Bare Bottom vs Sand Bed

[Ben A]

Looking for input for people who have done setups with BOTH, not just opinions from one side or the other. I am at a crossroads with my new tank. It's currently setup without sand, but I'm not sure if I really like the look at this early stage without coralline algae and corals growing on the bottom glass. From those that have done DT with both, which did you like better and why?

[Ben A]

I have a mixed reef but have started down the sloppy slope of adding acros.

[dpassar12]

I have both right now. My 180 display has a 1.5 -> 2 inch layer of sand in it. Tank is 95% SPS. My frag tanks, 27 feet, are bare bottom. The Frags were bare bottom for first 6 months, I would clear any build-up with a turkey baster everyday, It drove me nuts. I added about 300 lbs of black sand, I liked the look better, but in a frag tank the sand will pile up becasue of the flow. I removed the sand after about 9 months. My frags are back to bare bottom. For whatever reason the buildup is smaller and i generally suck any out prior to a  water change... small amounts of build up does not seem to bother me any longer. The Sand in my display is purely visual. Some of my livestock need sand so I keep it. Does it blow around? Yes but generally just around the bottom. I have adjusted my powerheads over time to pretty much keep some sand over the entire tank. 

 

I also have a RDSB that is 8 inches deep under one of my stands. My phosphates and Nitrates have been low since the begining Not sure if it is the deep sand bed or not. It is not hurting anything that is for sure. I think it comes down to personal preference unless u need sand for a particular animal. 

[GOSKN5]

I have done both... sand several times and now barebottom several times..

 

I greatly prefer barebottom.. I painted the bottom white and it really doesn't look bad to me... I have bad 3 or 4 of my last tanks this way.. ease of cleaning, no dirty sand, more flow, etc...

 

 

 

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[YHSublime]

Always bare bottom. But added sand to my new jam and love it. If you do sand, just prepare for a little more maintenance. That's the ways I see it

 

 

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[sethsolomon]

Just a thought, without sand removes the ability to keep most wrasses.  I am a wrasse fanatic so I will probably never go bare bottom.

 

So there are tradeoffs you will have to think about.

 

One thing I have always wanted to do with a barebottom tank is grow zoas on the glass bottom, would make them super easy to frag and you would have a carpet of zoas.

[madweazl]

And gobies too; I just couldn't have a tank without a wrasse and/or goby (though my wrasse doesn't need it).

Edited August 7, 2017 by madweazl

[GOSKN5]

There are ways around the no wrasse deal... wrasse dens or even a simple Tupperware bowl hidden behind the rocks for the wrasse.. also not all gobies require sand...

 

But there are certainly tradeoffs

 

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[Roca135790]

You can always have a good sandsifter fish like a diamond goby to do most of the maintenance on the sand. Though if your grain is too small it might end up all over corals near the bottom.

[WishNewFish]

my experience with bare bottom:

 

All the detritus, feces pile up and eventually spread on the bare bottom and stick to it.

Even if you put high flow, this would form as a thin greenish/yellowish layer on the bare bottom.

If you have a diatom bloom (which you do when you cycle it) it covers the bottom and doesn't look good at all.

 

Lot of my audience gave be an instant feedback that the tank just doesn't look right without sand or other fillers which look like sand/rock.

 

I ended up adding crush coral sand and loved its look.