To bare bottum of not to bare bottum? That is the question!

What are your motives for doing it? Is the substrate causing issues? Are you concerned with nutrients? Is it simply the look? There are tons of articles, pros/cons about the difference. Obviously we all have our own opinion on the subject.

 

Do you have any livestock that will miss the sand? I love the looks of sand from an aesthetics stand point.

 

I also think the sand makes the rest of the tank stand out better. You don't need a lot, but i definately think reef tanks look good with a little sand on the bottom. It's all a personal preference really.

 

I must have started something lol. I posted around a month ago that i was going bare bottom now this topic keep's comeing up lol. I am in the process of takeing the sand out of my 210. I put starboard in a 65 that i have plumbed to my main tank and im really likeing it. I can have alot more flow because i dont have to worry abought blowing my substrate around. I think in the long run my tank will be healthier because i can keep  the detrious suspended in the water column easier. Once i get coraline and some coral growing on the bottom i think it's going to look great.
I guess it's just a personel preferance as to if you like the look of it. For me being able to keep my tank cleaner it's well worth it. My concern with your situation is that if you don't remove the rock and put something under it you could cause a stress fracture in the tank. If you drop a rock onto starboard it's also going to protect the tank.

 

Crushed coral is the problem man, that stuff traps detritus like crazy. You can run a shallow sand bed and still get ULNS, just vac out the sand and periodically replace it, that's what I do.

 

I realy like the aethetics of the substrate. It looks more natural, serves as habitat for fish, beneficial organisms, bacteria, etc. I also think it helps to mimic the natural environment and the processes that occur. I also understand the concerns some have with the blowing of the substrate, potential for it to become a sink of nitrates and phosphates, etc. Personally, I used sugar sand on my last tank, loved it except the fact that my MP40's blew it like crazy. It was on the rock and corals and I will not do that again. I am using the larger aragonite (#5 I think) in my new tank. So far so good. May need to raise the MP's some. I use a rather large and diverse CUC in all my setups. In fact, I use 2 snails and 2 crabs per gallon as a rule of thumb and always add a few here and there. I have found that they not only keep all types of algea in check, but they also do a good job stirring the substrate and getting the detrious into the water column. I also believe in using a vac or small diameter hose to siphon the junk up with every water change. I think the real question comes down to personal preference. If you like the look and the level of maintenance involved (both require a lot as we all know), then enjoy.

 

I think no sand/substrate looks unnatural and weird /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif I personally don't like crushed coral, its a pita as far as trapping detritus.......I like the thought of replacing with some sand though, go for it.

 

how often do you clean your sand, if you have sand? Anyone can answer this. THAT is why I go BB. I don't like the look that much, but I HATE cleaning sand.

Also, with the amount of flow in my tank I can't get sand to settle down.