Minimum rock in BB tanks

[IanJ]

Please post pics of your BB SPS tanks with minimum rock layouts.

I will soon start a new 4ft tank and looking for inspiration

[plyle02]

Here is mine, 75 rr/corner overflow.... I don't know about minimal rock, but here is my tank anyway at 48" too....
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/114849bb_full_mar07__Medium_.jpg

[dkh0331]

Here is about 140 lbs in a 110. This was taken right after 6 -7 months of cooking my rocks.

http://wetwebfotos.com/usermedia/high/5/1695_42.jpg

Not sure how minimal you're looking for.

[IanJ]

Thanks guys, keep them coming.

Looking to see how tanks look and the best way to place the rock to allow a very open reef structure for max water flow.

[dippin61]

from my experience with BB, you cant get by on minimal rock.. the more the better.

[OnlyCrimson]

I remember someone had a bb tank with very little rock in it. He also had a very large green stag in the tank. Can't remember who it was though.

[dkh0331]

Bomber has minimal rock in his bb tank. Unfortunately his pics in his massive 143 page thread are no longer around.

[Serioussnaps]

This is truly minimalist...although I am adding some bridge rock to this setup and starting a 120 that will have a DSB. Nonetheless here is the hardest ever tank to aquascape, particularly with BB where you have to worry about rocks falling.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/Serioussnaps/IMG_0400.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m255/Serioussnaps/IMG_0401.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

CHEERS

[naka]

160 lbs in my 180 gal. tank.

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/679/img0008jpg6zr.jpg

[dippin61]

unless you have a HUGE skimmer, the more rock the better.. i have only about 60 lbs in my 55g BB and think i need more. at least in the sump.

[jackson6745]

Not sure how many lbs in my 120G
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d39/jackson6745/done002.jpg

[mboley1]

Just my two cents. But the more rock you have, the more places you have to put coral, and we all know what it is like when you get addicted.

You can have alot of rock but still get the open flow. Here is a tank I built that looked pretty good.

http://web.archive.org/web/20001029124242/http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1998/nov/aquarium/default.asp

i would cherry pick from your local fish store and get some large irregular pieces. Avoid Round pieces.

Find some nice pieces that you can use as a base- meaning they have a sweet spot were they sit firmly on a flat surface with minimal contact points - use the fish stores floor. Use those pieces as the footprint of your reef. Spread them out . Then find BIG flatish/irregular pieces to bridge across your base pieces and go up from there, with some medium and smaller pieces. use Zip ties if you need to for temporary positioning, use Aquascape after you have it looking the way you want. the Rowa brand works great. Minimize contact points the whole way. Wella!Reef built

[drock59]

unless you have a HUGE skimmer, the more rock the better

Having a "huge" skimmer from what i have read, is a cornerstone of a bb tank. If you have such a skimmer you can get away with very little rock. The whole idea is nutrient export. Less rock=less places to trap nutrients.

[plyle02]

Yep, I couldn't agree more.... I skim heavy, but also have a remote dsb fuge, which aids in transport too. I am BB in display, and can't be more pleased....Good Luck

[TCU Reefer]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/DSC00198Large.jpg

[rkl303]

TCU how did you get your rock to stand up like that...I am assuming some type of drilling/epoxy was involved.

[dots]

I got rid of all the sand piles......now I have coralline piles stacking up.......I need an Urchin I tell you, but just cant figure out the best that won't bore, carry off stuff and will just eat all that purple stuff up.

[dkh0331]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9609056#post9609056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dippin61
unless you have a HUGE skimmer, the more rock the better.. i have only about 60 lbs in my 55g BB and think i need more. at least in the sump.

To reiterate what drock and plyle have said, there really isn't a correlation between skimmer size and lbs of LR in a bb tank.

[prodman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9609056#post9609056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dippin61
unless you have a HUGE skimmer, the more rock the better.. i have only about 60 lbs in my 55g BB and think i need more. at least in the sump.

The more rock the better that sounds like alot of rock. Im always taking rock out I could never imagine adding any. When I went BB I followed the exaples of Bomber and SeanT. And minimal rock was being used with BB tank also a Big skimmer and lots of fish. I have around 50lbs in my 120 and it perfect. It hard to get enough flow to keep the detritius suspended if theres alot of rock in the tank. And rock in the sump negates the benifits of a BB tank by trapping all the detritius down there it should be bare so to make it easier to siphon.

