going bare bottom

[anthonys51]

going bare bottom in my new reef. the question is ? can the rock be set up directly on the glass or should i use something to buffer. but i would think using something would just become a dirt trap

 

[MrHyde]

You can place the rock directly on the glass if you want, but just be careful when your cleaning the tank, securing corals etc because the rocks have a tendency to slide sometimes.
Using a piece of Starboard on the bottom is another option.

 

[pyithar]

i agree. i too plan to place the rocks on the bottom glass for my next bare bottom tank. the rock structure needs to be stable though.

 

[mcgyvr]

yep.. put something down first..
Starboard (hdpe) /cutting boards,etc...

 

[carrots]

I found that using a large chunk of dry base rock that had a flat side cut into it was a help. You can cut a flat side on it with a hack saw. Then carefully build up from there.

 

[toothybugs]

I used eggcrate. Very little comes out whenever I blow out the base of my structure, and trust me, there is a lot of flow being driven in underneath it.

 

[McPuff]

You can also use putty to affix the rocks directly to the glass. Then you won't have to worry about it sliding and/or falling. This would work the best if you putty all of your rocks together. I'll definitely do this in my next build.

 

[anthonys51]

oh you can putty the rock directly onto the glass. thanks i think i like that idea the best. dont like the egg-crate look.

also i have a pink spot watchman goby now. will he be able to live in a bare bottom tank. he does dig holes a little, but i dont really see him shifting sand much. i usually can feed him with a turkey baster , so i know he wont have trouble eating,.