Bare Bottom Tanks
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58158
Printed Date: May 14 2025 at 7:12pm
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Topic: Bare Bottom Tanks
Posted By: Molli
Subject: Bare Bottom Tanks
Date Posted: August 01 2012 at 11:10am
| Anyone here have or used to have a bare bottom tank care to share the pros/cons as you see them? I'm thinking about a small bare bottom tank in my home office! |
Replies:
Posted By: tfmreefs
Date Posted: August 01 2012 at 3:39pm
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Is bare bottom when there isnt any sand? ------------- "The early bird might get the worm, but only the second mouse gets the cheese." |
Posted By: lskurys
Date Posted: August 01 2012 at 3:46pm
 Sorry I could not help it. lol have a great day. ------------- 220g , large elite aquatics sump. 3 Radion Pro Gen 3 lights 3 Mp 40's |
tfmreefs wrote:Posted By: BillyC
Date Posted: August 01 2012 at 5:06pm
Yes bare bottom tanks have no sand. If it wasn't for my wife wanting sand for a more aesthetic look, I would have seriously considered going barebottom on my tank. |
Posted By: tfmreefs
Date Posted: August 02 2012 at 12:10am
Hahahaha! when i first seen the tital for this thread, thats the first thing that came into my mind! but yea, i have seen some "bare bottom tanks" (haha) and the only two things that worry me are dont you need sand for bacteria and stuff to live in? and also wont the bottom of the tank get freaking nasty? from food and waste that doesnt get filtered out??
------------- "The early bird might get the worm, but only the second mouse gets the cheese." |
Posted By: xlr8r
Date Posted: August 02 2012 at 7:16am
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Ive heard that bare bottom tanks need to be vacuumed out regularly to keep the bottom looking good and to take care of what a sand bed would normally take care of. Ive seen them mostly in nano applications. ------------- When you hear hoofbeats....Think of a zebra |
Posted By: Molli
Date Posted: August 02 2012 at 4:51pm
I have decided to go barebottom in the next tank I am making plans for -- it will only be a 20 gal long. Now I've been doing some reading about the rock. Its seems that when you have a sand bed, the suggestion is to put the rock in first and then add the sand, and the sand will help keep the rock in place. The sand will also help prevent a glass breakage should a rock fall down and hit the bottom. So it seems I have two options. I either need to carefully glue my stacked rock together to avoid rock falling and breaking the glass at the bottom of the tank or I need to put a sheet of something that will completely cover the glass on the bottom. Were you thinking about what you would do to prevent glass breakage? I really don't want to glue all my rock together if I can avoid it.
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Posted By: Molli
Date Posted: August 02 2012 at 5:12pm
From what I have read, there's a couple of ways that people with BB tanks take care of that. They siphon the bottom, which should be pretty each to do with no sand, or they use a small hand held circ pump to stir up the bottom in hopes that it will be filtered out. I plan to use the siphon technique. But I also plan to make a DIY spray bar to attach to the return pump and place it at the bottom of the tank. Having never seen how these really work in action, it seems like it should work, but until I install one I really don't know. But I've read that spray bars are really great for the rock work.
Does anyone have a spray bar that they would like to share info about?
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Posted By: builderofdreams
Date Posted: August 02 2012 at 5:14pm
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I had a 55 Gallon Reef that was bare Bottom. I used two powerheads to keep the detrius moving so it could be filtered out and 2 to circulate and aeriate the water. I loved the no sand and would do it again if i had the chance. I never seen anymore of a problem with the rocks hitting the bottom than i did with sand. Don't think i would let that be a deciding factor. ------------- It's Not a Hobby It's an Obsession 150&210 Gallons of Madness and. Sanity! 801-850-4915 http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=65135&title=builderofdreams-feedback-post |