To BB or not?

[Ratpack]

I am in the process of planning my 75g build and seem to be at a crossroad. I will have mostly LPS with a few SPS (Monti's probably, love the caps) and a few softies. My lighting is a TEK 6x54 fixture. I also want to put in a CL formore flow because I hate having pumps and such in the tank. I have been reading the forums and it appears that with LPS, you want sand and SPS you don't. I like the thought of BB for the fact it is easier to keep clean. Here is the equipment I have or will have, what would most people do?


75 gal tank
TEK 6x54 Light
LG 4-MDQX-SC return pump
Sequence Dart (don't have it yet, but what I plan to get)
DIY skimmer based on Randy's design
30 gal sump

[OIIIIIO]

I'm far from most people, but I'm going BB for my new SPS dominated tank

[crvz]

Originally Posted by Ratpack

I have been reading the forums and it appears that with LPS, you want sand and SPS you don't.

It's really hard to put it into a box like that. There are plenty of folks who can keep all kinds of corals in all kinds of systems. Different setups have their pros and cons, and it's really dependant on your experience level and understanding of how the particular system works. For a mixed reef, I'd consider a sandbed. Montipora corals are much more forgiving than most SPS, and if you want LPS and softies I think a sandbed type setup may better suit you to begin.

Do you have a tank right now? If so, what kind of setup is it?

[motorslave]

To add, BB is just an evolution of varied methods. There is and has been incredible success with pretty much all methods.

[luvmylo]

a sand bed is much more forgiving of mistakes.

[Ratpack]

Well, my current tank is far from right. I even have a crushed coral bottom and no sump. I guess my biggest reason is I want to plan this tank right and a CL seems to be a valuable thing to have. Maybe more so in my eyes because I hate things in the tank like PH and pumps. I have read a little more today on some of the corals I want (the SPS ones) and it seems most require medium flow. The acros and the like are the ones with strong flow. Perhaps my best option would be to put the closed loop in and then just throttle it back or not run it at all. Then if I want to go pure SPS, it is easy to just throw the switch to higher flow. And to be frank, it really only matters in drilling the tank. The pump can be left off altogether and just cap off the lines until needed.

[scoop]

I've been running bb for 3 yrs w/ an LPS/softie tank. I just upgraded from a 30 to a 75 and am still going bb (fsb). I do intend to start moving to some SPS, but I want to wait a few months for the tank to really settle in. I like bb because it's easy to clean and I don't feel like I need to worry about algae problems if the sandbed collects too much detrius/phosphate. With a cls you would have a set up that would be really clean and easy to take care of. The 6 x 54 T5 lighting is plenty for SPS (I have the same on my new 75) and you won't have to worry about high flow and the sandbed if you decide to do more sps in the future.

[Ratpack]

Scoop, you have any photos of your tank?

[scoop]

Here is my 75, it has only been running for about a month, so no sps, just the lps from my 30. The second pic is my 30 before I moved my stuff to the 75. I had ssb for 1 yr, lots of algae, took the ssb out and had this for 2 yrs bb. My experience w/ algae in the 30 and in my 5 (which is bb now, too, and 4 yrs old) bias me for the bb concept.

[Ratpack]

Scoop, Nice tank. I notice you also have a fan blowing on the TEK fixture, does it get that hot? I think I will go BB, and just work with the flow. If the lighting is enough then I may just go SPS across the board. But I am sure I can find some areas where the LPS and softies will be happy. Especially if I divide the return from the Dart some. Or perhaps since I haven't bought the Dart yet, maybe I should just get the Snapper.

[scoop]

It doesn't get that hot in the tank, but I read that the bulbs and ballasts last longer if they are cooled, so I added the ice cap fan. It's small and quiet, so it's no big deal. I haven't actually aquascaped the tank yet, i have about 40 lbs of live rock cooking in the basement, I'll post more pics when It's done. I've seem some terriffic sps tanks on reef central that onlu use T5 lighting (usually the tek fixture). You won't have any issues w/ the light.

[Ratpack]

Since sand storms are another concern for tanks with sand bottoms, I have another question. Are the sand storms mainly around where the outlets are for the pumps or are they everywhere? And once the initial storm is over, meaning the sand has been moved by the current, does it still continue beyond just what sand falls back into the water path? I got an idea off another board, and tha is BB in the back and sand in the front. Here is a rack I built to stack my LR on so that it would be open underneath for fish to swim not have to have so much base rock.



What do you think about lining the inside of the legs on the edge with acrylic and then the sand would just be on the exterior of the LR aquascape. Under the two islands, would be bare bottom and that is where the exits of the CL would be, coming in and turning down via 90 directed right onto the bottom. That way it would pretty much blow detritus and stuff out from under the piles into the sand where snails, stars and such could get to it. Also, that would mean I only have to vacuum and stir the exposed sand. Make sense? I know a little sand would end up under the piles, but should be kept blown towards the front. Another option is instead of a 90, I use a T and the bottom blows the bottom glass and the top have a section of locline on it that can be directed to other areas. That way there is flow near the top from the return that will be pushing about 500 gph on each end from the pump and have a DIY eductor on each one. They would be pointed from the back corners at an angle towards the front glass. Current should bounce off the glass. The CL would push water against the bottom which would fan out under the two islands until it hit the acrylic panels which would direct it up through the LR. And the upward portion of the CL could be directed wherever needed via the locline. Or just do the 90's for flow over the bottom and then up through the rock.

In my mind, this sounds like it should give flow in lots of directions and allow me to have high flow and a SSB, but what do you think?

[scoop]

You should take your last post and put it as a new question in the General Discussion forum. You will get a lot of responses there for this.

[Ratpack]

Originally Posted by scoop

You should take your last post and put it as a new question in the General Discussion forum. You will get a lot of responses there for this.

I did just that. I am kind of stoked to think this really may be the way I go.