Time to show off your Bare Bottom [BB] Tank!

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Do you have a [BB] bare bottom tank? If so, what size tank and how long have you had it setup?

A picture is worth a thousand and one words; so please post your pictures here.

What variety of sea life is in your [BB] tank?

Final question: If you were to start over again, would you stay [bare bottom] or would you add a sand bed?


Wannabee


P.S. Your personal experience related to [bare bottom] tanks would greatly be appreciated.

 

[glxtrix]

I use to run BB in my 140. Actually going back to BB as soon as I suck all this sand out. Heavy performing skimmer and great flow is the key to BB tanks. Mine was mainly SPS.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

glxtrix;887711 wrote: I use to run BB in my 140. Actually going back to BB as soon as I suck all this sand out. Heavy performing skimmer and great flow is the key to BB tanks. Mine was mainly SPS.

Thanks for your quick response. I am heavily considering a [bare bottom] and eventually want to have mainly SPS. I appreciate your insight on the keys to a BB tank. When you get your tank changed over to the BB setup, please post some pictures.

Wannabee

 

[glxtrix]

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=52741">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=52741</a>

Pics 1, 4 and 5 were BB. The first one was a 20g...one of my favorite tanks, besides the nem tank. I will def post some pics once everything is changed over...def can't wait to get back to it.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

glxtrix;887713 wrote: http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=52741">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=52741</a>

Pics 1, 4 and 5 were BB. The first one was a 20g...one of my favorite tanks, besides the nem tank. I will def post some pics once everything is changed over...def can't wait to get back to it.[/QUOTE]

Picture #3 has a rectangle shape tube coming from the top center of the tank. Is that tube for a HOB filter? If you have a sump or refugium in setup [picture #3]; what is the purpose of the HOB? Water movement across the top of the tank would be my guess.

Wannabee

Thanks for posting the pictures.

 

[glxtrix]

Yes that was a hob filter. No sump, that tank was super simple and another favorite of mine.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

glxtrix;887731 wrote: Yes that was a hob filter. No sump, that tank was super simple and another favorite of mine.

What? No Sump? Please tell me you did have at least a refugium setup? I've been struggling for over a year now in my attempts to keep SPS with just a HOB. I didn't think it would ever be possible and you have done it. WOW!

Let me guess. Frequent water changes. Did you place any other stuff in the HOB like matrix? What brand of salt where you using? What type of lighting setup; T5 or LED?

Did you have any extra pumps pulling water from the aquarium to run the water through a UV or other media setup? I apologize for all the questions; but I need to educate myself on your [awesome] setup.

Wannabee

 

[glxtrix]

Well, pic 3 was just anemones, so no major filtration was needed...just carbon in the hob. Pic 1 had no sump or skimmer either. Pic 1 had 150W MH with pc actinic fixture. Pic 2 was my 55g with 30g sump and refugium. I believe the lighting on that tank was 2x175W MH. The last 2 pics, 140g with 55g sump, 3x175W MH, 40W UV and carbon. The new BB tank will basically be the same, 3x175W MH, 40W UV, carbon/gfo dual reactor and a monster skimmer. I've ran SPS tanks with a sump and skimmer, just did water changes every 2 weeks with RO/DI water.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Only one person has a [BB] bare bottom tank? If you have experience related to [bare bottom] tanks; please post here. As I mentioned before, a picture is worth a thousand and one words. So post your pictures here as well as your experience here.


Wannabee


P.S. I know there is more than one person with a [BB] tank. Give us a background on your setup and what you like or dislike about your bare bottom setup.

 

[glxtrix]

Dave (Acroholic) has one of the best BB tanks around. Search for his thread.

 

[acroholic]

glxtrix;887910 wrote: Dave (Acroholic) has one of the best BB tanks around. Search for his thread.

I appreciate the compliment Lee. Here is the link for the videos I just posted. Credit for the videos goes to jhutto.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Acroholic;888008 wrote: I appreciate the compliment Lee. Here is the link for the videos I just posted. Credit for the videos goes to jhutto.

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=83558">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=83558</a>[/QUOTE]


WOW! Your tank is "Incredible"! I very much like your layout of the rock with the clean paths in between. I also like the overhang of rock on the left side where the fish can explore underneath. Very cool :shades: .

Are you running some type of UV in the water column? If so, what brand and model are you using?

Thanks for sharing your tank :wow2: with me. I appreciate you sharing your experience in the video related to your opinion on [20, 000] Radium Metal Halide lighting vs. Radion LEDs with SPS. I truly want a large SPS tank and your videos will help me when I start my project. Thanks again, Dave.


Wannabee

 

[acroholic]

WannabeeaReefKeeper;888044 wrote: WOW! Your tank is "Incredible"! I very much like your layout of the rock with the clean paths in between. I also like the overhang of rock on the left side where the fish can explore underneath. Very cool :shades: .

Are you running some type of UV in the water column? If so, what brand and model are you using?

Thanks for sharing your tank :wow2: with me. I appreciate you sharing your experience in the video related to your opinion on [20, 000] Radium Metal Halide lighting vs. Radion LEDs with SPS. I truly want a large SPS tank and your videos will help me when I start my project. Thanks again, Dave.


Wannabee

Glad to help. I have an Emperor Aquatics 150 watt High Output Smart UV sterilizer. Wasn't having any particular disease issues with the fish (knock on wood!), but knew I wanted to have several tangs, so did it as a precaution.

Ultimately, I would go with what looks the best to you, since you have to live with your reef design every day. But it is much easier to start bare bottom, then add substrate later on than it is to start with a substrate and remove it to go bare bottom later on. Done it both ways, and the larger the tank, the harder it is. Substrate chunks up on rock and will forever be coming off if you do substrate to bare bottom, whereas from the start you don't have that issue. Much cleaner and less work going bare bottom from the start. Also, if you start BB then add substrate later, you don't have to worry about possibly spiking ammonia and stirring up a bunch of crud from the existing substrate.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Dave:

Where this you get the PVC and 1/2 inch glass for the bottom of the aquarium?

Do you remember a price and was it precut for you?

Is the PVC gray in color? Did you place the PVC first, then the glass?


Wannabee

 

[acroholic]

WannabeeaReefKeeper;888243 wrote: Dave:

Where this you get the PVC and 1/2 inch glass for the bottom of the aquarium?

Do you remember a price and was it precut for you?

Is the PVC gray in color? Did you place the PVC first, then the glass?


Wannabee

No. This is a custom built tank, not something I did.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Only two with bare bottom setups? Great inputs already, still seeking others to dwell on their experiences with bare bottom tanks?

Anyone else?


Wannabee

 

[ringo®]

My frag tank is my only bare bottom

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Ringo®;888418 wrote: My frag tank is my only bare bottom

Any upgrades coming soon to any of your other tanks? i.e. bare bottom coming soon to another one of your tanks?


Wannabee

 

[clay4au]

I've got a barebottom tank. However I did paint the bottom(outside) with carribean sand texture spray paint.

 

[ringo®]

WannabeeaReefKeeper;888425 wrote: Any upgrades coming soon to any of your other tanks? i.e. bare bottom coming soon to another one of your tanks?


Wannabee

I would really consider it if I was going to run a sps exclusive tank. Not really in the plans right now (well......better not think about it). I just like the look of sand.