Whats your opinion??

^^^ that's what i was gonna say. I really don't like a deep sand bed in the display and bare bottoms always look dirty to me.

 

I'm a big fan of DSB, it's a nice way to complete my N cycle, ** but also find it impractical at times as well, there are times I wish that I kept it to the sump, or did a nitrate reactor for it's function without the mess.... then again the look is unbeatable! I can keep some pretty clean looking sand going (display worthy** which are the sand beds I don't mind staying around!!), but it takes proper cleaning, bio load, and care!!! Otherwise, go with the 1.5" bed. works well for 'look'...

I'd say as long as your cycle is getting completed- no worries, go with the look you like and are prepared to maintain.

 

I also like about a 1 1/2" sand bed. Don't personally like the bare bottom.

 

I have two reef tanks. One bare bottom and one with a shallow sand bed. Bare bottom is perfect. No algae, etc. Always fighting algae with the sand bed tank. Switching to bare bottom on the sand bed tank this winter.

 

+1

 

I am a deep sand bed fan, GARF bulletproof reef style.


I set my first tank up as a bullet proof reef, two years later it is still doing great and is algea-free, even though sumpless. You have to make sure you are maintaining your sand bed, not allowing detritus to accumulate, and having nassarius snails and whatnot, but I have been very happy with the method. (Yes, I have SPS that is doing well.)


Because I am curious and like to tinker, I also set up a 20 long bare bottom for the frag tank and a shallow bottom sand bed for my nems and then later switched the 20 long out for a 75. I have to say that the bare bottom has been a hair algae-disaster, and the nem tank never has been up to algea and red slime free display standards, despite having some dang nice nems.


I am 99% sure the hair algea in the 75 is due to the rocks leaching and those puppies are going to get the muratic acid and lanathum chloride treatment when I set up the 220, so I can't blame the issues on it being a bare bottom. It just is what it is. However, there is no doubt in my mind , that my DSB DT is by far the most trouble free and most stable of all my tanks and I plan to set up the 220 the same way.

 

+1 for a shallow sand bed in the display tank. How can any tank not have a sand sifting goby? It's unfathomable!

I used to have a deep sand bed in my refugium, but I'm doing things a bit different this time around. I have the sand sitting in square tupperware-ish containers so the sand can easily be removed/replaced if needed. As my new tank matures, I'm going to switch to a modular DSB created with old salt buckets that are stacked on top of eachother. Water will go in the top then trickle down from bucket to bucket then finally into the tank. I plan to have 3 buckets and will replace 1 per year.

 

+1 for a shallow sand bed in the display tank. How can any tank not have a sand sifting goby? It's unfathomable!

I used to have a deep sand bed in my refugium, but I'm doing things a bit different this time around. I have the sand sitting in square tupperware-ish containers so the sand can easily be removed/replaced if needed. As my new tank matures, I'm going to switch to a modular DSB created with old salt buckets that are stacked on top of each other. Water will go in the top then trickle down from bucket to bucket then finally into the tank. I plan to have 3 buckets and will replace 1 per year.

 

for looks, shallow sandbed
ease of cleaning and low nutrient, bare-bottom