Thread starter hondadude2k5
- Start date
hondadude2k5
Awesome Dude
I was thinking about the bare bottom because I like the mirrored effect that you get from the fish and the rock.
Fat Surgeon
In Memoriam
Hondadude, head over to UMC. They have several tanks throughout the hospital with BB. As far as a hot debate over a bare bottom or a tank with sand, which does the ocean have? Logically speaking, I believe that would end any debate. In the end, it comes down to the look you want. Good luck! 
phenom5
Member
hondadude,
i would say you should do some looking around and reading before you do anything. i definately agree with Mike, husbandry is far more important then what's on the bottom of your tank. if you have good husbandry practices your tank will be successful regardless. my conversion to BB was a trial by fire, and in all honesty i did not have a good understanding of the BB methodology when i made the switch. i do not mind the look, and i wanted lots of flow for SPS in a small tank, so i thought that BB was the answer. since then i have learned a great deal about the BB methodology, and despite what some people on RC might lead you to believe, it is not the magic bullet of reef keeping. the idea behind BB is solid, and with the right application it can be great. however, an improperly setup BB can be a nightmare. so i would strongly encourage you to do plenty of research before you make the switch, it will save a great deal of money, and save you some of the headaches that my switch caused me.
a few quick points about BB...
-strong flow, especially low in the tank is need. this keeps detritus suspended in the water column. i would also add that open rock work helps to maximize the flow. i had to remove a fair amount of LR to optimize my flow, which is just shy of 50x turnover BTW.
-a good quality skimmer is an absolute must IMO, and you want to skim wet in order to remove the suspended detritus.
AzReefCraze,
i am not trying to pick a fight...but comparing any tank to the ocean...i don't think saying that there is sand in the ocean so there should be sand in our tanks is a good arguement. there are so many differences between the billions of gallons of water, and the millions of square miles of ocean floor to a fish tank in someone's home. as always my take on DSB vs. BB vs SSB is this...to each is own, and husbandry is far more important then what's on the bottom of the tank.
i would say you should do some looking around and reading before you do anything. i definately agree with Mike, husbandry is far more important then what's on the bottom of your tank. if you have good husbandry practices your tank will be successful regardless. my conversion to BB was a trial by fire, and in all honesty i did not have a good understanding of the BB methodology when i made the switch. i do not mind the look, and i wanted lots of flow for SPS in a small tank, so i thought that BB was the answer. since then i have learned a great deal about the BB methodology, and despite what some people on RC might lead you to believe, it is not the magic bullet of reef keeping. the idea behind BB is solid, and with the right application it can be great. however, an improperly setup BB can be a nightmare. so i would strongly encourage you to do plenty of research before you make the switch, it will save a great deal of money, and save you some of the headaches that my switch caused me.
a few quick points about BB...
-strong flow, especially low in the tank is need. this keeps detritus suspended in the water column. i would also add that open rock work helps to maximize the flow. i had to remove a fair amount of LR to optimize my flow, which is just shy of 50x turnover BTW.
-a good quality skimmer is an absolute must IMO, and you want to skim wet in order to remove the suspended detritus.
AzReefCraze,
i am not trying to pick a fight...but comparing any tank to the ocean...i don't think saying that there is sand in the ocean so there should be sand in our tanks is a good arguement. there are so many differences between the billions of gallons of water, and the millions of square miles of ocean floor to a fish tank in someone's home. as always my take on DSB vs. BB vs SSB is this...to each is own, and husbandry is far more important then what's on the bottom of the tank.
MiddletonMark
Premium Member
The ocean isn't the ocean without sharks too ... does that mean we all need them? 
Crap, just noticed this was someone elses reef club. Sorry about that ... I'll be quiet now
Crap, just noticed this was someone elses reef club. Sorry about that ... I'll be quiet now
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hondadude2k5
Awesome Dude
Owsi,
What is this fixation you have with Hector? I am certain he is married but if you want me to try and hook the 2 of you up, just let me know. If not stop bringing him into everything I ask.
That tank has been left alone. It has had nothing done to it except water changes and dosing but since you bring it up, I do have the 55 to set up and i also have a 75 i could setup. Maybe I want to get feed back for a possible barebottom setup on one of those.
What is this fixation you have with Hector? I am certain he is married but if you want me to try and hook the 2 of you up, just let me know. If not stop bringing him into everything I ask.
That tank has been left alone. It has had nothing done to it except water changes and dosing but since you bring it up, I do have the 55 to set up and i also have a 75 i could setup. Maybe I want to get feed back for a possible barebottom setup on one of those.
