Thinking of Going BB, Whats Your Experience?

[sirreal63]

A simple way to see if junk in the sand bed is causing po4 issues is to draw a sample of water from deep within the sandbed, let the particulate settle out or filter it out and measure the water for po4.

If 60% of the rock is "phosphate free" (it probably isn't) and the other 40% is leaching it then at some point the tank should reach equilibrium, the clean rock will have absorbed what the old rock is giving up until they have the same levels bound to the outer layer of rock. In theory at least and you can also be sure the sand will have po4 bound to it as well.

Have you considered making a LaCl reactor? It would allow you to slowly remove the po4 from the tank without having to disrupt the tank and keeping the micro-fauna alive.

 

[xtm]

For 20 years, I've always had sand in all my tanks. They were good for a few years, but I always end up with all sorts of nasty algae, plus the thing just reeks. I've been running BB now for 2 years and I'm lovin it! What I like the best is the ability to crank up the flow and tank movement. I have a Tunze turbelle hidden behind the rocks so all the crap floats up to the overflow. The water column is very clean.. none of that cloudy detritus storm that I used to deal with when I had sand.

As for looks, I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I happen to think that BB is nice, clean, crisp, and edgy. Now I can't stand looking at sand. When I see sand, I think dirt. I hate it when I see red slime covering the sandbed, it drives me nuts!

 

[reeflover62]

I love the look of sand but without cyanobacteria all over it. Went BB about 6ys ago and on 2nd BB tank.

 

[ChadRaay86]

A simple way to see if junk in the sand bed is causing po4 issues is to draw a sample of water from deep within the sandbed, let the particulate settle out or filter it out and measure the water for po4.

If 60% of the rock is "phosphate free" (it probably isn't) and the other 40% is leaching it then at some point the tank should reach equilibrium, the clean rock will have absorbed what the old rock is giving up until they have the same levels bound to the outer layer of rock. In theory at least and you can also be sure the sand will have po4 bound to it as well.

Have you considered making a LaCl reactor? It would allow you to slowly remove the po4 from the tank without having to disrupt the tank and keeping the micro-fauna alive.

Good idea with pulling water from the sand bed. I might just start stirring it up a few times a week and letting the particulates get up into the water column to be exported.

I say zero phosphate rock because I acid washed the 60 percent (twice) and supposedly stripped all of the old stuff away, basically making it "new" again. I'm sure that's not entirely accurate, but I think it's a lot better now. I have a feeling the sand is a big part of my phosphate issue, but I'm trying to pull all of the phosphate out as quickly as possible

I run LaCl in my top off and it has worked well as a stop gap for my phosphates, but the goal is to be done with it permanently in the near future. I don't like what it does to alkalinity, nor what it could do my tank's inhabitants if I overdose it. I also use phosguard (the white aluminum beads) and it works well to pull phosphate out, but I'd also like to limit the use of that as well. I might start another reactor filled with GFO or ROWA in the meantime to supercharge my PO4 removal. If the sand does hold onto phosphate than taking it out (even if only temporarily) might help me kick what's left in the rock more efficiently.

I'll keep on the same schedule for the rest of the week and test again then. If my phosphates are steadily at .30+ I'll probably start pulling the sand bed and see how that affects things

For 20 years, I've always had sand in all my tanks. They were good for a few years, but I always end up with all sorts of nasty algae, plus the thing just reeks. I've been running BB now for 2 years and I'm lovin it! What I like the best is the ability to crank up the flow and tank movement. I have a Tunze turbelle hidden behind the rocks so all the crap floats up to the overflow. The water column is very clean.. none of that cloudy detritus storm that I used to deal with when I had sand.

As for looks, I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I happen to think that BB is nice, clean, crisp, and edgy. Now I can't stand looking at sand. When I see sand, I think dirt. I hate it when I see red slime covering the sandbed, it drives me nuts!

I'll second your thoughts on the red slime. Honestly, I have a few spots in my tank where the sand looks kind of ugly and that might bother me more than BB ever would. Then again, when sand looks clean, it's hard to beat for aesthetics.

 

[brad65ford]

My goal is to have coralline algae lined tank (BB)

 

[adtravels]

My goal is to have coralline algae lined tank (BB)

That is the look I like too, sucks up a fair bit of two part though!

 

[brad65ford]

That is the look I like too, sucks up a fair bit of two part though!

