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Barebottom

So as im planning my 75 and ordering everything i cant decide if i should go barebottom. I know alot of people think its alot cleaner and i could understand why but i dont know if i could get over the look of not having sand and just having bare glass. How many people run BB and do you guys think its really worth it ?
 
i run a bare bottom tank and for me the easy maintenance is well worth it plus its another small cost you dont have to worry about. this is my first reef though so I can't really speak on caring for a system with a substrate. im pretty sure you can always add it later but that is probably a pain.
 
Funny I started my tank with a sand bed and now i completely regret it. I have a maroon clown pair and she makes a mess and moves the sand all over the place. I have been slowly taking it out during cleaning and not replacing it.
 
I tell you what... I NEVER would have thought that I would be running a bare bottom tank. I went from a DSB in a 75 to BB in a 58. At first I was like, "Yeah, i'll add sand later." Then I started getting used to it and i'm digging it now. One less thing to worry about.
 
Yea I really never thought I would consider BB but the benefits are what's pushing me to doing it. Its also another cost I don't have to worry about even though its not that much butI can put that towards reactors and such.
 
Yea I really never thought I would consider BB but the benefits are what's pushing me to doing it. Its also another cost I don't have to worry about even though its not that much butI can put that towards reactors and such.
Exactly! I'm hoping my GSP spreads on it.
 

malulu

NJRC Member
the way i look at it, in the nature - the sands will go over and cover coral from time to time without problem... ( it doesn't look nice in our tank but it should be fine)
i was running deep sands bed before...
now i use about 1.5 inch sands (grovel) in display tank... and deep sands (fine/mud) in the sump.
this way i have the benefit of the deep sand in the sump, and not worry about the stirring in the display tank.
 
What I also dig about BB is that at night, I will sometimes take a flashlight to the underside of the tank. You would be amazed at what you can see from under there. This is how I saw a giant bristle worm (and many others) that were hiding under one of the rocks.
 
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