I would recommend a Tile bottom to make sure your not sending sand through the filters. Do an over flow up top and a bottom drain. I always like to have a power head puching water at the top of the tank not to have it stagnant water, or get a good air pump. I am not sure the exact name for it but you can do a bottom drain as long as you have it looped with a pipe standing next to the tank that goes to the water line, then at the top where it would U back down put an air vent to be a siphon break so when the pump shuts off water wont keep flowing, my friend has a setup like this and I am thinking of doing the same, his tank is 4 feet tall and he has never cleaned the bottom of the tank for a couple years. After looking at it in person made me want to do such a setup because with an auto water drip system you will just have to clean the filter socks and feed mostly.
not sure if that will help in this situation but it's cheap and worked for us!