Sand Bed or Bare Bottom?

Are there any good threads on the pros and cons of having a sand bed vs a bare bottom tank? If not, any opinions?

 

The pro of bare bottom is that it's easier for the detritus to be skimmed/filtered out. The con, for me, is that it's not as aesthetically pleasing.

 

I really like the bare bottom look. Like was stated before, it makes it easier to keep detritus suspended in the water column. I also really like the look of it.

 

The main pro for me is that I can have a higher flow without worrying about the sand going all over the place. As you mention, the clean up would be a little easier (though sand sifters and cleanup crew do a good job). The big question I have is what filtration effects change between the two?

 

It is a big decrease in surface area for bacteria to colonize. If you're planning on running a fuge though, the sand in there should make up just fine.

 

one con that i know about with barebottom is that you cant have any burrowing fish

 

thats also one of my problems right now, since ive added my vortech im getting sand thrown everywhere

 

And I'm buying two Vortechs that I'll be slaving and will also be using two Tunze Streams that I've already got. I've got one of the Tunzes running in my 120 right now and I have to point it toward the surface to keep sand in place.

This is primarily what prompted the question. I really want to go sandless, but I've never done it before and am a bit nervous about what I'll be giving up. I do have a small fuge, but its sand won't make up enough for my new 185.

 

yea ive got the vortech mp20 and a maxijett1200 and flow from my HOB in my 46bow, the sand isint horrible, its just bits and pieces floating throughout the water column, but it just makes the tank look kind of dirty then it gets on the corals on the sandbed and on te rocks and fish try to eat the sand thinking its food

 

Sand is very useful actually. Mainly due to the microscopic bacteria that reside in it. Along with those bacteria sand will frequently also contain many tiny crustaceans and micro fauna, like different types of forams, plus different macro-organisms that add to the diversity of life in a marine aquarium. That, and it is much more esthetically pleasing IMO.