Super shallow sandbed or painted bottom (1 Viewer)

[rparker2112]

I want a clean tank, tired of my sand bed looking dirty.

I'm building a new tank and was thinking of doing painted bottom (barebottom) or super shallow sand bed.

Here's a link to the painted bottom.....has anyone done this?

http://www.fishyreview.com/fake_sand.html

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[tektite]

Problem with the painted/barebottom look is it will be covered in coraline algae over time. Something to consider at least.

 

[zeek]

Second what Kat said.

I was under the same dilema myself when I decided to go with the ULNS system this time around. SO I tested it.

While I was working on my tank the few things I had sat in a temporary 20 gallon long tank. I left it bare bottom to test and some of the major cons were that the bottom could grow algae and be very difficult to clean, sps mainly were all dying on the bottom part I researched it and it was due to lack or light reflection and also the risk of dropping anything on the glass, I told myself I'd be extra careful but something always goes wrong. I had a 1200 maxi jet I was using for flow that became detached off the glass, landed next to a rock pile and pushed it enough to make it topple, let me just say It was nerve wracking the ONE time it happened.

SO I went with a bigger sand mix and very little of it, I mixed two tropic eden bags one 30lb of Grand Select and a small 5lb of Reef flakes, this sand stays very "white" and combined really well. I have very high flow in my tank and combined with a sand sifting starfish, tons of snails and fighting conch my sand stays very clean and detritus free as it is constantly moved.


The combination covered about 3/4" in most areas with some a bit less in a 120 gallon 48" X 24" the sand is very bright and reflects very well, my corals are happy and I am happy.

Hope my experience helps

 

[Ostentum]

I had a BB tank. It was kinda cool but the issue I had first hand as Zeek mentioned that the underside of SPS will turn bleach white do to no reflection of the light to the underside of the corals. Also you will have places in the tank that Detritus will noticeably collect even with a crap ton of flow. I was running 4 vortech mp40s in a 110g with a 1300 gph return pump. I tried all different kinds of placements to keep it from happening and it still did. with the 260 I went with a more shallow sand bed, added some concs and they do a fairly good job of keeping it fairly white looking. Also a sandbed significantly increases your bacteria population yielding to a more stable system.