Sand or bare bottom

[Queensreefer]

I’m confused? Which is best?

[JUNBUG361]

Me personally prefer bare

[mcgyvr]

Depends on your definition of "best"...

For the most part having "sand" provides more benefits than bare bottom.
-Vastly increased surface area for beneficial bacterial growth..
-Home for millions of beneficial microorganisms/worms/snails,etc...
-Feeding grounds for sand sifting critters.. fish/snails,etc...

IMO a bare bottom tank looks silly/unnatural and just the massive loss in surface area hurts the performance of a tank far more than being able to easily siphon detritus out benefits it..
I think those people also think a sand bed is just a ticking time bomb waiting to go bad..

[Cliving1]

Personally I like the look of sand. Whether one is better over the other for long term success, I will defer to others.

[jmm]

Mixed reef and reefs with fish - go sand.

SPS only - go bare, it's easier to keep clean.

[pisanoal]

The only reason I'd go bare bottom is in an sps tank to have tons of flow and not kick sand around. I have sps, and live with a little less flow, but my sand still moves and I wish it didnt.

[outy]

Originally Posted by Queensreefer

Which is best?

Both.

It depends on how you maintain your tank.


To high a flow and sand will flow everywhere. many people run faux sand which is just sand covered expoxy.


I like a DSB but it is like a capacitor, it has a 5-7 year life span before it requires attention. While it works it helps maintain my current bioload that a BB will not do.

Benefit of BB is the ability to have higher flow amounts and to be able to clean detritus easier, if not self cleaning keeping particles suspended instead of settling into a sand bed

[GOSKN5]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Depends on your definition of "best"...

For the most part having "sand" provides more benefits than bare bottom.
-Vastly increased surface area for beneficial bacterial growth..
-Home for millions of beneficial microorganisms/worms/snails,etc...
-Feeding grounds for sand sifting critters.. fish/snails,etc...

IMO a bare bottom tank looks silly/unnatural and just the massive loss in surface area hurts the performance of a tank far more than being able to easily siphon detritus out benefits it..
I think those people also think a sand bed is just a ticking time bomb waiting to go bad..

So silly/unnatural looking and massive loss in performance



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[JUNBUG361]

Either way bare or sand all looks good

[JUNBUG361]

Nice tank

[kevin21]

I love the look of sand, but decided to go bare bottom on my tank and I will never go back to sand. My tank stays much cleaner, don't have to worry about flow, and my nutrient control is much easier maintained without sand. It is also a nice clean look. I went with a white starboard plastic for the bottom, but I also know of people that put a reef safe glue on it, and then put a thin layer of sand over the glue. Let it dry and then place in the tank. This will give the illusion of a sand bed, when really the tank is bare-bottom.

[smatter]

Originally Posted by GOSKN5

So silly/unnatural looking and massive loss in performance



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Interesting tank! Grube's in the middle? I have tanks with sand and sans sand. "Civilians" always ask where the sand is when they are at my house. They also could care less about the SPS I slave over and are quickly drawn to the LPS corals. Makes me wonder why I bother.

[sde1500]

barebottom looks stupid, yup I said it, come at me

[timnem70]

Have One bare, one sand. Both do well but find the BB is so much easier to maintain from a husbandry standpoint. I like the look of both. Live in a Condo and rent so if I ever move, the BB will be so much less likely to cause a problem from all the crap that is in a sand bed being stirred up. Good luck

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[HBtank]

Preference; for some BB gives the perception of being “clean” and can allow for more mechanical filtration, for others the look and fauna capacity from sand are essential, and prefer more natural methods of nutrient balance. Also depends on the tank inhabitants, some types of filter feeders and burrowers may require, or do better with sand.

Other considerations too, like I would probably go BB on any acrylic tank, scratches!