Your opinions regarding bare bottom vs shallow sand bed vs deep sand bed

[Chin_Lee]

This is my opinion from a previous post (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=23314)
regarding the same topic.

if you are contemplating on BB or substrate, go BB first. If you still don't like it after a few months, then add substrate. Otherwise its a PITA to do it the other way around.
I concur with the BB supporters - crud is inevitable and I feel that sand just hides it really well. some critters in your live sand will eat some of the crud but you will never have enough critters to sustain an aquarium environment's bio-load.
I can relate to this theory by this scenario - imagine yourself and your entire family being stuck in your house without any methods in which to remove your biological waste but a mysterious hand will continuously put food and water into your house to keep you alive. You are real happy for the most part because there's the big screen TV, computer, workout gym, various boardgames etc. However everyone dreads having to go to the bathroom but when they do, how many critters will be needed to live with you in your house to continuously eat and remove all that biological waste in your house? HOWEVER if that same mysterious hand can come in with a plastic tube and suck out all that biological waste, I think it will be somewhat ........ alright.

In addition, if all those critters (ie rats, mice, worms, beetles, grubs) were to eat ALL your biological waste, they will in turn produce biological waste as well. Kinda a crappy situation....

[Bill]

BB or very light cover of sand in the main tank for easy detritus removal, and possibly a section of the sump dedicated to dsb and algae for critters. I put some sugar size sand in a 3" deep container that fit into my sump. This way it's easy to remove if I have to.

[b_james]

I personally like the natural looks of a sand bed oppose to a BB tank.

Do you guys vacuum your sand? I dont think I have ever done that.. I just ocasionaly stir up the gravel and mechanically filter it out through the sump. Besides, my corals seem to like it

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Tried going bb but didn't like the look for my reef tank & the brain coral was getting damaged from rubbing against glass (flow is fairly high in the tank but directed well above the brain). Now everything & everyone is much happier with a thin layer of sand. I got a sand-sifting sea hare (I call it a sea mouse) which is dark grey-brown with tiny green spots to keep the sandbed clean.

Anthony

[Chad]

My personal opinion is if you are going to put sand in, be prepared to vaccum it. I don't think we can possibly get enough bio - diversity to break down every critters waste. So, it still builds up regardless. It just takes longer to build up with a sand bed with critters.

I have a two palm sized brain in my BB tank and have not noticed any damage to it.

[marie]

When I broke down my 75g tank, I fully expected the sandbed to be nasty it had been going for 3 1/2 yrs. To my surprise, once I got below the surface detritus (from removing the rock) the sand was white and full of worms and not very stinky, it just smelled like the ocean.

I wished now that I kept it but it was too late to put in the bowfront and I didn't think I could keep it alive long enough for someone to buy it so out it went for the racoons to play in

[Chin_Lee]

Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have!

OMG Marie thats funny.