I want to see your BB tank.

[Drew Reed]

I'm downsizing to a 30g main tank, and I'm thinking about going BB.
So, I would like to see your pic of your tank, and if you have a minute or 2 tell me how long you have had a BB tank, and what you think the pros-cons of a BB tank are.

Looking forward to seeing a bunch of great tanks.

Drew

 

[Krish]

Welcome to RF if I haven't welcomed you already Drew! Here is a photo of my old 75gal that I took down a few weeks ago and a photo of my cube I just switched over to. Both were bare bottom and I doubt I'd ever go back to sand. I love the fact that you can direct flow anywhere and not worry about a sand storm as well as you can lift everything up off of the bottom into suspension so that it can be used up by the corals, mechanically removed or skimmed. The only disadvantage I see so far is you are limited to some types of marine life (eg sand sifters, goby's etc) but not enough to ever make me change back. I feel it is easier to keep a cleaner tank this way I've been bare bottom for about 6 months or so now. I had a 90 gal I converted to bb, then transferred everything into the 75gal in the pic below (water, rock etc) and the same went for the cube. Hope that helps and good luck!

BTW, I used pvc board on the bottom and siliconed it down. The pvc board is similar to starboard, just not as shiney

 

[Drew Reed]

Welcome to RF if I haven't welcomed you already Drew!

Thanks, and no don't think you have.

I love the fact that you can direct flow anywhere and not worry about a sand storm

You are right about that. It justs makes life a lot easier

The only disadvantage I see so far is you are limited to some types of marine life (eg sand sifters, goby's etc)

Ya, that is something I would miss

Well.....so far I'm 60% in favor of doing it. All so if I don't like it I can add sand

Thanks for the info.
Drew

Oh BTW, where did you get your sea fans that are in your cube? I think they are pretty Cool.

 

[Krish]

Oh BTW, where did you get your sea fans that are in your cube? I think they are pretty Cool.

Thanks and I just got them last Sunday when I went out in the boat. I found them broken off of a reef. Apparently someone stepped on them or something because they were in only about 6 feet of water and there are always people around that particular reef spearing and stuff. I brought them home to see if they would make it and so far they are doing well (knock on wood ) I plan to see what else I can find this weekend if we go back out. It's a long holiday weekend so we'll see

About the bare bottom, you are right. If you don't like the look, you can just toss sand in. I put down the pvc board so that it would look somewhat like sand and also, to protect the tank from falling rocks. The good thing about the pvc board as well is, if you do add sand to the top of it later, and the flow pushes the sand away from the bottom in some places, you won't notice it as easily because it would be white underneath and not bare glass...

 

[matts125]

here are a couple shots of my BB tank. I wouldn't ever go back to sand in my reef...

Matt

 

[Drew Reed]

Thanks and I just got them last Sunday when I went out in the boat. I found them broken off of a reef. Apparently someone stepped on them or something because they were in only about 6 feet of water and there are always people around that particular reef spearing and stuff. I brought them home to see if they would make it and so far they are doing well (knock on wood ) I plan to see what else I can find this weekend if we go back out. It's a long holiday weekend so we'll see

Lucky guy, you live in the Bahamas, and I live in Michigan

The good thing about the pvc board as well is, if you do add sand to the top of it later, and the flow pushes the sand away from the bottom in some places, you won't notice it as easily because it would be white underneath and not bare glass...

I'll have to try the pvc board as well

Drew

 

[Drew Reed]

here are a couple shots of my BB tank. I wouldn't ever go back to sand in my reef...

Matt

Nice tank Matt, how long have you had it set up BB?

 

[matts125]

My tank has been BB for about 9 months now and is doing better then ever, I would always have problems with my tank almost crashing because of the gases that the sand releases from decaying organics. I lost a lot of fish and corals before I went to BB and have had way better luck since..

Matt

 

[gman0526]

Mine, 1 yr after setup.

 

[morgan]

i have been thinking going bb but sand is ver astheticly pleasing to the eye white pvc may make it slightly better i think the pvc and 1cm of sand

 

[Drew Reed]

Mine, 1 yr after setup.

Gman, What kind of fish is the one in the middle of the tank?
Thanks for your for posting your pic, Anyone else?


Doesn't Boomer have a BB tank? Or am I wrong?

 

[matts125]

Hey morgan dont even worry about putting down pvc on the bottom for looks, in no time it will be purple from coraline. atleast mine is..

Matt

 

[gman0526]

That's my harlequin tusk Bluetooth He says hi.

 

[Drew Reed]

That's my harlequin tusk Bluetooth He says hi.

WOW, cool fish, thanks for the closeup.

How big is your tank?

 

[Drew Reed]

Bump to the top

 

[sryder]

heres mine after 1 and a half years.

 

[Detri]

Not the greatest pictures. But the first one is a 600g tank at the store. The second one is my tank. I have a small hair algae problem right now

 

[gloo]

My 15 gallon, I didn't place anything on the bottom, tho I should have. My first attempt at a reef tank so still learning a lot as I go. The tank is only 4 months old, and I didn't cook the cured rocks from the LFS I added a month ago so there is still some detritus that has to be dealt with duing water changes. I finally got lucky with the flow so that most of the detritus collects in the front right portion of the tank, making it easier to clean.

Will peel that xenia off tomorrow when i do the weekly WC ( made some frags to trade in to LFS, one stuck to glass), and the cheato I just jammed in there when I couldn't fit all of it into the HOB refugium.