New 225 Setup with Aquascaping Focus

[Jaws]

I'm the same way. The sand look does wonders for a tank in my opinion. I've actually seen a few people lately that remove their old sandbeds and replace them with new sand every six months to a year. It sounds like a hassle but with only half an inch, it wouldn't be that hard to do and it would give you the advantages of having a sandbed and eliminate a lot of the disadvantages. Just a thought.