Going barebottom, tips/tricks/advice (clothes not mandatory, ;) )

[ShaunW]

Solbby did you get my pm




Need some info

Yes, but I couldn't reply since your PM box is full.

 

[ShaunW]

also is half inch board good enough or does anyonr recommend thicker

1/2 inch is fine. I don't think that thicker would matter, but it would just be possibly an eye sore.

 

[nanoreefer22]

Guys with a BB set up you would ideally want to be skimming wet right?

 

[Dace]

i cleared it.

Yes, but I couldn't reply since your PM box is full.

i

 

[FastUno]

Oh you guys!
I did not want to use FishTown as the BB example, just wanted to point out that if you wanted to see what I meant by covering your RBB (Really Bare Bottom) tank then take a look at the FT reef tank. They are also doing a very smart thing by redirecting their return flow directly to the back of the tank. This kicks back any potential build up. They use powerheads on timers for wave simulation.

Also Bombers tank looks very hard to me & not very natural at all. His corals seem to be doing great though. But isn't part of what we strive to do to make our tanks look more like reefs & less man-made? The BB is a departure from this & a way to regain some of the natural reef beauty back is to cover your BB floors. We all know there are many ways to design & operate a reef, as demonstrated by many MR'ers & RC'ers.

I have micro filters setup too, but they get clogged too quickly & I get too lazy to have to wash & clean them out constantly. Have to find a better way for this. My whole drive is as maintenance free as possible & I believe the whole driving force behind BB.

My goal is to skim as wet as possible & has always been, even before BB. Problem is my skimmer is limited in it's capabilities. I have never cooked my rocks, but most of them are from barren & highly porous hirocks.com. Seeded with only a few other LR.

I was suppose to move this Nov/Dec & started selling off some of my corals, so it's a little empty now. I have not followed through with my idea because of my plans to move. But you can bet this will happen with the new tank down the road. For now I am good.

 

[DRZL]

Nice tank!,

I see come caps, and possibly a slimer but IMO thats no SPS tank and the ones you have are usually the first "beginner SPS frags" and are known for their hardiness.

Bombers tank is a carribean bio-type, (SPS are usually brown) but his husbandry is right on what a BB should be, very minimal rock contact w/ floor, high flow, strong skimmer running wet.

supplemental common techniques that work well w/ BB are

Starboard- gives rock friction to not slip, protects glass/ acrylic, AND reflects light back underneath the corals (big plus +)

Micro-socks- or womens knee highs Catches debris and detritus so you dont have to clean your sump as much and is not breaking down while u are lazy. I throw out my knee highs every 3-4 days no problem-o

Husbandry- BB is not about being lazy, it is involved like Zeo-vit is. but if you do it right, you'll be rewarded w/ bright colors and great growth. SPS systems in general are more involved, expect it.


BTW wheres Rich? hes BB too, we need to hear from everyone here

 

[herman]

Hey Uno, just teasing about the fishtown thing

Andres, if only you were a woman. You would be perfect!! Can you cook?

 

[DRZL]

that said I do not like the look of bare marina board, which is why I went for a planted anthilia bottom. it worked better that I expected. In less than five months the entire bottom has grown over with anthilia. Guess what I don't like this look either.

Did you have any trouble w/ it capturing detritus? BTW anthelia and most softies release alleopathy that causes your SPS to slow/brown.

So I'm going to do what you just suggested. I'm planning on pulling out most of the anthilia, i have to leave some for my clown to play in, and I'm going to move some of my rocks down to cover the bottom of the tank. On these lower rocks I'm going to attach the rest of my caps which are growing at a really fast rate.

Is this BB though? Do you think there will be no dead spots? how about when you have to siphon, you'll have big caps blocking your way.

Now here is one suggestion I have for a very well set up bare bottom tank.
If possible raise the sump. I know this is a very hard thing to do, it requires much more room, but it will make life so much easier for the tank maintenance. Almost all the junk ends up settling at the bottom of my BB 55 gallon sump, which is only sic inches off the floor. I have tried using filter socks, but I don't always have the time to change them, thus they are not in constant use. So invariably the bottom of the sump acts as a settling chamber for all the detritus. If the sump were raised siphoning the junk out would be no problem, as it is getting it out is a chore. I have thought of planting the anthilia in the sump and letting it use the detritus as food, but then I would have to light the sump and provide some circulation in the return chamber, not something I want to do.

How about putting an empty sump to collect crap before the LR-filled main sump, like that it'll collect where its easy to clean.
:smokin:

 

[DRZL]

Hey Uno, just teasing about the fishtown thing

Andres, if only you were a woman. You would be perfect!! Can you cook?

the only thing I can cook, is well, rock. lol :icon16:

 

[herman]

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha :d :d :d

 

[FastUno]

It's all about being lazy for me!

