sps keepers running bare bottom - close to 50%
- Thread starter Armando
- Start date
scavdog
Well-Known Member
I have yet to go there.
Personally, I like the ethstetics of sand and I am some-what of a proponent of its alleged benefits. Too be honest BB reefkeeping seems like more work IMO.
More flow = bigger pump = more power
Siphoning detritus every couple days
etc etc etc.
Bottom line: There is more than one way to skin a cat. I've seen stellar BB as well as SB/DSB reefs and Ive seen crappy BB as well as SB/DSB reefs. Generally it comes down to stability and maintenance IME.
Cool stat tho... It will be interesting what is popular in coming years. Plenum wasting?
Personally, I like the ethstetics of sand and I am some-what of a proponent of its alleged benefits. Too be honest BB reefkeeping seems like more work IMO.
More flow = bigger pump = more power
Siphoning detritus every couple days
etc etc etc.
Bottom line: There is more than one way to skin a cat. I've seen stellar BB as well as SB/DSB reefs and Ive seen crappy BB as well as SB/DSB reefs. Generally it comes down to stability and maintenance IME.
Cool stat tho... It will be interesting what is popular in coming years. Plenum wasting?
Well not sure what I am going to do with the big tank..I am leaning more torwards SB.
The reason is because I have a DSB right now and I am starting to see alot of red algae.
Dont know why. I have about 32.5x T/O. I also do a 20 gallon water change everyweek. All my test are perfect. Halides are on for 8 hours acts are on for 12 hours.(New lights too)
Just dont get it.
The reason is because I have a DSB right now and I am starting to see alot of red algae.
Dont know why. I have about 32.5x T/O. I also do a 20 gallon water change everyweek. All my test are perfect. Halides are on for 8 hours acts are on for 12 hours.(New lights too)
Just dont get it.
Greg Hiller
BRS Moderator
I also like sand. There are a lot of fish that I like to keep that feel much more comfortable with a sand layer. I don't think it's all that hard to occassionally siphon a section of the sand bed out and replace with fresh sand if you are really worried about nutrient accumulation. Just remember not to let your corals grow so much that you cannot reach the botto of your tank.
Aquaman_68
too many gadgets to fail
The jury is not out yet totally out on BB. Look how long it took for people who switched to a DSB to find out it was bad!!!! I like a happy medium. Thin layer of sand & yes Greg.....remove some out from time to time & replace to make the pot fresh!!!.
CamaroJWeed
ReefO'Holic
I am doing shallow sand bed ~2" in my 240 with a deep sandbed ~4-5 inches in my refugium...Just don't like the look of the BB, but it seems like there is success and failure on both sides of the fence on this issue.
JeremyR
CRA
There isn't any real proof that dsb is bad.. for every "crash" there are 10 year success stories. Alot of it is that people neglect their tanks, brag about lack of water changes, and it bites them in the butt later. It's the "it makes your tank crash" flavor of the month.
Bare bottom tanks were successful before sand was in vogue. It works fine. Ugly. Refugiums even date back to the Bare Bottom era. There is more than one way to skin a cat.. do it how you feel comfortable, and if your husbandry is good you'll be fine. A top notch aquarist with little equipment can do wonders.. a poor or average aquarist with all the high end stuff and current "best method" often fails, and when they do, they latch on to something to blame. The internet being what it is.. bandwagons ensue. In a year or 2, you'll see plenty of people with BB tanks fail, and blame something else. Nature of the hobby. I'm not trying to sound harsh, that's just my experience from years of watching the hobby.
Bare bottom tanks were successful before sand was in vogue. It works fine. Ugly. Refugiums even date back to the Bare Bottom era. There is more than one way to skin a cat.. do it how you feel comfortable, and if your husbandry is good you'll be fine. A top notch aquarist with little equipment can do wonders.. a poor or average aquarist with all the high end stuff and current "best method" often fails, and when they do, they latch on to something to blame. The internet being what it is.. bandwagons ensue. In a year or 2, you'll see plenty of people with BB tanks fail, and blame something else. Nature of the hobby. I'm not trying to sound harsh, that's just my experience from years of watching the hobby.
CamaroJWeed
ReefO'Holic
Well said Jeremy
Aquaman_68
too many gadgets to fail
I can't argue with ya. I'm just not into the new flavor or bringing up an old hero & calling it a new flavor.
MarkO
...
I've never really seen any bare bottoms. I assume they become covered in coraline?
In my tanks, I've always prefered the look of coraline over clean glass. If this is the case, I guess I could live with a bare bottom too. But the last reason I'd convert over to BB would be because I thought it would somehow benefit my reef.
In my tanks, I've always prefered the look of coraline over clean glass. If this is the case, I guess I could live with a bare bottom too. But the last reason I'd convert over to BB would be because I thought it would somehow benefit my reef.
