Help Me Decide!!

Ok so after reading for 4 hrs on this site and looking at pics of BB vs Sand displays I am still on the fence. I have a 40 breeder, currently with black sand. I may replace the sand with a 1/2" piece of black starboard, siliconed around the edges.

What would you do? BB or keep the sand bed?

 

I like the sand because it look more natural to me. It also allows you to have fish that sleep in the sand of live in or on the sand.

 

i like sand as well

 

BB is easier to keep from one perspective. Personally I'll deal with maintaining a sand bed for aesthetic reasons and because I enjoy some of the animals that need sand in my displays. For non-display tanks I almost always go BB unless it's going to house something that requires a substrate.

 

The little tube worms that make themselves out of the sand, forgot what they are called. Other than them what else lives in the sand that is beneficial?

 

TONS of bacteria, then certain snails and starfish, but mostly bacteria! I'd say unless you're going all PRO with top of the line skimmers/reactors, do a sand bed to help you keep a stable environment! I'm lazy and think that a substrate provides necessary bacteria to help with my shortfalls as a tank owner!

 

Marinepure bioballs/biopellets.

 

yeah, i know, they work great, i'm just a fan of letting nature be nature as much as we can! just my own preference! I hear those things are miracle workers though!

 

Yeah, but how is this nature when its stuffed in a glass cube? Plus the ocean sand bed is super deep it has room for all that decay, my tank sand bed is like 2.5 inches LOL. I like the coraline look, I think it looks tie dye, some of it glows under blue leds. Any one have a bb that could chime in? Can you put a clam in a bb?