Bi- Weekly Discussion--- Substrate 101

[tims]

Substrate...
the stuff the bottom of our tanks are covered with..
How many types of Substrate are there for our tanks?
what are the pro's for that type?
what are the con's for that type?

[Twitterbait]

BB baby, all the way.

[tims]

okay
1.BB = Bare bottom
2.?
3.?
4.?

[gwaco]

second the b.b. substrate !

[DevilBoy]

DSB = deep sand band
SSB = shallow sand bed
CC = crushed coral

[combiemaster]

how many inches would you consider a DBS mine is 1.5 is that a DBS?

[DevilBoy]

Originally Posted by combiemaster

how many inches would you consider a DBS mine is 1.5 is that a DBS?

no!

I would consider a DSB 4.5" or deeper

[Tim224DT]

I consider anything over 3" a DSB. I have done a CC bed and it would always have a lot of crap get stuck in it. The CC looked nice when cleaned weekly. I also have ran a SSB on my tank and i liked it alot until i got my MJ MOD and then my SSB was blown all over the tank. So now i am running BB and lovin it.

I have never ran a DSB so not sure how that works out.

The CC is good as long as you clean it a lot. The SSB works well dont have to clean as much and you still get the nice sand look. The BB is easier to keep your tank clean and your nitrates down low becasue with good water flow nothing will get to settle on the bottom of your tank and then your skimmer will have time to skim it out.

Hope this is kinda what you were looking for Tims,


Tim

[Wiskey]

I would call a DSB anything from 4-6 inches, but that's not all, it needs to be out of Oothic sand (Sugar size granuals about).

Alright you asked for pro's and cons, I'll start a bit.

BB:
Pro
easy to clean and keep clean.
Very clean neat look
Tons of flow can be had because you have no sand to muck it up.
You can adjust the tank to your needs and your critters liking
CON
Some people don't like the look
It is possible to over-clean (IMHO)
It is not as forgiving as a SB can be in the short run.

SSB:
Pro
You can clean it.
CON
It really does nothing, just traps dirt and waits for you to clean it. It is always slowly leaching.

DSB:
Pro
Very forgiving, great for beginners, hides allot of mistakes.
Some people really like this look.
Lots of dirt that is not immediataly avalible to algae and the water, but does bread tons of interesting life.
CON
Will eventually fill up and fail (IMHO)
Can kill the tank if disturbed.
Sand storms with lots of flow.

Just a start,
Whiskey

[DrFish33]

So...on a DSB you shouldn't agitate it while doing a water change? Or you should just keep it close to the surface of the sand?

[ScruffyRubicon]

Originally Posted by DrFish33

So...on a DSB you shouldn't agitate it while doing a water change? Or you should just keep it close to the surface of the sand?

Correct! DO NOT DISTURB! Disturbing the sand bed can release deadly Hydrogen Sulfide.

[tims]

Originally Posted by ScruffyRubicon

Correct! DO NOT DISTURB! Disturbing the sand bed can release deadly Hydrogen Sulfide.

yes and no... if you have been doing good maint. then you should have no problem disturbing the sand bed.. but many add sand and forget about it. even Deep sand beds need to be cleaned.

[tims]

okay lets tackle each, one at a time and break them all down

Originally Posted by Wiskey

BB:
Pro
easy to clean and keep clean.
Very clean neat look
Tons of flow can be had because you have no sand to muck it up.
You can adjust the tank to your needs and your critters liking
CON
Some people don't like the look
It is possible to over-clean (IMHO)
It is not as forgiving as a SB can be in the short run.

great start off whiskey and Tim.

Can anyone tell me if BB tanks are just glass on the bottom or not?
are there dangers involved by not having a substate on the bottom?

[Tim224DT]

BB can mean starboard "cutting board" or just the regular bottom. My BB is just glass only covered in coraline and slowly getting mushrooms to cover it. The problem with some starboard bottoms is that food or other things can get caught under it and cause a nutrient problem. I have never used this kind of bottom before i have only done a lot of reading on it.


Tim

[ScruffyRubicon]

Originally Posted by Tim224DT

BB can mean starboard "cutting board" or just the regular bottom. My BB is just glass only covered in coraline and slowly getting mushrooms to cover it. The problem with some starboard bottoms is that food or other things can get caught under it and cause a nutrient problem. I have never used this kind of bottom before i have only done a lot of reading on it.


Tim

Has anyone with BB and starboard ever elevated the starboard slightly and added flow underneath it? This would still give you the added benefit of the BB with protection of the glass and a way to clear anything that might get trapped.