Bare Bottom Or Sand????
 

Ok... So im getting ready to setup my 180g acyrlic tank... I have been debating on wether i want to have a BB tank or have low sand level. I have heard that if i have a BB tank their will be less issues with My paremters as there is no where for the detrious to settle. Also im thinking the BB tnak would be easier to vack out and clean. :/


Does any body have suggestions...

I had barebottom for awhile and easy to take care of, but didnt look natural at all to me. With 450 I just put about a 2 inch sand bed for the natural look. To me to it comes down to what you like the look of.

I have ran tanks both ways. It's really just personal prefference IMO. I like having a sandbed. With a bare bottom, the detris still can settle, it just settles where you can see it all the time and under the rockwork. The difference IMO is that without the sandbed, there is no system there to process it, so you have to constantly vacuum it out. The rockwork is also less stable without the sandbed. Starboard helps, but it's still not as stable as having the first layer of rock under the sand.

I think its really more of what you want your tank to look like. They both have there goods and bads. I have had both and I like the sand look better.

I like sand, just not deep sand beds. But like the others have said, it really comes down to personal preference. AND no sand would make it alot harder for you to do your pimp aquascaping.

Yea.. I gues by not having sand i would have to constantly clean the bottom..Would this also mean i cant have sifter gobys and my pistol shrimp?? Also if i decided to goahead with sand could i use the sand from my current 75gallon? Becca your right my aquascaping work is Pimp...

OO yea.. If anything couldn't i always add sand to the tank down the road??

You could have the sifter gobys and pistols, but Im sure they wouldnt be near as happy without it. Im sure you could add sand later, but it would cloudy up your tank for a few days. Your aquascaping is amazing, and it would be weird if your rock work wasnt as good as what you have done in other people's tanks.

I never had any luck with sand sifters when i ran BB. They always seemed to starve no mater how much i fed them. They need the stuff in the sand i think.

As far as adding the sand later, it would most likely cause a new cycle for the tank, or you would have to add it over the coarse of a few weeks.

What finally made me take down my last BB tank was a total crash of the rockwork that scratched the %$@* out of my front glass. I was vacuuming from under the rocks and my hose got stuck and pulled a bottom rock ever so slightly, then it all came crashing down.

Heres how i plan on aquascaping the tank... This sketch was done from microsoft paint lol..

[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o270/nickadamz/180rockwork.jpg[/IMG]

lol thats good using Paint ;)

your stand looks good - where is your other tank at?

the determining factor for me is the fact that haveing enough flow under and through the rock would make it impossible to have sand as it would just blow the sand around...sooooooo....barebottom and make the flow so you can find a corner that the dietritus will settle and vacuum it out

If you go BB you use powerheads to direct all the debris into one corner of the tank and then siphon from that one location.