Bare Bottom and Topless

[Makai]

I thought that might get your attention. I just set up my first Nano, a 16 gal cube, a little over 2 weeks ago and have a few of questions.

1. I am going with a bare bottom tank so I can maintain the water quality easier. Are there any out there also going BB? Are there any advantages to using a sand bed in a Nano besides looks?

2. I am going topless to use a Bak Pak skimmer. Has any one removed the Bio-bale and replaced it with Cheato for a fuge? Will that work if I mount a 9W mini PC along side of the skimmer? My overflow area does not have any room for a fuge and I do not want to add a sump.

I will post pictures soon in the 20 gal & under forum. I only have a video camera for digital pics, so it might take awhile.

 

[Anonymous]

1) i use all three methods DSB, SSB, and BB and all work. the main advantage of sand is the buffering quality of aragonite helps to maintain stability in a nano, and also some fishes/critters prefer sand - looks is personal choice
2) all my tanks are topless - i don't want to trap heat, block light, or have to clean the salt creep off - no idea on your chaeto plan but the bale is in there to act as sort of a bubble trap so the tank doesn't end up full of microbubbles, my guess is it may work but not well enough to get much benifit? there are examples on this sight where people have turned HOBs into refuges and they do sell small hang on refuges that are all set up and would be ideal if you have the money ~100$, and then you can put sand and cheato in there for the buffering/filtering/live food source - DRs F&S, marine depot, and others sell them
btw, welcome

 

[Makai]

Thank you for the reply. I can appreciate the buffering qualities of the Argonite. I am totally surprised at the quick change in tank conditions due to the low volume of water when I drip liquid additives or buffers. I am also shocked at how much evaporation effects salinity. I am constantly testing the tank to make sure it is stable. I knew it was easier to maintain a larger tank but I did not realize how difficult, or I should say time consuming, it is for a Nano.

I was under the impression the Bio-bale was there for a biological filtration. that is why most people remove it and replace it with rubble or bio-balls. either way I do not think micro bubbles will be an issue because the return from the BakPak goes into the second chamber of my overflow. I have a CPR HOB refugium laying around but it is 18" and my tank is 16"X16"X16". I thought about using one of my spare HOB filters but I would have to cut my overflow box to accommodate it. I think that the BakPak will hold twice as much more Chaeto that is why I was wanting to use it.
If that did not work I was going to use a 2.5 or 5.5 tank above my nano, but I don't know if I can talk my wife into it. It was hard enough getting her to agree to setting up the Nano in the living room.

 

[reefman23]

I wouldnt put cheato into a skimmer. I too run the Bakpak...take out the bio-bale for sure.

If you want to run cheato, adda fuge above/below the tank, or run a modded HOB filter if it'll fit on your tank.

Jesse