Sand or barebottom

[saltysailor]

What are the advantages to have sand vs bare tank. I want to grow ***** corals and beard sand can be kinda whack but it also makes it look natural and I know it’s biofiltration. Pros and cons?

 

[saltysailor]

What are the advantages to have sand vs bare tank. I want to grow ***** corals and beard sand can be kinda whack but it also makes it look natural and I know it’s biofiltration. Pros and cons?

Hecka corals and I heard*

 

[ahiggins]

Well, my biggest come down to:
Pro-looks really nice and natural
Con-you can’t run flow as high and can’t put any corals on the sand (you can but you’re limited)

I’m currently going through the same. It’s going to take forever for corals to encrust and I don’t want to scrape coralline off the bottom but I also want high flow and to keep coral down there.

Most of the time it just aesthetics, what looks better to you

 

[ahiggins]

Con: no sand sifting gobies and no sand sleeping wrasse

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hi! I’m a huge advocate for barebottom tanks, water changes are quick and easy, fish don’t blow sand all over your aquascape and frags, and you don’t need a frag rack because you have the whole bottom of your tank! If you’re worried about it looking bare and empty, there are plenty of options to fix that. I’m doing a zoa/rock flower garden to cover the barebottom but people also put euphyllia gardens, encrusting corals, shrooms, scolies, whatever! Just makes cleaning detritus and seeing pests 1000% easier IME.

If you still want sand shifters/sleepers, some people put a Tupperware on the bottom full of sand and allow zoas/gsp/whatever encrust the Tupperware so it becomes part of the aquascape!

 

[ahiggins]

I definitely agree with easier cleaning!
I have my frag tank bare and detritus piles in the front right corner so super easy water changes

 

[Krixic]

Hiya, I've done quite a bit of reaseach on this topic and its to my understanding that it entirely depends on what kind of tank you will have. Sand makes the tank way better looking (in my opinion) but requires more maintence unless you plan on having a solid clean up crew, in which case they should be capable of helping you with a good portion of the baddies on the bottom. Also no sand means no Goby/Pistol Shrimp pair

Of course the most obvious reason to go bare is its ease of cleaning since you dont need to worry about siphoning your sand and such. If you plan on doing a tank with lots of coral and no bottom dwellers then it might be smart to go bare but if you plan on having a solid clean up crew and plan on be consistant on changes go for the sand bed. Realistically, the best way to find out is by trying both and seeing what you like. Also im a bit new to reefing so if some of my info is incorrect please correct me . Most of this is from my freshwater planted experances.

 

[saltysailor]

Hi! I’m a huge advocate for barebottom tanks, water changes are quick and easy, fish don’t blow sand all over your aquascape and frags, and you don’t need a frag rack because you have the whole bottom of your tank! If you’re worried about it looking bare and empty, there are plenty of options to fix that. I’m doing a zoa/rock flower garden to cover the barebottom but people also put euphyllia gardens, encrusting corals, shrooms, scolies, whatever! Just makes cleaning detritus and seeing pests 1000% easier IME.

If you still want sand shifters/sleepers, some people put a Tupperware on the bottom full of sand and allow zoas/gsp/whatever encrust the Tupperware so it becomes part of the aquascape!

Can I slap some zoas straight on the bottom of the tank and they will start growing on the plastic?

 

[saltysailor]

Hiya, I've done quite a bit of reaseach on this topic and its to my understanding that it entirely depends on what kind of tank you will have. Sand makes the tank way better looking (in my opinion) but requires more maintence unless you plan on having a solid clean up crew, in which case they should be capable of helping you with a good portion of the baddies on the bottom. Also no sand means no Goby/Pistol Shrimp pair

Of course the most obvious reason to go bare is its ease of cleaning since you dont need to worry about siphoning your sand and such. If you plan on doing a tank with lots of coral and no bottom dwellers then it might be smart to go bare but if you plan on having a solid clean up crew and plan on be consistant on changes go for the sand bed. Realistically, the best way to find out is by trying both and seeing what you like. Also im a bit new to reefing so if some of my info is incorrect please correct me . Most of this is from my freshwater planted experances.

I’m def Coral focused and want to keep maintenance down but I want to see what other people think about this. Thanks for your opinion!

 

[ahiggins]

Can I slap some zoas straight on the bottom of the tank and they will start growing on the plastic?

That’s one of the “no go” ones from my research because junk can get caught in the mat and cause die off. Never tried it, and I’ve seen people do it but from looking at different sources I wouldn’t try them.

 

[hart24601]

I am a big fan of barebottom and I really can’t see a reason that I will go back after removing sand around 10 years ago from various systems. I have had lots of zoas grow on the bare bottom or over small rocks with no issues.

It’s been long enough that I legitimately don’t find the sand visually appealing- plus if one is going for reef crest display those environments tend to be rock bottom not sand if a stickler for the natural thing- but it’s not a huge deal. Some love sand and the critters, if so no worries it’s all good! Amazing tanks of both are out there. If going for sand just make sure it stays clean!

 

[Doctorgori]

I have barebottom tanks. I miss having wrasses, Babylon snails, sea cucumbers, jawfish, the list goes on.
I don’t miss the vacuuming, the scratched glass, messy water changes, the detritus

Barebottom gives you a little leeway when time/life prevents proper tank maint

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I would go bare bottom... except that I love the look of sand.

 

[Vogg]

One of each. Problem solved.

 

[piranhaman00]

Bb is easier to care for but sand looks better imo

 

[saltysailor]

I have barebottom tanks. I miss having wrasses, Babylon snails, sea cucumbers, jawfish, the list goes on.
I don’t miss the vacuuming, the scratched glass, messy water changes, the detritus

Barebottom gives you a little leeway when time/life prevents proper tank maint

Regarding cleanup crew like snails, shrimp, and crabs are there things I can’t get with bare bottom? Seems like it’s up to your opinion but the consensus is that barebottom is easier to maintenance.

 

[saltysailor]

Also follow my insta @aquaticscene to see how my tank progresses and other marine hobby information!

 

[Scorpius]

Bare bottom. The first year is tough, but the benefits outweigh the difficulty. I will never do sand ever again.

 

[ReefLab]

Most of my tank frustrations come from having dirty sand. But also sand-sleeping wrasses and gobies need it so it’s not an option to remove

 

[MiniCoco]

What are the advantages to have sand vs bare tank. I want to grow ***** corals and beard sand can be kinda whack but it also makes it look natural and I know it’s biofiltration. Pros and cons?

If you only look at your display with a certain viewpoint like focusing on corals, then I understand why you want to limit maintenance and have more control on your parameters. With that said, I personally look to my display tank as a slice of the ocean. I want to have as full a part of the ecosystem as possible. It may be more challenging, but that is part of the attraction for me. I like the planning and execution to achieve something truly beautiful.