anyone running bare bottom?

I am thinking about running bb on my new 215 build any thoughts on this?
I know this subject has been discussed on other forums bb vs sb etc. i was wondering if anyone has had success on 3 reef or was it not worth the trouble.

 

I loved it on my 200 SPS-only tank. One word of warning...no matter how good you design your flow, there's somewhere where detritus will collect so you will have to periodically siphon that spot.

 

Thanks Inwall75, did you have your lr off the bottom on pvc racks? also did you use starboard?

 

No. There was very little live rock. It was never intended to be a display tank. It was only supposed to be to hold mother colonies to frag. In fact, you had to view it from the top unless you wanted to lay on the cold concrete of my fish room in the basement. LOL

However, my mother colonies got so large that it did resemble a display tank.

 

Agreed. We have a 90 gallon SPS tank and really like it. Unlike Curt's system, we have a lot of rock but nothing between it and the glass.

 

Thanks for the replies i am just trying to make up my mind as which way to go sand or no sand.

 

I run my 20gal long BB...but it only houses two clowns for the purpose of breeding. On my reef I have a sand bed, I like the natural look of it. BB looks too 'sterile' for me in a reef setting. It really all is personal preference though.

 

Yea I like the look of a sand bad.. It's fun watching sand sifters, gobies, snails and all the interesting things that go on in and around the sand bed.. I've had my 3 inch SB up and running for almost 3 years and can't report any problems. I just make sure I have a nice clean up crew that sifts the top. I have never seen detritus build up, dinos or any algea growing on the surface of the sand bed..

I don't like the look of a BB, and that fact that if a rock falls can break the glass scares me.. I do like the fact that it is really easy to syphon the detritus out and maintenance is minimal..

 

A rock falling in a 29 or a 55 might be an issue. Maybe in a 75 or a 90 too...I don't know. However, in my 200 I would have felt comfortable dropping a sledgehammer into it. That was some THICK glass. (very heavy too)

 

I have a 200 that is "mostly" BB I put one bag of black sand in the center front. that way I have a place for the critters that like sand and a little bit of sand for the biological stuff. I like the way it looks and so have most of the folks that have seen it.