Bare Bottom or Substrate

[ininerider]

In the planning process of setting up a 40 breeder. Should I go Bare Bottom or have a substrate. My current setup has about 2" of substrate. Any suggestions on this matter are appreciated.

[redfishsc]

Depends on your goals. Some critters prefer or need sand, and some require a deep bed.


Personally I prefer 1/2 to 1" of nice fine aragonite sand, or bare. If I go bare, I let zoanthids, green stars, and such overtake the bottom.


The ONLY ONLY ONLY time I will ever use a deep sand bed in the display tank (deep meaning over 1"!) is when I have animals that want deep sand, like some anemones or burrowing critters. A bed deeper than necessary can just be a trap for junk that leads to nitrate/phosphate buildup, or even worse, hydrogen sulfide pockets.

I find bare-bottom tanks much easier to keep clean, but they don't quite look as nice. Currently I literally have a "half naked" bottom tank. I removed enough substrate to leave half of it bare (subject to wherever the pumps blast it) and let the other half get overgrown with aussie neon GSP and mushrooms.


I have a fungia sitting directly on the glass, and it is fine. Doesn't seem to "require" a sand bed like I've read some info about them.

[peasofme]

a lot of critters like some sand at least

[indydog1]

i am in the cycle stage of my new 200 and i have decided to go bare bottom. it is far easier to just blow a power head at the bottom to get up anything that has landed there back in the water column to be exported from the tank via the overflows.

and i really like the gsp, shroom and zoa idea as a carpet.

[mdntrdr]

If your not wanting the extra filtration power of a sand bed then I believe it is just a matter of what you think looks best.

[cilyjr]

i don't really like bare bottom tanks.

[flying_dutchman]

BB pros and cons:
- no sand storms
- ability to position powerhead to wherever you want
- no dead spots
- with a deep sand bed you'll see the brown under layers through the glass
- no sand between algae magnets scratching the glass
- you can't keep some fish like coris wrasse, shrimp goby pairs, etc
- you can't keep anemones etc
- most of the time it's pretty ugly, but you can use starboard and acrylic sheets with sand glued on http://www.coszam.net/starboard.htm
- May become to "sterile" but with a RDSB there shouldn't be a problem

My next tank will be BB with a RDSB

[Anemonebuff]

I went DSB years back and it did need to be serviced from time to time. I am in the process of going BB and I have very little sand left. I have noticed that my pH, alk and nitrates were more stable with the DSB. The tank was also a little brighter with the white sand reflecting the light back up.

I too plan on using a remote DSB on a reverse light cycle in my next tank.

[Darejohn]

if you have too much flow, you'll blow your sand around

[Darejohn]

I prefer substrate, it gives the tank a more natural feel

[redfishsc]

BB pros and cons:
- you can't keep anemones etc

There are a few you can keep. Bubbletips are fine since they usually hang out on a rock anyhow. I haven't ever kept any Heteractis, Stichodactyla, or Macrodactyla sp., so I can't say for them.


Also, non-host anemones often don't need sand. Condys and rock anemones can anchor to rocks just fine.

[Anemonebuff]

I have seen many BB tanks with carpet anemones. A LTA would probably be the only one that would really suffer without sand.

[ininerider]

During my 20 years of reef keeping I have always had a sand bed. Part of me says sand and the other says try something different...I have been successful with sand so I dont know why I want to try BB. I really like the idea of zoos and stars and yellow polips on the glass. Sounds cool. Thats what makes this such a fun hobby....Off the subject a bit but my sump just arrived(20 gal long) and want to make it into a fuge/sump. Any ideas on the design are appreciated......

[elegance coral]

I have seen many BB tanks with carpet anemones. A LTA would probably be the only one that would really suffer without sand.

What species of "carpet" are you talking about? There are four species of hosting "carpet" anemones. Some do fine without sand, others don't. The most common is probably haddoni. I've never met a successful haddoni keeper that keeps them in BB tanks. I've had a haddoni for quite a few years now and he would go nuts without sand.

[Frogmanx82]

I hate the look of BB tanks, just not natural looking. I don't think you get as much biodiversity without some sand and most livestock prefer to have some substrate.

[am3gross]

sand bed all the way. did bb and dont like it a bit! had plenty of flow and filtration just not my cup of tea!

[NKYdude]

I've moved to the BB side, i even like the look now. keeps the tank clean, no dead spots, can really up the flow for sps.

[Anemonebuff]

What species of "carpet" are you talking about? There are four species of hosting "carpet" anemones. Some do fine without sand, others don't. The most common is probably haddoni. I've never met a successful haddoni keeper that keeps them in BB tanks. I've had a haddoni for quite a few years now and he would go nuts without sand.

I've seen haddoni, mertensii, and gigantea in BB tanks with the latter attache to the LR.

[Toddrtrex]

I have been keeping Haddonis for 10+ years, and never once have they been on the rock work. In fact, I had to get rid of my Clarkii pair because they were digging up the sand that was around their Haddoni and causing it to move. IMO, a Haddoni in a bare-bottom tank would be an unhappy Haddoni. One of their defense mechanisms is to fully retract into the sandbed until you can't see them at all.

[agsansoo]

Bare Bottom Club for life ! LOL
If you want sps's and lots of flow, BB is the way to go. Also my Ritteri anemone likes good strong random flow.


http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/agsansoo/SW-Tank/dsc03859.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/agsansoo/SW-Tank/dsc04150.jpg

[cloak]

I had a real hard time with the rocks sliding around on the glass when I tried to mount a coral in my 20 gallon tank. I've had to rebuild the structure up one too many times. I ended up putting an inch or so of sand in the tank and haven't had any problems since.

[corbett_n]

I like shallow sand bed

[Whisperer]

Was doing BB but got tired of it and now I have white SSB and I like the look better. I just can't leave my vortex full blast.

[saf1]

BB or DSB or any combination of the two are all a personal opinion. For everyone that says bare bottom works and deep sand bed don't there is a deep sand bed that does work and bare bottom that doesn't...

Same with lights and every other tool we use in this bloody hobby :)

With that being said I think there are pros and cons for using both which you should factor in. Probably in my "opinion" the most important one is regarding your allocated maintenance time.

That is the kicker for me and may help you choose which one to use. One may require more time for husbandry if you will than the other. And to me anyway that is more important.

I have never used a bare bottom but that doesn't mean I don't believe in them. I just carry baggage if you will because everytime I go SCUBA diving I see sand on the bottom :)

Your mileage may vary of course and you should continue what you are doing. Ask questions, read, and see how others are doing their tank. Then sort of go from there.

Best of luck.