The way i figure it is the the more fresh alk and cal you are adding to the tank (as long as its being consumed) the more the sps's will like you

 

[ChadRaay86]

That is the look I like too, sucks up a fair bit of two part though!

Thats what I was thinking, haha. My tank's alk use is already through the roof with my 9 inch clam, I can't imagine what its like to have a fully caked aquarium and the clam plus coral! A gallon a week or more for me I'd imagine.

 

[Johnjohn713]

I love the look of sand but without cyanobacteria all over it. Went BB about 6ys ago and on 2nd BB tank.

Gorgeous:wildone:

To the OP ..dont go BB unless youve got decent flow and a powerful skimmer.

 

[glaukos]

Went BB for almost two years.
Having the tank clean was sooooo easy!
Will try it again for sure.
To be honest though,having sand in my tank makes it a bit more beautifull.
But on the other hand the,beauty of a reef tank can't have limits.

Like john stated,powerfull flow at the bottom of the tank is necessary.

 

[xtm]

One last thought.. when I was running a shallow sandbed, I had to vacuum it every week or else I'd start having cyano covering some patches of sand. You really have to be on top of your maintenance or the sand will foul up really quick. With the BB system, all I have to do is put on a filter sock, plug in a Tunze pump and with one hand, blow off all the gunk in the display until they exit the tank. I then pull out the filter sock, toss it in the washer and I'm done. You have to realize that vacuuming sand in a fully stocked display is nearly impossible without breaking a few corals. With BB, this chore of vacuuming sand is a thing of the past and you don't break any corals.

 

[ChadRaay86]

Gorgeous:wildone:

To the OP ..dont go BB unless youve got decent flow and a powerful skimmer.

I've got a big skimmer 2 MP-60s and 2 MP-40s I think that would do the trick should I go that route...

One last thought.. when I was running a shallow sandbed, I had to vacuum it every week or else I'd start having cyano covering some patches of sand. You really have to be on top of your maintenance or the sand will foul up really quick. With the BB system, all I have to do is put on a filter sock, plug in a Tunze pump and with one hand, blow off all the gunk in the display until they exit the tank. I then pull out the filter sock, toss it in the washer and I'm done. You have to realize that vacuuming sand in a fully stocked display is nearly impossible without breaking a few corals. With BB, this chore of vacuuming sand is a thing of the past and you don't break any corals.

Vacuuming the sand isn't really an option for me because of what you mentioned. I'm starting to warm to the idea of BB because I run socks and a huge skimmer and just upgraded my flow substantially. Honestly it might be the best way to go at this point, even if not for the original problem of phosphates :hmm4:

 

[Fail_sh3d]

And since you live in the USA, you should go visit WWC and see their tanks. Truly amazing tanks-a few UK reefkeepers have seen the WWC store, and were amazed by the tanks in that store.

The 300G has now been replaced by a 630G tank. They setup the new 630G tank as a bare-bottomed tank again. These guys sure like their starboard bottomed tanks...and the results are spectacular!

I was just there today. That tank you speak of is wall to wall coraline and encrusting montipora on the bottom.

Their display is what is causing me to keep my frag BB. I just don't like not being able to keep a pistol shrimp.

I will be interested to see the differences in chemistry between my 3"+ sand bed and the BB frag.

 

[Aquatron]

On this build I am using BLACK cutting board to match the back of DT. Have went BB in the past but also like the look with sand too. I have 14 outlets and 6 overflows so flow should be covered

 

[ChadRaay86]

.20 today. I think I might be turning the corner bought a pound of ROWA to see if I can kick it for good!

 

[small_polyp]

Im a huge fan of lots and lots of flow but i just cant bring myself to go completely barebottom. Always used deep sandbeds until my latest tank now i have maybe 2 inches and lots and lots of big nassarius etc to stir it up. I use a very large grain aragonite and it seems to hold up pretty well and it pretty hard to get disturbed and blow around the tank. It took me a while to get my flow pattern set to keep it that way tho.

 

[R1ant04]

Great tank. What type of lights are you running? Where do you keep your parameters?

Thanks 4 the compliment, the lights are reef breeder photon 32's. I dont keep up wit my #'s other than temp (79) and salinity (1.025). I jus do constant water changes and lots of siphoning.

 

[Denadai]

My last BB tank.....if you like the tank clean, BB is the way to go

 

[Johnjohn713]

Like wow...how'd you keep your starboard so clean? Love my BB but could do away with all the stuffs that grow on it.

 

[ChadRaay86]

Cleanest BB Ever!