[kwl1763]

My 450G. Only 300 lbs of rock.

http://kwl1763.com/Reef/Mar_07/fullsmall.jpg


When I first set it up:

http://kwl1763.com/Reef/August_06/Aug_24/rockin/fulltank.jpg

[prodman]

Thats awesome! I have a much smaller version of that in my tank.

[drock59]

TCU, kwl alrigth already. How did you folks get your rock to stay put like that?

[Serioussnaps]

This thread also shows how much easier it is to scape a larger tank than a smaller.

KWL...nice tank BTW...definitely going to check out your thread...How deep is your tank?

[TCU Reefer]

PVC, zip ties and a drill helped me build my structures. Keith did something similar.

Map out your tank space and play with several formations. The 2X4 represents the top of the tank so I wouldn't build the structures too high.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/P1010024Small.jpg

My middle structure is my live rock shish kabob. I drill flat rock with a 1" hole saw and slid it down the PVC.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/P1010025Small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/P1010027Small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/P1010028Small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/P1010029Small.jpg

All mine have "legs" or 90 degree elbows to keep the rock off the bottom so I'm able to blow out detritus frequently to prevent buildup.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/P1010023Small.jpg

The sturcture on the left was drilled and zip tied to the PVC.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/TropheusKid/Overhang.jpg

Voila!

[Jar*Head]

Very nice rock work guys. Here is my 240g BB with approx 200lbs.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f123/NgoSH0311/bubble%20king/FTS.jpg

[IanJ]

Many interesting and great designs as well as opposite ideas about lots of rock and min rock

My current tank is BB with lots of rock and i find it difficult to get sufficient flow to stop dirt build up. With my new tank i was thinking along the lines of min rock to maximise the flow. I will use an Aquamedic 5000 baby as skimmer on a 48 x 27 x 24

[spankey]

Ya know when I look at these tanks I just can't seem to see the attraction to the BB craze??? I mean it must just be me and please in NO way am I saying all of your tanks are not nice, its just......Isn't there sand in the ocean? I mean I can tell you right off the bat that when someone comes and sees my tank they stare at it for countless minutes.. While they are visiting they still glance at it and walk over to it quite often...

I can guarentee that if I had a BB tank, the first thing a person would say when they seen the tank would be " Where's the sand?"..... Do any of you get that when people see your systems? That is the gist of this reply? Do people ask you "where is the sand?"

Spankey;)

[Jar*Head]

Many folks said my tank look like Arse without sand but i took it as a compliment :). I am competing for worse tank of the month :). Please vote for me..... :)

I like BB cuz it doesn't limit you from a lot of flow, clean, easy to keep the nutrient level low. Please don't get me wrong, sand bottom look very nice esp when you can keep it nice and white. I hate the look of detritus trapped in the sand bed.

[spankey]

Worse tank of the month! LOL;) No I hope people don't think I was bashing BB tanks.. I just always wondered if people ask them where the sand is... I agree the flow and nutrient issue is key.. Makes sense....

[King-Kong]

Here is an old photo of my BB at, or near, it's worse:

http://www.d3f.org/misc/fish/90g/61-fulltank.jpg



Here it was shortly after remodelling it and taking out 1/2 the weight in rocks:

http://www.d3f.org/misc/fish/90g/86-full-tank-REDO.jpg
http://www.d3f.org/misc/fish/90g/85-full-tank-REDO.jpg


With BB, less is more. Less rock leaves less area for phosphates to get caught into and come out into your water.

edit: to add, I dont have a recent photo, but I have since cleared the bottom of the tank even more than seen in the above photo. Only thing remaining on it is the deresa clam, too large to place anywhere else.

[King-Kong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9617127#post9617127 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spankey
Ya know when I look at these tanks I just can't seem to see the attraction to the BB craze??? I mean it must just be me and please in NO way am I saying all of your tanks are not nice, its just......Isn't there sand in the ocean? I mean I can tell you right off the bat that when someone comes and sees my tank they stare at it for countless minutes.. While they are visiting they still glance at it and walk over to it quite often...

