help me go bare bottom

[beaker020]

I have a 72 gal reef now that I have been battling pest algae, dinoflagellates (the yellow snotty kind) red slime, low PH and a host of other problems. I have been reading a lot about bare bottom tanks and have come to the conclusion that my deep (3-4") sand bed is at least partly to blame.

I want to remove my sand bed but I have 2 concerns regarding my current inhabitants and how they will react.

The first is a long tentacle anemone which, of course, likes to bury its foot in the sand. I worry that the anemone wont be happy if it cant bury its foot.

The second concern is with a mandarin which eats the pods and bugs living and breeding in the sand. I worry that removing the sand will remove a large population of 'pods and 'pod breeding area and there will be insufficient remaining to keep her alive.

So the questions are: Will they be OK? Is there anything I should do to specially accommodate either one or both? Or will one or the other likely parish?

Thanks
Lance

 

[Avi]

Well, as far as the pods are concerned, the sump you have, being 20-gallons, should be a good and sufficient source of those to supply the tank and the fish, like your Mandarin, that feed on them. It'd be very good on that score if you have a good amount of live rock in your reefs.

The sand is a bit stickier. You should remove a little at a time as opposed to removing it all at once. And since your sand bed was deep enough to be anaerobic in places, be ready to do some water changes as you do remove a bit at a time. Make sure your skimmer is working at it's most efficient when you do remove some sand. The anemone won't be as happy without the sand as with it, but it should find someplace to wedge itself in some of the bottom of the rockwork. It should be all right.

 

[jjmg]

You don't say much about what animals you are keeping in your tank. Is it overstocked with fish? Mostly SPS, LPS or softies? What kind of flow are you planning? For a BB it should be very high and way overskimmed and skimmed wet. If you have a mostly softie tank they probably won't like that.

Do you do regular water changes? BB needs to have any detritous cleaned out regularly.

I don't think that a 20 gal sump is going to come close to providing the needed pods for your dragonet. I don't know about your anemone since I don't keep them.

If you decide to switch over I'd remove all rock and corals to containers and remove all the sand at one time and move everything back.

BB will not make up for being lax in your upkeep but if you like the look and you have all the required equipment and your animals fit it, it can work well.

 

[beaker020]

Current occupants are:
2 false percs
2 firefish
2 cleaner shrimp
1 yellow tang
various hermit crabs

favia brain
lobophilia brain
trachaphilia brain
xenia
anthelia
frogspawn

Long tentacle anemone

In the 50 gal which normally shares the sump, but is now disconnected, is a coral eating beauty and a saddle back puffer.

equipment
Circulation:
GenX mak4
4 maxijet 900/1200 power heads on wave maker

Skimming:
Aerofoamer 620 DIY clone powered by mag 12.

nightly top off with Kalk
Weekly 15 gal water change
Dual chamber DIY calcium reactor

A/N/N 0.0.0
Ca 420ppm
Alk 13dKH

PH 7.6 - 8.1