Glued Sand Bottoms?
 

Hello Everyone,

I am posting today because im wondering what types of glues and methods people have used to have glued sandbeds. I would like to lay a thin layer of glued crushed coral/large grain aragonite on the bottom of my 75g tank, so that I can have high flow, yet still replicate the sand-bottom look and be able to syphon detrius off the bottom fairly easily.

I was thinking about using silicon, however I think that will take alot of silicon to do. Im not sure what types of glues have been used in the past, maybe epoxy resins? I was even thinking maybe even 'foam in a can' for example 'great stuff'.

Thank-you for any help or suggestions!

Take care,

Chris

I think you can use epoxy resins, do a search for "Faux sandbeds" on ReefCentral. There's quite a few posts about it there.

So I have found! Thanks for the tip! I think im going to try and find an appropriate epoxy resin!

Chris

epoxy resin
 

I can't remember the name brand they used on that tread on reefcentral but they sell the same ones at most plastic stores (plasticworks/industrial plastics) and also at Michael's craft store

You know I was thinking about doing this as well but decided against it because after reading through quite a few different threads it seems that you are just going to get coralline growing on it anyway so at the end of the day you are going to end up with a bumpy bottom or a smooth bottom on your tank. Maybe I just missed something but somehow that made sense to me. Anyway just my 2 pennies worth.

Im going with starboard because as ruth said its going to become coralline covered anyway,and starboard doesnt grow bad algea because its smoother.

I went with starboard as well (black).

How do you like the Black Starboard?

May I ask where you got it?

So far I like it just fine - it's easy to see crappola on the bottom to vacume out but like I said I don't know that colour is going to make a difference once it is covered in coralline. I got it from the cutting board factory out of the US.

Theres also a place in surrey that sells it www.plasticworks.ca,I have black starboard for a few tanks.A question ruth,did you silicon it down or just use the rock to keep it down?and are you worried about trapping detritus underneath over time?It turns out its cheaper than sand too.

EDIT:sorry ruth just curious.....did you do the recomended upgrades that go with the BB method? like oversize skimmer,or run ozone,uv,ect?

I always recommend overskimming (honestly, I don't think you can) and do on this tank. I am running zeovit on this tank as well. I don't use ozone - it scares me and don't have a UV sterilizer. I have never (touches wooden head rapidly) had a problem with ich or other diseases or parasites. Will probably do like I do with most things and react in that case. All my systems are pretty well stocked now so only have room for a few more fish anyways and I will quarantine them. I know that there are more uses than this but this would be my main reason for using.

Edit - no I didn't silicone it down. I figured that 300lbs. of live rock and however many pounds of water should do a pretty good job.

Cool thanks,i just wanted to know if your using full BB methology.I forgot your zeo aswell,and one other thing that has interested me lately is most ppl using BB method have had to dramaticly lower their photoperiods.Most are down to 4-6 hours a day with MH and a 3 hour dawn dusk.This might be due to ozone clearing the water and too much light penetration.

What photoperiod do you run your halides? sorry for all the annoying questions.

Is there a reason?

Not really. I started this tank out as a BB. I run my T5's for about 13 hours, 2 MH for 10hrs and one MH for 8hrs. Not have any issues with algea at all other than the usual diatom bloom during the first 2 weeks or so. Zeo creates a nutrient poor environment though so don't know if that is connected in any way. I also skim the crap out of this tank and get up to 1/2 gallon of wet green skimmate a day.

Thats what i have been trying to figure out.Most ppl either use UV or ozone or both with BB,and all of these ppl have lowered their photoperiod to 4 hours because any more and their sps lightens up or bleaches.Even if they step it up slowly to 6 hours,they still see lightening.Im trying to figure out if its a BB thing as some ppl (on RC) say it is,or if its an ozone/uv thing in correlation(sp) to using a BB.Ruth has a long photoperiod still and has good colors ( i assume) so i think its an ozone thing.

you guys should post some pics of your starboard tanks... I'm definately doing away with sand when i move.

Thanks for answering my question Ruth, I'm thinking I should have gone the way of black starboard from the beginning... now it would be a huge pain to switch.

Hey Chris,

Did you end up going with the glued sandbed. If so wondering on the coralline growth and appreciate any other observations.

MP

Guess it might help to update this, it did progress quite a bit while I wasnt looking! Hehe.

I did end up trying this out. The epoxy I used is a two-part expoxy called Envirotex Lite. I bought the one gallon kit, which cost me 90 bucks, and use 3/4 of it mixed with sand to put a 3/16" or so layer on the bottom of the tank. I also sprinkled alot of sand ontop of it. It leveled out, hardened, and made a perfectly flat sandbed look. My mom wanted the sandbed look, I wanted the barebottom effects. I have yet to see any corraline growth on the bottom(has been up for a month) but I also have cyano on the bottom.... I guess it would help if I had my skimmer finished, lol. Syphoning off the bottom is quite easy, I can syphon crud out really well, and you dont suck up all your substrate. The rocks stay in place well, the glass is protected, and I get the sandbed look. I will update again in about a month when my cyano should be gone, lol.

So far I love this. No problems with it cracking the tank like I heard happening with one guy. The sand stays down fiarly well, its hard to get grains loose.

Here is a pic of the tank. It looks bad haha, but were talking about the sand. Tank looks better now though.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...ish14/FTS2.jpg

Hope this gives a little more insight for all of you thinking about this.

Chris

It looks really nice Chris. Everything in your tank looks like its doing really well!

Are we going to be seeing you this Sunday?

Hehe, thanks!

I should probably get an updated FTS as alot of the corals are unhappy in that pic, and there is ALOT more SPS, lol.

I may be there this sunday, yes.

Chris