is b.b. a passing fad ? a.k.a. the things you wanted to know ,but were afraid to ask

[gwaco]

just seems like for every one person that goes b.b. , two are going back to sand ! i just don't get it ! are the" experts" winning out ? is there something that we're not explaining right ? ARE WE OUTCASTs ! i just can't understand why some are having such problems with what i see as a very simplistic method for running a tank . i'm not bashing those that have returned to sand or are thinking of going back , just wonder what went wrong .

[tashier]

It just looks better.

[dobejazz]

Gary I know in my case BB seems harder to do. I say seems since I have never tried it. Is it possible people are jumping in with out fully understanding how it works up front? Then becomes the cycle of trying to "fix" it and Blaming BB instead of themselves?

[Wiskey]

Sorry I would much rather be BB trust me. That's why I'm doing the RDSB experimantal tank in my sig.

My problems were coral lightning, eventually turning into lack of PE, then slow STN. Nothing I did ever really turned my tank around so eventually I threw my hands in the air and went back.

Whiskey

[gman0526]

I have actually seen the opossite seems like a lot of more people are starting their aquariums using BB methodology. Have I thought about adding a SB to my tank? Sure, but mainly because I've been bored lately with the tank , it has been so worry free that all I've done the past few mos. is just replace evap. water and cleaning the skimmers, I kinda miss the drama. Granted I gave most of my corals away since it was the Holidays and I worked crazy hours during that time. I have a super basic set up of just a tank , sump and skimmers, the only automation in the tank is the lighting timers, I didn't want to risk it, but I have done several water chem tests and everything seems to be holding where it should be.
In the meantime I'll keep my bottom bare as nature intended.

[Little Luey]

I have actually seen both things happen, reefers going to and from BB to sand bottom. I personally will stay BB because one thing I cannot stand is dirty sand, I was not able to keep sand clean when I had it and being BB I don't have to worry about sand. It is true that I would like to see a gobie in my tank moving substrate but I guess that will not happen any time soon.

[Weatherman]

Some things just don’t work for everyone (or, in my case, work outstanding in one tank and work marginally well in another). Life is kind of weird that way.

My earliest experiences in marine aquarium keeping was back at a time when it was considered dangerous to have sand in your tank without an under-gravel filter to keep it oxygenated. It took a lot of convincing to get me to put even a shallow sand bed in my first reef tank. I didn’t go as far as the DSB route, but I did have a shallow sand bed for about 18-24 months. When I removed it, it was like dredging sludge out of a polluted estuary.

I feel more comfortable not having sand in my main display. The one place I do have sand (with the exception of the little sand box for my Yellow Watchman in my 155) is in the sump in my 120. I don’t know whether the sand is doing any good or harm down there (it seems like my recent start of using carbon is much more valuable), but at least I can clean it out fast if I have to without tearing my tank apart.

[Geoff]

this is my second time with a BB tank. i had forgotten how easy they were. i am still trying to figure out my tank chemistry though still. i can not tell if i have learned to much and am overthinking things or somethings are different now than before. i know for a fact that my skimmer is insanely more powerfull than my first BB tank. this is where i am focusing my efforts on. getting it tuned properly.

with the tank being where it is, i could never go with a SB. much to difficult to take care of up that high. i had to siphon out a SB once from that tank. it was a whole day affair, never again.

G~

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Originally Posted by Wiskey

Sorry I would much rather be BB trust me. That's why I'm doing the RDSB experimantal tank in my sig.

My problems were coral lightning, eventually turning into lack of PE, then slow STN. Nothing I did ever really turned my tank around so eventually I threw my hands in the air and went back.

Whiskey

Is it working?

I am debating on gong back because I have the same problems. I am not goign to go DSB but maybe a 1 inch layer of Natures Ocean sand. My first reef had it and it ran good. Now I tinkered with the DSB fad and that was a huge mistake. Now I tried the latest thing BB and granted I have NO hair algae problems but I am having coral problems now. I tried heavier feeding and the corals contiue to lighten up and loose PE. I tried the cooking thing as well adn it wiped out the algae but I dont think the rock is helping the tank anymore.

I am wondering 2 things.
If I went BB with new LR would it have made a difference.
If I go back to sand do I get new LR anyways

These are my latest thoughts. Going back to basics.

[Twitterbait]

I think it comes down to taking the time to tune everything in from lighting to skimmer. IMO people make it more complicated than it really is.

[gwaco]

Originally Posted by Twitterbait

I think it comes down to taking the time to tune everything in from lighting to skimmer. IMO people make it more complicated than it really is.

this is kinda how i feel . i may have had things just right from the get go cause i have never expierianced the problems that some say they are having , which makes it hard to understand why some are so frustrated with it . i think that maybe some go into b.b. and think its fool proof , which i think it is when properly set-up . should we set-up some kind of sticky or add an addendum to one that is already their to help clarifly things better ? kind of like - when we say you need a big skimmer we mean 5-10 times larger than what is recomended for ones tank ( this is just an example ) . or in more laymans terms - if you have a 75 gallon tank , you will typically need a skimmer rated for a 300 gallon tank ( just another example ) . i really would like for people to be successful at b.b. and have more show up here that have made or are making the change , but to me , it kind of seems the opposite right now . maybe its just the weather !

[silvers]

set up a second tank over the weekend BB I have went about eavery other route DSB did not work for me SSB is what my mixed reef is now seems the less sand in the tank the cleaner and easyer it gets so my new tank is BB

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

I thought about this allot more. I believe it has to be luck and the right conditions. Some have better water than others, some have better equipment, some have allot of money,etc.

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by Rob_Reef_Keeper

Is it working?

I am debating on gong back because I have the same problems. I am not goign to go DSB but maybe a 1 inch layer of Natures Ocean sand. My first reef had it and it ran good. Now I tinkered with the DSB fad and that was a huge mistake. Now I tried the latest thing BB and granted I have NO hair algae problems but I am having coral problems now. I tried heavier feeding and the corals contiue to lighten up and loose PE. I tried the cooking thing as well adn it wiped out the algae but I dont think the rock is helping the tank anymore.

I am wondering 2 things.
If I went BB with new LR would it have made a difference.
If I go back to sand do I get new LR anyways

These are my latest thoughts. Going back to basics.

Ya, the DSB is working great! Color is good, growth is fast, PE is good, all in all it's a great tank, corals as they were moved into the DSB tank turned right around.

I should be thankfull (and I am) that I can keep SPS with one of the methodologies,... but I can't help but wonder why I never could figure out the BB tank,... I guess we always want what we can't have.

I say if one way doesn't work, try another

I never liked SSB's because they don't offer the advantages of BB or of DSB.

Whiskey

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by gwaco

this is kinda how i feel . i may have had things just right from the get go cause i have never expierianced the problems that some say they are having , which makes it hard to understand why some are so frustrated with it . i think that maybe some go into b.b. and think its fool proof , which i think it is when properly set-up . should we set-up some kind of sticky or add an addendum to one that is already their to help clarifly things better ? kind of like - when we say you need a big skimmer we mean 5-10 times larger than what is recomended for ones tank ( this is just an example ) . or in more laymans terms - if you have a 75 gallon tank , you will typically need a skimmer rated for a 300 gallon tank ( just another example ) . i really would like for people to be successful at b.b. and have more show up here that have made or are making the change , but to me , it kind of seems the opposite right now . maybe its just the weather !

I always wondered if this is where I messed up, MRC MR-2 on a 50G tank. Things looking back did better when I was still using the turbofloater,...

Whiskey