I Don't Want Sand. I dont Want Clear Bottom. What else?

Green Star Polyps.

They are unbelievably hardy, but I understand you are looking for FOWLR, so this may not be ideal for you.

 

So this is just a thought, but did you see Nomad's build thread on the main page? He used foam to build a back wall. It might look decent to do something similar to that on the bottom of the tank (just not make it look so rocky)

Here's the link
http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off-your-fish-tanks/nomad-125-build-129398.html

 

My 2 cents, fowler = waste. Live rock rubble, sand, shells, aragonite will all collect waste. Anything you put for a fake bottom will eventuality grow algae (green or coraline) using fake substrate always looks terrible once algae starts to grow on it. Just Google pics of fake substrate....terrible. just go bb w starboard, its clean and will be easy to keep clean. Or just go snorkeling in the ocean and take a pic, blow it up and tape it inside your tank.

 

Maybe i am imagining wrong.. Bt making a rippled silicone base then covering with a sand would he awesome if the sand stuck andncovered the silicone completely... It would be like a sand bed that never needed stirring or rearranging from pesky fish and critters... Maybe im just imagining... I have some silicone i may give this a try on a piece or wood or cardboard... Not actually for my tank.. But just to test... sorry to not be of any help! I think the crushed coral could look pretty good... Or maybe like feed store crushed oyster shell and crush coral mix? I got a bag when i was creating my own rock, half oyster half coral and it was finely crushed into like quarter inch pieces.. That could be an idea? cheap too!

 

lol...all this talk about things that can get trapped makes we miss freshwater tanks and gravel. Remember how easy that was to clean up with a Python vacuum? Those were the days. ;D

 

You can still do that with a crushed coral or seashell bottom. Detritus is not such a big issue. These crushed coral substrates can be awesome habitats for pods and worms who feed off of that detritus and uneaten food. You should not look at them as though they are so bad. Just something to consider.

 

+1 Absolutely!

That's exactly why I went back to the UGF with CC in my new tank. The UGF provides continuous circulation throughout the substrate, and occasional vacuuming keeps it clean. One point people seem to miss- detritus can settle into a sandbed and cause a lot worse problems than just high nitrates. IOW, a sandbed needs maintenance too, and IMHO, CC is easier.