Shallow Sandbed or No Sandbed

[digital canuck]

Originally Posted by Beverly

What is starboard and why would someone use it?

It is a product used in the marine industry for boats. In laymans terms (what I needed explained to me ) is that it is HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene) - the stuff cutting boards are made out of. It is food grade and will not leach anything into your tank.

Why is is used? To protect the bottom of your tank from any rocks falling if you decide to go Bare Bottom, and it spreads out the pressure of where the rock is sitting on it instead of on glass.

I am just setting up my new 180 gallon tank 72 X 24 X 24 and I just put 1/2 inch HDPE purchased from a local plastics company here in Regina. I have read and am continuing to read a very informative thread on Reef Central - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=1 It will take you a few days to read the entire thread, but after the first 20 pages, you will either like the idea or not. I did. I'm in the 40's now and plan on finishing it.

The secret to making this system - bare bottom work is to have mega flow to keep the detrius in suspension in the water column so it can be skimmed, and siphoning out of any detrius which may collect when you do water changes.

I like the idea. I'm going to be adding water to my tank on the weekend, I'm cooking up my salt water and my RO/DI unit is working overtime to produce.

So what if I don't like it after a reasonable period - I'll just put an inch of sand or gravel on top of the HDPE and I have the benefit of the added protection. Nothing lost except the $100. for the plastic.

Just my 2 cents, and not engaging in a for or against DSB's vs Bare Bottoms - it's been debated to death, just time to read the material and make a decision

ps: since originally posting this, I've added water to my tank and the HDPE floated away ;-) I took it out until I'm ready to add my live rock from my 115 gal. I'd forgotten that it would float.

Rick

[LostMind]

I'm with Rick.

Thats exactly my plan as well. I am aiming for 45x turnover in my new 315g tank. It's freaking tough to get high turnover rates in big tanks

I think the starboard look is pretty cool somehow.

[StirCrazy]

I am with the bare bottom group, except I am against the starboard.. to me it looks damn un-natural and ugly. now an idea might be to take the star board and some how glue a layer of sand and rubble to it, but I like just bare bottom as it will soon be growen over anyways.

Steve

[Beverly]

Steve,

Do you have pics of your BB tank(s)?

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Beverly

Steve,

Do you have pics of your BB tank(s)?

not yet as mine won't be totaly BB till this fall, I am slowly removing the sand.

there are a lot of nice ones I have seen, and if I recal corectly I think Jamie went BB also so maybe he has some pics that show the bottom.

Steve

[Cap'n]

Bev, what are you doing with your 42 hex?

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

I am slowly removing the sand.

Steve,

Dumb question, perhaps, but how do you slowly remove the sand without your rock structure collapsing? Also, any particular reason why are you slowly removing it instead of doing it all at once?

[LostMind]

How to remove the sand? I'd say a wet vac maybe - dunno how to keep the rock structure stable tho.

here is a good link for steve: http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=35085

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Beverly

Steve,

Dumb question, perhaps, but how do you slowly remove the sand without your rock structure collapsing? Also, any particular reason why are you slowly removing it instead of doing it all at once?

well I have been syphoning some out every time I do a water change. I do have some under my rock and this fall I think I will have to pull the rock to get at it. If you placed your rocks in a solid mannor you won't make them unstable by removing the sanbd around them.

Steve

[Beverly]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

If you placed your rocks in a solid mannor you won't make them unstable by removing the sanbd around them.

Well, I DID place them in a solid manner But I used the sandbed to help prop up the rock So no siphoning sand out for me, I'm afraid. Am getting new tanks all around, so removing the sandbeds at that time would be my best bet, if I remove all of it, that is.

Still not sure what to do..... There's going to be hundreds of pounds of sandbed to get rid of if I go BB