Sand or No Sand

[Seagars]

So i have had my tank up and running for many years now but i am considering in removing all my sand.
Wondering what your thoughts or opinions are.
Any positives and or negatives???

 

[spidercrab]

Never sand pain to keep up with gets ugly very easily. Traps detritus.

 

[dank reefer]

If its been up for many years, I believe that removing the sand from your system would not be an issue. BUT... if you do want to remove your sand, do so very slowly over the course of many weeks. Small sections at a time so that you don't cause a bacterial bloom, or too much years of junk get into your water column.

You are also going to want to make sure that your rock work is secure as you are removing its base that helped hold up your rock.

And the only downside I see is if you have any sand dwelling creatures right now.

 

[W1ngz]

Check the recent BRS video about the failures on their 160. Removing the sand is a massive destabilizing event bound to cause problems. It's not like starting a new system without sand.

 

[Reefer40b]

Me I like sand in my displays, I think it looks better then coraline that is just going to cover the bottom of your tank and eat all your alk... of course you could always buy urchins to mitigate that issue, but put simply I like sand.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Every time I see a bare bottom tank I think, “genius! — best way to keep things clean.” Then 10 minutes later I think, “Not seeing sand would eventually drive me crazy!” It’s a perpetual battle of the mind.

 

[P-Dub]

It is a matter of taste regarding the looks. The reef in nature has less sand than in our aquariums. Actually, at the reef crest, there is generally no sand anywhere to be seen. There is sand at the deepwater boundary level and within lagoons/natural harbors, but generally, that's about it.

It also depends on what your inhabitants will need for flow. I like the look of sand. For me, sand is not on option with my SPS dominant tank. The flow I have would make the sand blow around and I'd have bare spots. That, for me, would drive me absolutely batty. Since going bare bottom some 20 years ago, I have never had a diatom or cyano outbreak. Cleaning out any dead spots is a breeze.

Going bare bottom from sand will require patience and time. @Jose Esteves hit on that and how to implement the change. Anything that you do will impact your system so think of the consequences and mitigate them appropriately.

 

[AdamD76]

Someone needs to make a mat for the bottom of tanks that looks like sand but is non permeable. I would go for one.
I had about 3 inches of sand in my 65g and one day just started sucking it out. I got about 80% out the first day. i let the tank settle for a few months with no ill effects on fish or corals. then i started getting cyano where the remaining sand was so i picked a weekend to take most of the rocks coral and fish out and put them in bins. i then proceeded to suck the remaining sand out and scrubbed the back glass and overflow. Finished up with 40 gallons water change. All corals and fish survived.

 

[smirkis]

i never run sand anymore. i like high flow. sand traps crap and detritus. turns all kinds of colors. just a pain to keep up with. blows around if you have high flow.

bare bottom makes my life 100x easier. poop tends to all end up in 1 spot for easy cleaning during water changes. ever since i stopped using sand my tanks have been super clean and easy to keep clean.

 

[Treenk]

I feel like having no sand would be just as much to keep up with. So many things float around and then settle on the sand where crabs etc eat it. Without the sand you would just see it all and it would never look clean. I could be wrong though

 

[JumboShrimp]

See what I mean?! @smirkis and @Treenk BOTH make perfect sense. I gave them each a “Like!” Lol.

 

[Magellan]

If you have the right cuc, your sand will stay clean and help keep your system stable. Plus, sand just looks better and more natural than a bare bottom imo.

plus, as others have mentioned, removing sand from a previously established/stable system can be really bad! If you do want to go that route, definitely follow @Jose Esteves advice and remove it gradually over time.

(I vote sand!)

 

[smirkis]

I feel like having no sand would be just as much to keep up with. So many things float around and then settle on the sand where crabs etc eat it. Without the sand you would just see it all and it would never look clean. I could be wrong though

not sure what you mean by "so many things float around". i feed my tank, they eat it everything. unless you are purposely over feeding to let extras settle for your crabs? the bottom is so smooth things don't just collect on the bottom all over like it does on sand. in my tank, ALL unmounted crap settles in a small circle in the corner. the crabs/hermits over time learned this is where uneaten food goes and they race to it when they smell food in the tank. nothing sits in the tank or floats around for more than 10-20 mins after feeding.

i've never had a tank as clean as barebottom. i can't relate to your worries. and actually feel the total opposite. sand collects crap, feeds crap, and gets ugly af over time. this never happens with bare bottom but your tank is your tank. i ran sand for over 5 years, and no sand for the last 7 years.

 

[dadnjesse]

I removed all my sand in one day. First I drained half the tank then put all live stock into the water then drained the rest and put all the rock into that then I used a shop vac and removed all the sand. My tank, all my sps and live stock was fine. Also I haven't had any Algae problems since.

 

[EmilyXLC]

I can appreciate the aesthetic of bare-bottom tanks, but it definitely isn’t for me.

I can’t get past the idea of missing out on such a stockpile of beneficial bacteria in my aquarium. I think the only way I would do bare-bottom would be if I ever got around to setting up an actual Frag build.

 

[bsr2430]

Okay everyone, I can solve the issue for both sides! I never wanted sand but I didn’t want my rocks sitting straight on glass.

I took ceramic reef squares and layered them across the are bottom. Took 433 squares. Now I can place coral anywhere and anytime I want a frag, simply break it off! No need to glue anymore.hahaha

 

[flsalty]

I've worked in a couple fish stores and bare bottoms remind me of that. I don't like them. It's way too much work to keep them looking pristine. At least with sand stuff just disappears into it to be eaten by all the critters there.

 

[EmilyXLC]

I've worked in a couple fish stores and bare bottoms remind me of that. I don't like them. It's way too much work to keep them looking pristine. At least with sand stuff just disappears into it to be eaten by all the critters there.

All of this.

I think when not upkept correctly, bare bottom saltwater tanks remind me of freshwater fish store displays. Barf.

 

[X-37B]

Done both and bare bottom is easier to maintain and looks good for me. It wont be bare bottom for long!
Get what you like its your tank. Heres my 7 month old bare bottom.

 

[TerraFerma]

Life always seems easier with a bare bottom tank, particularly if you can siphon out the junk piles once a week. But I always miss the look of sand and always end up putting sand in eventually.

A 1" or less sand bed gives you the look and its pretty easy to prevent from becoming the tank's toilet with nassarius, other burrowing snails, hemit crabs...stirring it up yourself every once in a while. The detritus caught in the sand feeds a lot of pods when they come out at night..