Bare bottom or sand bottom

[doughboy]

I have tried both, and have to say go with sand (or aragonite). I started with sand, switch to bare bottom, and now back to sand.

bare bottom only looks nice when it is new, after a couple years, it can look really bad with all the crap all over the bottom of the tank that, by that time, gets impossible to clean.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I will always have sand, maybe not a deep sandbed, but at least 2 inches or so covering the entire bottom. Great for pods, great for chemical filtration, and great for softening the fall of any knocked off corals or rocks.

 

[lou dog420]

Sand, but I wish I had gone BB.

 

[ReefAddict16]

I prefer sand so my corals on the bottom won’t be blowing around but I do like the thought of encrusting corals on a barebottom.

 

[GoVols]

Went BB about 2 years ago and ain't never going back

 

[Acro maniac]

Bb, Ive had montis 10in diameter on the bottom glass. You can just lift an edge with a razor blade and the whole colony comes up. Super easy to frag
Fish, like wrasses that desire sand to sleep. You can cup out a decent section on a rock and fill with sand for them or just fill a Tupperware with sand and put it in the back behind a rock

 

[Sir Chris]

There’s a lot thats comes into thought. Are u doing a sps, or mixed reef. Sps bare bottom as flow ull have crazy and want crazy turnover. Mixed I’d go sand for lps and clean up crew. Just me. I wanted a bare but ended up adding sand 2 my nano for small water so it helps bio load from what I was told. cause it’s a nano for QT corals. Like fox does. So I was surprised as every1 tells me it’s not enough... I have a 75g sanded

 

[Yas]

Mine is BB, but one of my friends said it's good to have sand because it can be a colony for good bacteria. But when I had sand, while I was playing with my wave pump, sand was scattered badly along with all the dirt embedded in the sand and my fish became sick. So I'm a bit afraid of having sand since then. Doughboy said its hard to clean the bottom, but I use a scraper and it's very easily cleaned.

 

[Sir Chris]

Bb, Ive had montis 10in diameter on the bottom glass. You can just lift an edge with a razor blade and the whole colony comes up. Super easy to frag
Fish, like wrasses that desire sand to sleep. You can cup out a decent section on a rock and fill with sand for them or just fill a Tupperware with sand and put it in the back behind a rock

interesting that the species would find and use a Tupperware. A rock carved and filled I can see as long as doesn’t get blown

 

[Mandelstam]

http://www.krylon.ca/products/make-it-stone-textured-paint/
this might be a different paint option..make sure you paint the outside bottom of tank.
My tanks are bare bottom and liking it

Texture won't show up on the inside though, only color variations if there are any.

 

[Mandelstam]

I'm not into BB but if I had to go without sand I would try to scape it like a part of a drop off rock wall or something. Maybe have a thin foam 3d rock background as a bottom. Like a rock shelf. Give the illusion that the reef is from a part of the reef not in direct contact with the ocean bottom.

 

[Acro maniac]

interesting that the species would find and use a Tupperware. A rock carved and filled I can see as long as doesn’t get blown

Wrasses will identify a Tupperware with sand usually as soon as its put in a bb

 

[skiergd011013]

I am a strong advocate for BB. I have my first bb tank now, and I will never, ever have a sand bed again. This tank is half the maintenance that my old tank was with sand. I have better water quality, and less algae. Also, no sand storms from flow.

 

[skiergd011013]

BB and youll never look back...sand is TOO many headaches,IMO...wish I never wasted money and time on sand

x100

 

[cumbeje]

I prefer a natural look. So sand for me. I keep mine just an inch or so. Stir it every now and than to keep it clean.

 

[skiergd011013]

Sand, but I wish I had gone BB.

siphon some out with every waterchange until its gone

 

[wattson]

I agree,,I have no idea why anyone would want to have sand in your tank any more,,its just a headache in the beginning to the utmost end..
Having sand to make it more natural looking is crazy verses all the time ,work ,nutrient spikes,and tank treaments you are going to go through to TRY to keep your params in check and tank clean..
If you have sand in your tank ,just dont wonder why you are having cyano , algea and nutrients spikes,,plus all the work your going through to make things better just because of people wanting a natural look or wanting to keep a certain animal in the tank...GL with your sand..
BB for me ,,Forever as long as I have a saltwater glass box.

 

[lou dog420]

siphon some out with every waterchange until its gone

Most of it has turned to concrete!! Lol

 

[FishOfHex]

quick video on the topic

 

[Legal Reefer]

I prefer the look of a sand bed and also enjoy watching sand sifting livestock. But I also only have my sand bed at 1.5 to 2 inches. With my gobies moving it all around and going all the way to the glass bottom the sand stays looking fresh and spotless. A quick minute or two with a baster moves the sand away from anywhere I don't want it.