I can guarentee that if I had a BB tank, the first thing a person would say when they seen the tank would be " Where's the sand?"..... Do any of you get that when people see your systems? That is the gist of this reply? Do people ask you "where is the sand?"

Spankey;)


No one who has seen my tank has ever asked that question.

Infact, none look down, cause theyre stuck looking up at my countless fish and coral garden.

I guess it's cool to have a tank where people talk about your sand, though (?).. :bum:

[1SickReefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9617127#post9617127 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spankey
I can guarantee that if I had a BB tank, the first thing a person would say when they seen the tank would be " Where's the sand?"..... Do any of you get that when people see your systems? That is the gist of this reply? Do people ask you "where is the sand?"

Spankey;)

I have had countless ppl friends, family, co-workers all ppl would do not own a reef tank or a fish tank for that matter. No-one has even noticed that does not have sand...

When I ask them "do you notice that there is no sand in the tank" everyone of them has said "ooo yeah I did not even think about the sand"... alls i can see is the beautiful fish and colorful "plants" lol :)

[spankey]

OK back up a minute. I never said that people gaze at my "sand" Was that in the quote? ;)

[1SickReefer]

No, you didn't ask that, but your guaranteed that ppl's first question would be "where's the sand"

[spankey]

I guess thats just due to the simple fact that people that come here are so used to seeing it there I guess. Shame on me:( Slap Slap Slap

[Fungia]

This picture taken 3 days after rescape 2 months ago. Convert from 2x250w and 1x400w to 7x54wT5HO. Most of the corals brown out. Total used 9 pcs of live rock. Avarage about 3kg a piece.
I am happy with the change. Will try to take recent picture. The color is coming back.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l132/Wonderland_aq/Picture024a.jpg

[Serioussnaps]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9617127#post9617127 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spankey
Ya know when I look at these tanks I just can't seem to see the attraction to the BB craze??? I mean it must just be me and please in NO way am I saying all of your tanks are not nice, its just......Isn't there sand in the ocean? I mean I can tell you right off the bat that when someone comes and sees my tank they stare at it for countless minutes.. While they are visiting they still glance at it and walk over to it quite often...

I can guarentee that if I had a BB tank, the first thing a person would say when they seen the tank would be " Where's the sand?"..... Do any of you get that when people see your systems? That is the gist of this reply? Do people ask you "where is the sand?"

Spankey;)

I have been asking myself that question. I miss the look of a SB in my tank, but I dont miss the look of a dirty sandbed. I could never keep a sandbed clean and I am religious on husbandry, so it got yanked.

Most people that come over and see a tank dont even know sand is supposed to be in the bottom...at least where I am from.

[Mike O'Brien]

pretty minimal

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/Mike0101/FTS1.jpg

[MAthU]

http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/

i do like sand and people do ask wheres the sand at?..

i agree it looks bad without sand but i dont want to risk putting sand in and messing up a good thing :)


any way heres some pics

first is 240g BB 5 month old, and my pld 405g bb..
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/P3250162.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/P3250152.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/P3250150.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/P3250149.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/P3250135.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/P3250131.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/P3250164.jpg


!!!!

[MAthU]

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/100_1901.jpg


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/100_1903.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/100_1941.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/100_2051.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c199/MathuV/100_2059.jpg


i went PIC CRAZy

[kwl1763]

So to all who've asked my tank is 120"x36"X25" and you can see my link with the full build by clicking on the little red house that says www at the top of all my posts.

And no one has ever asked me where the sand is. I personally love the look of 100% coralline coverage.

BB vs. sand is always going to be personal preference looks wise.

[mboley1]

I don't get the Bare Bottom thinking that sand traps nutrients that can cause problems. I have had a few nice tanks now, always had sand , never did anything with it, never had problems, had Plenums with 3.5 inches, have 1" in a 150 gallon with two Tunze 6100's. I am using the course Florida Crushed Coral, it doesn't blow around the tank, it does trap some detritus in spots. Never had any nitrates in these tanks.