All that you are saying is great. Even if starboard gave great colors, I still think the bottom of the tank looks UGLY!!!! Sorry, not anything else that I am contending with, but the aesthetics of the BB tank. A way to combat this is when the tank has matured some, add more rocks to the bottom of the tank to make it look more natural. Try & place flow behind, between, & around the rocks & hope for the best.

Knee highs? Will panty hose do the trick? I would be worried about chemicals...etc. Is this safe. This sounds like a good idea, but still it's not 100 micron filter & I am sure things will get through. Problem with 100 micron filters is that they get clogged quickly.

 

[herman]

Pantyhose rocks. Cheap. The 100 microns as you say clog to quickly and that defeats the purpose of being lazy. You will be surprized what the hose catches.

 

[jhale]

Did you have any trouble w/ it capturing detritus? BTW anthelia and most softies release alleopathy that causes your SPS to slow/brown.
Is this BB though? Do you think there will be no dead spots? how about when you have to siphon, you'll have big caps blocking your way.
How about putting an empty sump to collect crap before the LR-filled main sump, like that it'll collect where its easy to clean.
:smokin:

the anthilia does trap some detritus, that could be why I'm measuring nitrates for the first time ever, very low but they are there.
of all the soft corals anthlia produces the least amount of toxins that effect SPS, ref. solbby. I have not seen any discoloring of any coral since it began to grow. it has just become a pita to me, and does not fit in my sps only mentality now.

I think you can still have rocks on top of the marina board and have it qualify as a BB.

Right now about 90% of my rock is sitting on top of three stands made out of pvc and eggcrate. there is very little touching the bottom.

I should not have to siphon at all, the areas where the rocks and caps will go have the most flow, there is not a speck of dirt anywhere. if something does accumulate I will not be siphoning, I will be blowing the crud out from under the rocks with a powerhead.
I would rather have the caps on the bottom of the tank, my tank is low (20") and if they were anywhere else they would block the light for other coral to grow.

a pre-sump would be nice, I just don't have the room for it. i think even with a pre-sump detritus would still make it to the main sump, unless you used some kind of mechanical filtration, extra large knee highs? to trap the garbage.

My ideal system would be a sump directly behind the display just low enough to make use of gravity, but high enough so you would not have to bend over to take care of it. of course you would need a bunch of room for this. either that or a giant sump in the basement sitting on a stand

 

[FastUno]

Anthelias huh. I did the same thing with some GSP in part of my tank. Let them grow on the BB & now I question it. It looks pretty cool though. Maybe not? But at least it's not bare in that section. Although it's killing the rest of my corals. But at least it's not the plain boring white. Am I rambling now?

All this talk of cutting boards makes me wanna chop some veggies.

Any preference as to the brand of hose? Sheers perhaps?

 

[Dace]

OK i just ordered the starboard and realized some serious $hit. First what's the real measurement a person who has a 180gal,24x72x24 would give for the board to be cut. i assume the the inside of the tank will be smaller. Second, I just notice that i have those shitty looking plastic cross brace on my AGA tank, How the !@$%%$%^ i'm i sopposed to get the board in the tank. I already will have to make the 2 overflo cuts my self. please don't tell me i will have to cut this board in three pieces. Wouldn't that be more gaps for detrius to settle.

 

[jhale]

chances are it will have to go in two pieces. sorry.

also don't make it too tight, try to leave about an 1/8" gap around the sides.

you can silicone the gaps to keep the detritus out.

 

[DRZL]

Pantyhose rocks. Cheap. The 100 microns as you say clog to quickly and that defeats the purpose of being lazy. You will be surprized what the hose catches.

Personally i think theyre 99.99 micron they catch EVERYTHING for me, buy the white, easier to see when its dirty.

It should be the ones you get in lil plastic eggs (2 pairs for $1) cant beat that w/ a stick!

 

[FastUno]

Really that good? How often do you have to replace them?
Can I use these?
http://www.shop.com/op/~L'eggs_Shee...e_Pantyhose_4_Pk_(_for_4_pairs_)-prod-8879949

I have this big fear of putting in something that would be detrimental to the system & losing everything.

Would be nice to hear from sand users. Is there anyone out there who has sand, has been using it for some time, and does not see cloudiness & crap when they stir the sound around? Or is this inevitable for all users of sand?

 

[DRZL]

well i guess you can use those as well but im talking about the real cheap ones, they should be by the rest of the stockings on the bottom rack, they come in the same thing you get when you put a quarter in a candy/toy vending distributor(not the big machine)...I throw em out every 3-4 days, even if they dont look to bad.

BTW knee highs are made of nylon, same as nylon (non-reactive) screws which are in use in our equipment.

 

[Dace]

my tank has two cross braces at the top and two overflos about 12" from the glass on each side. I think maybe the best way for me to get the starboard in the tank would be for me to cut in two lenth wise 72" so i'm able to slide from one side to the other. then i can cut the back piece easier and try to place over overflos. if i cut with wise i don't think i will be able to put board in and slide it over overflos. any comments will be appreciated.