I beleive that the only reason to go with a sandbed is for aestetics or for keeping an organism with sand-specific requirements. I have done both and can tell you that a bb system will be a lot cleaner and healthier. I really don't see how having sand on the bottom of you tank is any more "natural" than having no substrate. The 1- X inches of sand that you have on the bottom of your tank isn't the ocean floor and doesn't function as one either. As for the fishes psycological well being, I'm sure that a lot of the reef fish we keep go their entire lives in the wild without having any contact with the ocean floor.
Having said that, I am planning on putting a fine sandbed in my nano. It probably won't be as healthy an environment as bb but I think it will look better in that small of a tank - JMO.
- Chad
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Returning to the hobby after an eight year absence.
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