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gibson981
02/20/2009, 10:32 AM
I know there was a recent thread on this, but the search function is not working for me right now. What are the pros and cons?

Logzor
02/20/2009, 10:44 AM
Quickly:

Positives:

BB allows for more flow (no sand blowing around), makes it easier to move tanks when you change housing, you can set up powerheads to move all detritus to your sump (depending on your rockwork, flow, and positioning). Tons of crap dose not build up, making it really easy to get nitrates and phosphates extremely low, providing a good skimmer (due to the higher flow and sand/rock not trapping detritus).

You can grow corals on the bare bottom. I have large monti caps encrusting and growing up from the bottom of the tank. Zoas are spreading all over. It ends up looking really neat when filled it.

Negatives: You have to keep things very stable as not having sand, as some people say, decreases how stable your alk/calcium/ph parameters are. Although, I have not had these issues.

You do not have that natural sand look (i don mind)!

Also:

Since I have been carbon dosing (vitamin c) my tank has been extremely clean, it wiped out tons of extra nutrients quickly due to how the BB system functions.

tsprice82
02/20/2009, 08:44 PM
I have a shallow sand bed in the front of my display (about 1/2 inch) and all my rock elevated with a spray bar that is part of my closed loop to keep the crud from settling under my rock. Works great and I just vacuum the sand with water changes.

gibson981
02/21/2009, 09:28 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14444794#post14444794 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsprice82
I have a shallow sand bed in the front of my display (about 1/2 inch) and all my rock elevated with a spray bar that is part of my closed loop to keep the crud from settling under my rock. Works great and I just vacuum the sand with water changes.

Do you have any pics you can post that will show how you set it up?