Substrate versus Bare Bottom Reef Aquariums
MICHAEL PALETTA2 DAYS AGO
As with many aspects of reefkeeping, there is no perfect way. Even something as seemingly simple as whether to choose substrate or go bare bottom leads to a discussion. As someone who has run both types of systems and is currently running tanks both with and without substrate, I have come to realize even with this there is no perfect system as there are pros and cons regardless of which method is chosen. The decision whether to keep a bare-bottomed tank or one with substrate is not an easy decision and after also seeing many tanks both ways it is apparent that everyone has a difference of opinion as to what is best.
In the very early days of the hobby it would be unthinkable to have a tank without substrate as undergravel filters were the original means for biological filtration. However, as the hobby has evolved so too has how we achieve biological filtration as well as how what we need versus what we want in our tanks. While I am not going to open the can of worms of the deep sand bed or which substrate to use, these are also topics for debate.
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Substrate versus Bare Bottom Reef Aquariums | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog
As with many aspects of reefkeeping, there is no perfect way. Even something as seemingly simple as whether to choose substrate or go bare bottom leads to a discussion. As someone who has run both…
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