Shallow Sandbed or No Sandbed

[Beverly]

Pros for 1/4" glass:

- can get it at any glass shop (there's one about 10 blocks from here)
- 47" x 23" costs $64 (approx. size for the bottom of my largest tank)
- will not float and will adhere to the tank's glass bottom very well with few or no trapped bubbles
- coraline algae will readily grow on it

Cons for any glass:

- heavy
- easily broken during installation and afterward

Don't know the pros or cons for acrylic, except acrylic will not be as easily damaged as glass, but will be harder to come by.

Really, I don't know which would be better - the plastic-type materials or glass. What do you think?