Glued Sand Bottoms?

[Joe Reefer]

most ppl using BB method have had to dramaticly lower their photoperiods.

Is there a reason?

[Ruth]

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.

[deacon hemp]

Originally Posted by lyohemas

Is there a reason?

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.

[adidas]

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

[Psyire]

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.

[mark]

Hey Chris,

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

MP

[Funky_Fish14]

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.



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

Chris

[michika]

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

Are we going to be seeing you this Sunday?