Bare Bottom

[camaroracer214]

I am looking for some bare bottom tank pics. I am strongly leaning toward going bare bottom and putting a sheet of white cutting board (aka star board in some circles) on the bottom. i've seen a couple tanks with the star board and if i go bare bottom, i would certainly use it (like the look and protects the glass).

[gjuarez]

Here is mine, it will be fully setup soon.

http://www.maast.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=88&pictureid=587

[DrMark]

I have 1/2" black HDPE on this 115gal.
Pic is a few months old. Need to get some new ones.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii112/mseanwilson/Fish/IMG_0399.jpg

[Mr Cob]

Some nice looking tanks!

Dr Mark that is looking hot!

[moneytank]

the few things I have learned on going barebottom and using starboard(hdpe) is to be sure and silcone it around the edges to the glass. On the first tank I did barebottom I didnt silcone it around the edges and stuff was always getting stuck in there that you couldnt clean out. On my current tank I siliconed the hdpe around the edges to the side glass and nothing gets trapped in there.(if any of that made sense)

[moe]

Ur tank is b*dA** g' where did u get the rocks from?

[gjuarez]

g'?? You talking to me Moe? If so, those are rocks that i have had in my systems for a while. I got most of it from a local reefer. I picked the shelfing rock so that i could stack them. This is not my final aquascaping, i plan on making small islands using acrylic rods.

I want to point out that i did silicone my starboard to the glass. A lot of detritus settles beneath it, just breaks down and creates a nitrate factory. I like the white because it reflects the light back to the corals, although i gotta say that drmarks black hdpe looks sweet.

Just some FYI on barebottom... One major factor to BB is that you loose a lot of the denitryfying bacteria that a sand bed produces. Deep inside a sand bed where there is very little oxygen you culture anarobic bacteria that help with the nitrate export. You loose alot of the export abilities when going BB. Its always been reccomended wtih BB to have plenty of flow to have detritus suspended in the water column at all times and keep it suspended so that an oversize skimmer can take it out before it breaks down. I really like barebottom, most of my tanks have been BB. Good luck and keep the pics coming guys

[jlh81]

Any more pics out there? I would love to see some more

[camaroracer214]

great looking tanks! where did y'all get the hdpe from? i have a site in mind, but wouldn't mind seeing other sources.

keep them coming.

[LoneStar]

great looking tanks! where did y'all get the hdpe from? i have a site in mind, but wouldn't mind seeing other sources.

keep them coming.

Most plastic supply shops can get it. If your in the Houston area, check Regal Plastics:

http://regal-plastics.com/houston.html

[gjuarez]

Mine came with the tank. My very first one i got it from thecuttingboardcompany.com I dont know if they still exist, but they cut it perfectly and it was pretty much the same thing.

[camaroracer214]

have y'all noticed any trouble with things like alkalinity being too low? a buddy of mine has a bare bottom tank with the cutting board bottom and his alk is always really low. it wouldn't be an issue for me. in fact, i wish my alk was that low. i'm running zeovit and it calls for a low alk.

[dmweise]

What are the pros and cons of having a barebottom tank?

[vman181]

I know there is a thread on RC with a bunch of pictures of BB tanks with a lot of discussions, however we all know what it is like to find something on there.......

[gjuarez]

Alk will be low, you loose the buffering that a DSB can give you. In my nano, I used aragonite just so I could keep alk a little more stable. Aragonite is a great buffer.

Pros of having a barebottom tank is that you can have a ton of flow and not have to worry about sand storms. If done right, nutrients are kept very low. It helps to always keep detritus suspended in the water column to be taken out by overskimming. Remember, you loose a lot of the denitrifying bacteria so the main source of filtration will be mechanical filtration. It also helps for a person that is planning a move, they dont have to tear a sand bed apart and worry about all the nasties that it releases when disturbed.

[gjuarez]

THis is one the best threads on Bare Bottom Metodology. There was another started by Bomber, but I cant find the link. Awesome Thread.. Enjoy

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=644382&perpage=25&pagenumber=4

[jlh81]

No one has any more pics?

[gjuarez]

Here is a pic of Bomber's tank. He was the one that started that Bare Bottom craze with starboard about 4-5 years ago. Bare bottom tanks have been around for a long time, but he pioneered the modern bare bottom methodology. His tank is mainly comprised of carribean corals. Beautiful

http://www.maast.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=88&pictureid=776

[gjuarez]

Joes old tank on RC.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/8920f_tank.JPG