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…
Nothing Better Than A Nice Bare Bottom
Sand Bed or Bare Bottom? In the aquarium hobby, one of the most significant debates when building your reef tank is to decide a bare bottom or to use a live sand bed. Let’s discuss the benefits and disadvantages of…
Substrate Update
In 2016, the systems at Tidal Gardens are a mix of custom glass aquariums and Rubbermaid stock tanks. Originally back in 2002, all the tanks were some combination of 300-gallon and 150-gallon stock tanks because they were by far the…
The Pros and Cons of a Bare-Bottomed Marine Tank
If you’re in the process of planning and setting up a new saltwater aquarium, you’ll need to give some thought to the type of substrate you’d like to use. It may seem counterintuitive, but one of your options in this…
Getting to the Bottom of Aquarium Sand and other Substrates
The choice of substrate—the material placed on the bottom of the tank—for a saltwater aquarium is one of many areas in our hobby that generate confusion and disagreement. Ask 10 hobbyists which type and depth of substrate they would recommend,…
