SAND BED vs BARE BOTTOM: Is it sand or nothing for you!?

[blecki]

You’re thinking diatoms and I’m sure that’s what the op has not Dino’s…

Yeah, doh. Diatoms!

 

[QuickrdenU]

To me, bare bottom looks cold and too sterile. And a lot of work. I have a bit of OCD. I can clean and move sand around, but I doubt I’d ever keep the bottom glass clean enough for my liking. Sand makes it feel like the ocean. I also love the inverts and fish that play in sand.

That being said, I’ve seen some white bottomed tanks, and some that are completely encrusted that look amazing.

 

[Reef Psychology]

Yeah, like others have said, BB is too sterile. It doesn’t look natural at all - more like a lab tank than a piece of the ocean. To each their own though. I can see why people would go that way with frag tanks and QT tanks.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I use sand and rock in display tanks.
Bare bottom with rock in sump for frag tanks.

 

[NkSde]

My next tank i’m planning to go bare bottom with. The aesthetic is pretty cool and I would like to try my hand it.

 

[KrisReef]

BUMP!

I like a little bit of coverage or just a bare bottom is nice.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ive done bare bottom twice and always get back to sand in it but at about an inch or less.

 

[dadnjesse]

I have an SPS tank with a lot of flow. 4 MP40's and 2 MP60's I don't want a sand storm blowing around.

 

[X-37B]

4 tanks, 2 BB, 1-1" sandbed, 1-3+" sandbed.
I like both.
My 80g growout system has 1.5" racks and is super easy to clean.
This 20g sits on a 1.5" rack and has no dead spots. Circulation goes under and up through the scape.

 

[Alexraptor]

Could never imagine going bare bottom, just looks so much more natural with sand, and better for biodiversity as well. And yes I realize that most reefs are quite deep and sand free, but I always viewed my reef tanks more as bommies or slices of bommies.

 

[dadnjesse]

4 tanks, 2 BB, 1-1" sandbed, 1-3+" sandbed.
I like both.
My 80g growout system has 1.5" racks and is super easy to clean.
This 20g sits on a 1.5" rack and has no dead spots. Circulation goes under and up through the scape.

That's cool how you did that. No detritus.

 

[littlefoxx]

When it comes to setting up a saltwater reef tank, which substrate option do you prefer: a sand bed or a bare bottom tank?

Both approaches have their pros and cons, but we want to hear your personal preference and the reasons behind it. Are you team sand bed, valuing its natural appearance and beneficial sand-dwelling organisms? Or do you lean towards team bare bottom and the simplicity and ease of maintenance offered by a bare bottom tank?

SAND BED versus BARE BOTTOM

tank images via @ChristopherKriens and @irwin_fletch

I always use sand… I have fish/inverts that dig!!

 

[Dude64]

When it comes to setting up a saltwater reef tank, which substrate option do you prefer: a sand bed or a bare bottom tank?

Both approaches have their pros and cons, but we want to hear your personal preference and the reasons behind it. Are you team sand bed, valuing its natural appearance and beneficial sand-dwelling organisms? Or do you lean towards team bare bottom and the simplicity and ease of maintenance offered by a bare bottom tank?

SAND BED versus BARE BOTTOM

tank images via @ChristopherKriens and @irwin_fletch

I have to have sand for my nassarius on they would need fig leaves. I do keep a shallow sand though b/c as noted below, the funk will thrive there... you can get better/more cuc but even the cleaners produce waste and toxins... they're living critters too.

 

[X-37B]

That's cool how you did that. No detritus.

I used these racks.

Frag Racks

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[Roatan Reef]

I have a sandbed in a 40B.

Started with Caribsea arag alive, added more of the Caribsea CoraLine. Never had any issues with sand blow around...ever...40lbs of live rock spaced out properly.

Yes, Sand Bed would get dirty on the top and I always cleaned it....but...

A month ago I added that Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Ocean Sand/,Crushed Coral...and boom...sand bed is staying super clean now. I added it directly on top of Caribsea stuff, after a gentle cleaning.

So 40lbs of Caribsea, 20lbs of Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Ocean Sand.. is what I Roll with.

I too have Nassarius Snails, a Sand Sifting Star, Conch etc....let me tell you the Star is the happiest now...my wife gets paranoid when she doesn't see him like we used to...I just tell her...he's living his best life now!

I like Bare Bottom too...but it's a bit sterile...and especially since I've dived and Snorkeled all over the Caribbean..Roatan, Bonaire etc...Sand is Natural.

photos for reference:

 

[00W]

Bare bottom all the way in the big tank and I have a small pile of sand in my small tank for my LTA. Both tanks run on the same sump.

 

[sghera64]

Deep sand bed (DSB) for me in the 135 Gal display. Its 20 years old this year. Occasionally vacuumed using a sawed off 2L bottle as the vacuum tube (which creates great turbulence without sucking all the sand into the tubing). I also have a 50 gallon BB frag tank plumbed into the same sump as the display tank.

 

[naterealbig]

Not that it matters, but BB all the way here. I actually love the look - a cluttered sand bed detracts from the show. I love the pristine, white bottom. It's bright, and no surprise nutrient spikes. It just looks clean.

I feed heavy (HEAVY), and no extra chores during maintenance... Alkalinity consumption is less, and lots of flow without having to "level" daily. No side plane sand scratches.

 

[craiginphoenix]

Could never imagine going bare bottom. Think it looks unnatural and distracting.

I added a thick 2.5 inch sand bed in my new tank because I really want to try to get some leopard wrasses and maybe a jawfish.

As far as the cleanliness, some conches and a goby should keep it all clean. I rarely see my conches.

 

[KrisReef]

I have a sandbed in a 40B.

Started with Caribsea arag alive, added more of the Caribsea CoraLine. Never had any issues with sand blow around...ever...40lbs of live rock spaced out properly.

Yes, Sand Bed would get dirty on the top and I always cleaned it....but...

A month ago I added that Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Ocean Sand/,Crushed Coral...and boom...sand bed is staying super clean now. I added it directly on top of Caribsea stuff, after a gentle cleaning.

So 40lbs of Caribsea, 20lbs of Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Ocean Sand.. is what I Roll with.

I too have Nassarius Snails, a Sand Sifting Star, Conch etc....let me tell you the Star is the happiest now...my wife gets paranoid when she doesn't see him like we used to...I just tell her...he's living his best life now!

I like Bare Bottom too...but it's a bit sterile...and especially since I've dived and Snorkeled all over the Caribbean..Roatan, Bonaire etc...Sand is Natural.

photos for reference:

Do the orange sunglasses improve your sand quality?