sand or bb in fowlr?
- Thread starter b_rabun1
- Start date
If you don't have anything that requires substrate (jawfish, many wrasses, a girlfriend with "that substrate looks pretty" tendencies, etc) then BB is much much easier to maintain. You also leave way less of a breeding ground for Ick. By no means makes you immune to Ick, just makes it a bit harder for the buggers.
What specific fish were you planning or hoping to keep?
What specific fish were you planning or hoping to keep?
marrone
New member
If you go BB you need to be able to have flow on the bottom of the tank so the garabage doesn't collect or collects in one area where you can siphon it out. Otherwise your going to have problem with bad water quality. Some fish need the sand, so if you want some of those fish your going to need some sand, how much depends on you and the fish. And finally it does look better in the tank than a BB or a starboard bottom.
As for ich, if you have it you going to have it reguardless whether you have sand or not. The fish will just keep getting it. Just look at a lot of LFS that have BB and yet they still have ich.
As for ich, if you have it you going to have it reguardless whether you have sand or not. The fish will just keep getting it. Just look at a lot of LFS that have BB and yet they still have ich.
Technically anything that ads surface area aids in bio filtration....so true. However you also have to consider that anytime you provide a spot where "fug" (parasites/fish waste/etc) can build up or concentrate you are going to have a problem no matter how much surface area (from sand or LR) you have.
If you have substrate you have to vacuum it and it can still be a haven for fug especially if you can't get to 100% of the spots due to aquascaping. (and you don't want to break down the tank for every water change)
BB gives it less places to hide and you can get surface area/bio filtration with sump far easier.
As for modeling after an LFS....way different ball game. A hobbyist has a few fish they presumably keep for awhile. LFS's go through dozens to hundreds of fish a month and are NOT optimized for true longterm care of the fish that are not in a display tank.
If the clear bottom bugs you there is always the option of taking aquarium backing (blue/black/plants/etc) and pasting that to the underside of the tank.
It can be done well either way, just BB tends to be easier if you have messy fish.
Still waiting on what type(s) of fish you want to keep...that will tell us what you need better than conjecture.
If you have substrate you have to vacuum it and it can still be a haven for fug especially if you can't get to 100% of the spots due to aquascaping. (and you don't want to break down the tank for every water change)
BB gives it less places to hide and you can get surface area/bio filtration with sump far easier.
As for modeling after an LFS....way different ball game. A hobbyist has a few fish they presumably keep for awhile. LFS's go through dozens to hundreds of fish a month and are NOT optimized for true longterm care of the fish that are not in a display tank.
If the clear bottom bugs you there is always the option of taking aquarium backing (blue/black/plants/etc) and pasting that to the underside of the tank.
It can be done well either way, just BB tends to be easier if you have messy fish.
Still waiting on what type(s) of fish you want to keep...that will tell us what you need better than conjecture.
louiemarsh
New member
I am also very interrested in this thread...So any more advice would be great. I am leaning towards BB over sand just because I am planning on having a large messy fish.
Thanks again
Thanks again
