Sand VS BB photos

[Filip]

Before going on the 10 day vacation I decided to give my tank a good and thorough cleaninig.
There was a thin Sandy bottom darkened from algae and the plants have totally outgrown the tank blocking the space for discus and the surface movement too .

So I took everything out(except discus of course ) , gave the sand a good clean in a bucket and cut off and trimmed all the plants on my kitchen sink .
On their way back I decided to put all the sand and plants in the background and leave the whole tank BB just for the sake of the change .

I was very satisfied with how the new set up BB tank turn out to look and find it even more appealing than the previous sand look .

Here are some Before and After photos of the tank so please share your oppinion about witch one look better .
To BB or not to BB , the question is now :)

Before :

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After :

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[Second Hand Pat]

I sort of like the BB look Filip. Beautiful tank and fish :)
Pat

[Pices]

The BB looks brighter, but maybe it’s because the plants are cut back? My first instinct was BB, but I admit I’m biased.
Patty

[brewmaster15]

Filip, I maybe be subconciously prejudiced here because all my tanks are bare but I like the bare best.
Al

[Adam S]

Nice change, Filip.

I like bare tanks best when fish are the focus but prefer substrate if the system is the focus.

[Willie]

I vote for the BB look. If this was a manzanita wood - leaf litter - tea colored type of tank, then I'd go with sand on the bottom. With a brightly lit, foliage heavy look, I think BB looks better.

Willie

[RogueDiscus]

I'm surprised by the responses. All my tanks a bare bottom for the easy of cleaning, especially for fry tanks. But if I was building a display tank (someday) I would prefer sand, perhaps whiter than yours.
Steve

[Filip]

Thanks for your responses folks. I didn't expect such a support about a BB in a planted display tank but I think I'll leave it like this for a while because of the brighter colours of the tank and my discus too . I can add back the thin layer of white sand whenever I choose to.
I guess that only us , the discus keepers have learnt to see the beauty in a BB set ups since all the answers on this question I got from random fish keepers on my domestic forum were 100 % opposite :) .

[Pices]

That’s funny Filip! I guess I am biased then, or us Discus keepers just have better taste! Ha ha
Patty

[rickztahone]

I don't necessarily like the substrate in the first place so i believe if it was a lighter color sand, i would prefer it over BB. As it stands, i vote for BB as well.

Did you take out all of the substrate out at once? If so, just be careful with an ammonia spike.

[Filip]

I don't necessarily like the substrate in the first place so i believe if it was a lighter color sand, i would prefer it over BB. As it stands, i vote for BB as well.

Did you take out all of the substrate out at once? If so, just be careful with an ammonia spike.

It was a light colour sand but it got darkened by the algae over time . Thats why I siphoned it out at the first place , to give it a good rubbing and cleaning in the bucket and to get rid of algae on it .
Right now it is not out but it's pressed against the backglass with the wood on the left and right end, you can notice the sand behind the wood if you look closer on the pictures . If I decide to go with sand again I will just pour new sand in the front and leave the current one in the back to serve as pot for my plants .

[Marc Davis]

I love the sand. Just needs some strategic rock placement to add undulation in my opinion.

And your discus look amazing!!

[two utes]

Just catching up with this. Your fish look great Filip. Personally...i don't think the small amount of sand would have caused any issues..Personally l like a thin bed of sand myself, as it takes the reflection off the bottom.... and also harbors some beneficial stuff.
Looking forward to further updates...with pics off coarse :D

[Filip]

Just catching up with this. Your fish look great Filip. Personally...i don't think the small amount of sand would have caused any issues..Personally l like a thin bed of sand myself, as it takes the reflection off the bottom.... and also harbors some beneficial stuff.
Looking forward to further updates...with pics off coarse :D

Thanks Joe.
Thin sand bed was no problem at all . Ive run it that way for this last 8 months with no issues on discus . I just decided to change it out of fun I guess and plus I like the lighter colours of my discus on a BB tank.
There is strong light reflection from the white stryrofoam under tank and my discus are popping with colours this way.
I will add the sand and go back to natural look again once I get bored with this look .
And i'll keep you posted with photos , that's for sure :)