Just helped a friend switch tanks yesterday. He had an inch or two of sand in his tank for 10 years, never did anything with it. i expressed to him that people worry about the sand too much. That it is an unfounded fear. He showed me his "nutrients" in his sand. He hadn't done a water change in 9 months. Corals were happy.

So unless you truely like the look of a Bare Bottom better than sand, the potential problems are overblown, IMHO.

[Wazzel]

Can not say that I agree that sand beds are nothing to worry about. I pulled a 6" DSB out of a tank after 3 years and it was the most foul thing I have ever smelled. Never again will I have a place where things can settle. A sand bed is fine if you properly maintain it which is harder to do than it sounds.

[Leonardo_]

Only a few rocks in my 92 G.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q309/leonardosreef/Formosa%20Forest/DSC_4350.jpg

Leonardo

[SptfireXIV]

My old 55 with about 50 lbs of LR
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/VicSkimmr/Reef%20Tanks/DSCN3047.gif

How about a minimalist setup with a SSB? :) 75 gallon with 60 lbs approximately.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/VicSkimmr/Reef%20Tanks/90%20Gallon%20Acrylic/Livestock/DSCN4586.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/VicSkimmr/Reef%20Tanks/90%20Gallon%20Acrylic/Livestock/DSCN4647.jpg

[DirtySouth056]

sweet looking tank Jason!

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9609056#post9609056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dippin61
unless you have a HUGE skimmer, the more rock the better.. i have only about 60 lbs in my 55g BB and think i need more. at least in the sump.

I completely disagree..


Less rock means better flow, and better nutrient removal. The more open your rockscape is, the less of a skimmer you need.


I have about 40lbs in my 58g. (I run a dsb, but I use a lot of the BB principles)

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9633903#post9633903 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wazzel
Can not say that I agree that sand beds are nothing to worry about. I pulled a 6" DSB out of a tank after 3 years and it was the most foul thing I have ever smelled. Never again will I have a place where things can settle. A sand bed is fine if you properly maintain it which is harder to do than it sounds.

It smells foul because theres large amounts of bacteria in it. That doesnt mean its causing a problem.


I think this thread is about one thing, and it doesnt matter if you're BB or DSB guy: Open rock work, and high flow.





FWIW, i LOVE the look of BB tanks... but i have too many sandsleeping wrasses to run one right now.

[SptfireXIV]

Less is more :)

[prodman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9637609#post9637609 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley



I think this thread is about one thing, and it doesnt matter if you're BB or DSB guy: Open rock work, and high flow.





F

I can agree with that.

[jeffbrig]

Another BB system

http://home.comcast.net/~jbrigman/pics/tank_end_2_26_07.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~jbrigman/pics/tank_end2_2_26_07.jpg

[Travis]

Before:
<img src=http://notlehs.com/travis/re-aquascape/145_4560.JPG>

After:
<img src=http://notlehs.com/travis/3-8-07/full%20tank.JPG>

[ssbreef]

:wavehand:

[PrangeWay]

All these tank are really nice. I hate the rock wall look, so these all rock (or don't as the case may be)!

PW

[poknsnok]

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r55/poknsnok/Picture005.jpg

about 125# in a 200 gal

[poknsnok]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9639450#post9639450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis
Before:
<img src=http://notlehs.com/travis/re-aquascape/145_4560.JPG>

After:
<img src=http://notlehs.com/travis/3-8-07/full%20tank.JPG>

Wow Travis... did you grow all that from frags? How old is your reef??

[Travis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9699609#post9699609 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by poknsnok
Wow Travis... did you grow all that from frags? How old is your reef??

Yes, everything was grown from ~1" frags. The tank is about 2.5 years old now.

[poknsnok]

what a tank and what a set up Travis. Im envious..l

[fisheebill]

Leonardo, I love your tank.

