I've tried bare bottom and although it was easier to clean I just didn't like the look of it. With sand it's an extra step toward keeping it all clean but the pop it gives the tank is worth the hassle in my opinion. The coral look nice against white sand
I also only tend to get cyano anytime I go too long without changing my rodi filters, and it becomes an obvious fix as I know it's time to change them out and perform a few water changes with manual removal as well they then get controlled.