DSB or Not

[cookiemn]

I am setting up a 60 gal acrylic. I have about 10 years of salt experience, but as I set up my tank I am wondering if I should go with a 2-4 inch DSB or put nothing at all. I have read a lot concerning both methods. SInce this is my first post here, I thought I would make it a good one. Let me know what you think.

 

[William]

I don't know much, but I know using no substrate at all would be really bad...cause liverock will scratch the bottom of that acrylic like no ones business, and there won't be a stable base for the rock to settle on..

 

[cookiemn]

I agree, but they do make a material that you can place above the bottom of the tank for the specific purpose of running a tank without a sand bed.

 

[jamal-188]

Hello and Welcome to Aquariumadvice I would go with a DSB of at least 3 inches, IMO a tank w/ no substrate would look kind of akward

 

[mojoreef]

Oh man lol I have no substraight in my tank with a whole bunch of rock sitting on an acrylic bottom with out any problems. the material you are refering to cookie is what some folks are using is call starboard, basically white polymer. You will find that with a bare botton the acrylic will be covered in a thick layer of corraline algae and will become pink/purple not matter what you do. I have also glued down some zoo's/ricordia to cover the bottom, and some claams also.

MIke

 

[jamal-188]

Mojoreef, so the tank looks nice with no substrate? Didn't mean to knock you, just never saw a tank wiithout substrate and thought it might look akward

 

[Bearfan]

Any pics Mojoreef?

 

[mojoreef]

No knock my friend and no problem. I have no problem with how my tank looks, I kinda like the way it looks actually. I used to put a dusting of cc on the exposed areas of the floor but have since removed that to.

Mike