[mboley1]

Dare I say it? Most of these tanks look artificial, not because of the Bare Bottom alone, different strokes.... But the use of visable PVC and any other plastic is not needed to build a nice Rock structure. If you can completely hide it, fine, but it's almost impossible. Some nice larger pieces of rock and Aquascape epoxy work well in my opinion. You can temporarily use wire ties while building the reef, but after it is epoxied at the contact points, the wire ties can be removed. I have 225 pounds in a 150 built right down the middle for two sided viewing. The Rock structure is permanent and to me, part of the visual appeal of the aquarium. 2 cents

[Serioussnaps]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10040151#post10040151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mboley1
Dare I say it? Most of these tanks look artificial, not because of the Bare Bottom alone, different strokes.... But the use of visable PVC and any other plastic is not needed to build a nice Rock structure. If you can completely hide it, fine, but it's almost impossible. Some nice larger pieces of rock and Aquascape epoxy work well in my opinion. You can temporarily use wire ties while building the reef, but after it is epoxied at the contact points, the wire ties can be removed. I have 225 pounds in a 150 built right down the middle for two sided viewing. The Rock structure is permanent and to me, part of the visual appeal of the aquarium. 2 cents

Lets see it!

[grimmjohn]

Wow, been awhile since I've seen a good "show me your BB" thread () : )
Some awesome tanks!

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q309/leonardosreef/Formosa%20Forest/DSC_4350.jpg

Stands out to me

Right up there with Joefish's 190!! (one of my all-time favs with bomber, invicible, and travis)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v721/Joefish1/March2605.jpg

Got some from a different angle?

which reminds me, anyone got that pic of a japanese tank with hardly any rock, a regal angel ( i think) and the whole left side of the tank is a staghorn monoculture growing right up off the bottom glass, I have fantasies about that tank and can't find that pic, thanks in advance () : )

cheers,
grimmjohn

[Leonardo_]

First pic is my tank; Thanks for the compliment grimmjohn!

Leonardo

[Kiel'thalin]

About 25-30 lbs in a 46 Gallon, six months old:
http://home.mchsi.com/~liztara/FTSActinic.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~liztara/ActinicRight.jpg

[boxfishpooalot]

well im not posting a pic of my bb tank as of now, because there is nothing to look at yet......

But I will say 10 pounds live rock in 90 gallons exact water volume. 4 fish, all doing great. There will be less rock later as corals are added.

Rock is not needed. At all, neither is sand. Once bacteria cover the glass and algae start growing, rocks are infact a flux of nutrients, if not covered in life besides bacteria. Soon I will show my tank and how little rock is really needed. :)

[ReeferMonkey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10040151#post10040151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mboley1
Blah blah blah

Give it a rest, we get it - you don't like BB. Loud and clear, thanks for playing.

Not BB but I've got relatively little rock (<50# in a 60g 36x24x18H) and a DSB. My Vortech is tuned down to about 60% - I would love to turn it all the way up but it would be a mega-sandstorm. If I start to see problems with the DSB I'll yank it out and go BB, but for now I will enjoy the aesthetic benefits of the sandbed.

Pics are a few weeks old and my white balance sucks, but:
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/5676/ResizeofDSC00942.jpg
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/9034/ResizeofDSC00913.jpg
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/1161/ResizeofDSC00914.jpg

More in my thread, click the red haus.

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10040151#post10040151 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mboley1
Dare I say it? Most of these tanks look artificial, not because of the Bare Bottom alone, different strokes.... But the use of visable PVC and any other plastic is not needed to build a nice Rock structure. If you can completely hide it, fine, but it's almost impossible. Some nice larger pieces of rock and Aquascape epoxy work well in my opinion. You can temporarily use wire ties while building the reef, but after it is epoxied at the contact points, the wire ties can be removed. I have 225 pounds in a 150 built right down the middle for two sided viewing. The Rock structure is permanent and to me, part of the visual appeal of the aquarium. 2 cents

Or you can just use clear acrylic rods like I did....totally invisible.

I have about 100lbs in a 115g. Maybe less (I've removed some), I don't recall anymore...

[King-Kong]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10055373#post10055373 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boxfishpooalot
well im not posting a pic of my bb tank as of now, because there is nothing to look at yet......

But I will say 10 pounds live rock in 90 gallons exact water volume. 4 fish, all doing great. There will be less rock later as corals are added.

Rock is not needed. At all, neither is sand. Once bacteria cover the glass and algae start growing, rocks are infact a flux of nutrients, if not covered in life besides bacteria. Soon I will show my tank and how little rock is really needed. :)

I cant wait to see this -- send me a PM when you get pics up, please!