A pretty accurate assessment! I think, also, the bare bottom-becomes-a-live-bottom" argument is absolutely valid...and requires time and patience, something which us reefers supposedly have, right? LOLGreat thread... My informal tally is that BB is if you want to create more real estate for corals and that is what you really want to focus on, and sand bed (of any kind) for a more realistic reef and the environment it creates for fish, and to allow you to keep the greatest variety of fish. I personally have about a 1-2" sand bed, and love it. I love seeing the sand bad change all the time as my wrasses sleep, and to see various fish (dottyback, and damsel) excavate caves. I have a huge excavation underway now by one of my damsel and I think its just the coolest thing and hey you gotta give the fish something to do in the little boxes we keep them in