Substrate vs Bare Bottom

[seesick]

Let the battle began! Show us what you got, why are you BB, DSB, or maybe sum-thing in-between.

 

[xmenx2dad]

I just have a normal 2-3 inch sand bed in my display tank. Have to careful where to point the powerheads. I love all of the critters that burrow in the sand thou.

 

[Gomer]

I've done both. I'd do bare if I had a lof of SPS and sand with grounded LPS.

 

[Ntvper]

yep thats one huge debate about BB vs DSB. both work and i think i know why after years of research and doing both. but i ended up doing DSB for visual aspect, more anaerobic (sp) bacteria growth and the critters prefer sand then rock help out with detritus that i cant reach without going all crazy and pulling rock out during simple water changes and causing mini cycle after mini cycle when it gets all moved around. I had a FW tank with pool filter sand that lasted 20 years no problems, and i got really lazy with it seeing test after test come out perfect so i even didnt do water changes just top offs and the livestock thrived and had babies. then i got back into saltwater and the money went all there and the FW took a backseat so i gave em away to a friend who had the time n money and they got the attention they deserve. i still have one 20L with my catfish i caught as an egg with guppies for food that the wife is trying to make me get rid of.

 

[reign]

+1 gomer dsb for mixed and bb sps dominated ..both two similiar yet totally different setups..

 

[dsepp]

I started with 4" in my display and put close to 6" in my sump when I installed it. Seems to be working fine for me but in hindsight I would go with just enough in the display to get a good look and a remote sand bed in the sump for the de-nitrification. I like the way tanks look when they have some sand on the bottom, but why waste space for a DSB in the display when it works just as well remotely?

 

[seminolecpa]

I've done both. I'd do bare if I had a lof of SPS and sand with grounded LPS.

I like my bottoms bare

Some Northern California love for you Tony.

 

[Gomer]

I miss that tank so much I'll let you know when to clear the couch for me :-D

 

[sgallant04]

I started with 4" in my display and put close to 6" in my sump when I installed it. Seems to be working fine for me but in hindsight I would go with just enough in the display to get a good look and a remote sand bed in the sump for the de-nitrification. I like the way tanks look when they have some sand on the bottom, but why waste space for a DSB in the display when it works just as well remotely?

was the same for me, my 34g cube had ALOT of sand&rubble in it. It worked well, but on my new 75g i went with just shy of a 1lb per gallon. and sump w/ much deeper sand bed.