BB glass support

[GangstaReefa]

I'm starting a new 90 bb and transfering all the stuff from my 150 to it.
I have well over 200lbs of live rock and corals. If I want to do aquascape with no foam boards, can the tank bottom hold this kind of pressure? I will attempt to stack the bottom rocks as flat as possible to get some support but we all know there will be pointy edges. Will the glass give out if a avalanche happens? Will it even hold this kind of weight per square inch?

Thanks

I don't want foam boards because i'm going to use mirrors on the bottom.

[hng]

You don't need mirrors cause the bottom will act like one anyway (unless you look straight down from the top). I've been wondering the same thing too for my own 90 gallon. I thought about using PVC rings to disperse some of the weight and keep the "pointy" rock tips off the glass. I don't know if stacking the rocks flat would be a good idea cause it might inhibit proper water flow and allow detritus to collect.

[King-Kong]

The issue im more concerned with is: why are you adding 200lbs of LR to a 90g BB system? I've got like 45lbs in my 90.

[GangstaReefa]

Well I like the full of rocks look. If not then I add it to the 100g sump, the that would require another light! umm... I already have a big sump, but now I would need a refugium to put the sand in. I think I will go with less rock and outsource it somewhere else just like jobs in America.

[gwaco]

why not just sell some of the extra rock and get alittle return $ on it ! like k.k. stated 200 lbs is overkill in a 90 . i would also suggest not putting it in your sump as the bacterial tugger alone will dirty it up pretty quickly .
and depending on what you want to do with this tank i would not add a refugium or sand in the sump .

[GangstaReefa]

I'm moving all the SPS in my 150 to the 90. I have alot of corals that need some kind of food.

Why should I not add a refugium or a sand bed? Is there some special bacteria that lives in what little rocks I would have in the tank? Despite having no sand, there must be some pratical way to export nitrate without having to do water change. I find alot of rocks work well along with macros. There is alot of shrimps and pods in my macro, and I believe they do provide food for my corals since my tank have only 3 small fish.

[Sprayin70]

hey Ouling mine is fine. I have about 150lbs in my 75 and is is stable. Good luck man!

[tperk9784]

Originally Posted by GangstaReefa

I'm moving all the SPS in my 150 to the 90. I have alot of corals that need some kind of food.

Why should I not add a refugium or a sand bed? Is there some special bacteria that lives in what little rocks I would have in the tank? Despite having no sand, there must be some pratical way to export nitrate without having to do water change. I find alot of rocks work well along with macros. There is alot of shrimps and pods in my macro, and I believe they do provide food for my corals since my tank have only 3 small fish.

The concept of the BB tank is to export waste before it decays. If you remove the waste before it decays it never has a chance to become Nitrate.

In a properly run BB tank the system will be so nutrient poor that macro algae will not survive long.

BB tanks are usually more heavily stocked than non BB tanks.

Please do not take offense, I am no expert as I am just now setting up my 1st BB tank. I have however been researching and reading about BB tanks for a couple years now, and your last post leads me to believe that you have not done enough research on the subject. BB is alot more than just not having sand in the bottom of the dispaly tank.

[GangstaReefa]

I don't know how all the extra feedings and fish dookie is going to work out. My skimmer isn't going to catch it in time because I have 150g sump on the system, I'm don't even think the skimmer even catch fish dookie because it's pretty heavy. Assuming the skimmer don't catch the dookie and the micron socks do- The display will be 65 with 5000gph flow, I would have to change the micron sock every day or two to make sure it don't decay into nitrate. However, if I take the route of the macros, The fish dookie that is being kicked up by my prop pumps would decay, get some nitrate, some bacteria for corals, and the excess is taken care of by a moderate amount of macro in the fuge, which in turn feeds the fish with all the stuff growing on it. No one is wrong here but IMO this is a easier way to do things because I do not have all day to spend on this thing.

Probably people on the BB threads have some aversion to sand. I would rather have a deep sandbed fuge with macros with ball valve to drain the water. During every water change I would stir the sand like crazy and flush out the system via the refugium ball valve. This will make sure there is nothing in my sand to cause any problem. I'm not looking for a whole new method of raising coral, I don't even think a pure BB tank with no sand or fuge is any better than a maintained sandbed aquarium. I think the sand bed helps, and the water will go through the skimmer before it goes into the sand bed to keep the waste down on the sand.

I'm not going to flow with the maverick BB movement or it's new methology, I just want a easy way to keep corals.

[hng]

Originally Posted by GangstaReefa

During every water change I would stir the sand like crazy and flush out the system via the refugium ball valve. This will make sure there is nothing in my sand to cause any problem....I'm not going to flow with the maverick BB movement or it's new methology, I just want a easy way to keep corals.

Stirring your sandbed is a really BAD idea if you have a deep sand bed. You will disrupt the anoxic layers of sand and that will release some bad mojo into your tank. You can stir the very top layer, and that would be OK (a lot of ppl do that). I wish there was an easy way to keep corals, there just isn't. There are many ways, but none of them are "easy" and foolproof.

Back to the main topic of the thread - is it dangerous to stack your rock directly onto the glass or should you use some pvc, cutting board, etc?

[GangstaReefa]

I changed my mind about stacking because i'm scared of something falling and cracking the tank. I'm going with no LR except for those that have corals attached. I will put glass on the bottom and the tank is going only to be 17'' deep.

[hng]

I'm worried about something cracking the glass too, but how easily does tempered glass crack? Anyone know? From what i understand, tempered glass is much stronger than regular glass and resists breaking too.

[Loverotties]

That's one reson I have sand,because I have had LR fall to the bottom,and that breaks the fall not the glass.

[volivier]

i bought some white cutting board off target.com online. it came 14" x 17" i think, took very little cutting to make it fit. Might be an option for the bottom of the tank.