Bare bottom tanks and filtration

[Vampire fish]

I want to learn about bare bottom tanks and there required maitnance/filtration. For example,what is the minimum filtration I would need for a 125 gallon. How often do I need to clean it with a vacuum etc and does the tank get cloudy forcing cleanings/water changes often? Lets assume I have 4 large fish in it.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

well...aside from the fact that barebottom tanks are ugly as sin, they also lack additional in-tank space for bacteria to grow on. This means your filtration game needs to be beefed up in order to provide plenty of space for beneficial bacteria colonies. Cleaning a barebottom tank should be self explanatory, whenever theres debris on the bottom lol.
That is the only benefit to barebottom tanks, you can see much more easily when a good vacuuming is needed.

 

[Vampire fish]

Ok that was awesome reply exactly what I was looking to hear.

 

[Redearsunfish]

1. why not add a powerhead or two pointed to the bottom of the tank on timers (or on constant) to stir up debris so that you filtration system can pick up solids?

2. Have your filtration game cooking on high. Clean your filters often without destroying beneficial bacteria.

 

[tiger15]

well...aside from the fact that barebottom tanks are ugly as sin, they also lack additional in-tank space for bacteria to grow on. This means your filtration game needs to be beefed up in order to provide plenty of space for beneficial bacteria colonies. Cleaning a barebottom tank should be self explanatory, whenever theres debris on the bottom lol.
That is the only benefit to barebottom tanks, you can see much more easily when a good vacuuming is needed.

Asian fish keepers prefer bare bottom tank for discus, goldfish, Flowerhorns, Asian arowana, stingrays and other pricy collection. The fish is the focus and stunning enough that there is no need for aquascape to distract.

The difference between filtrating a bare bottom tank and an aquascaped tank is the need for external bio media. In an aquascapted tank, the substrate and rockscape are the biomedia and there is no need for external bio media. All is needed is to provide strong flow over the aquascape by means of HOBs or circulation pumps. Yet many fish keepers overkill the filtration by providing way too many filters, specially canisters that hold large volume of biomedia.

Another difference between maintaining a bare bottom tank and an aquascapted tank is the frequency of siphoning the bottom. Bare bottom tank requires daily siphoning to look clean as there is no place for fish poops to hide. Aquascapted tank requires less frequent but longer siphoning as the substrate and rockscape are good at settling and hiding poops.

 

[pops]

we going to have to agree to disagree on the bio filtration thing, may work for little fish in a large tank but not with larger fish, I agree, the aquascape contributes to bio filtration, but you still need a good bio filtration system, canisters/sumps fit this bill well.

 

[jsodwi]

Well I run bare bottom tanks All my fish are well over 12" some pushing 30". I run Koralia circulating pumps and high turnover rate for my filtration. My tanks are on auto water changers and I never siphon anything. The only thing I do every few months is wipe the bottom
Of the tank with a squeegee And I don't like the comment that bare bottoms are ugly as sin

 

[tiger15]

we going to have to agree to disagree on the bio filtration thing, may work for little fish in a large tank but not with larger fish, I agree, the aquascape contributes to bio filtration, but you still need a good bio filtration system, canisters/sumps fit this bill well.

Is this tank over loaded? I have over a dozen 8 to 12" fish plus many smaller ones hiding inside the rock and I rely on running three Penquin 350 without external biomedia and my fish don't die. I use the HOBs to provide the flow and to mechanically filter the water for clarity. I don't even bother to install the biowheels so as not to slow down the flow. I am following the Berlin reef system approach that relies on in-tank live sand and live rock (biomedia) for biological filtration.

 

[pops]

I would not take it personally, i do not run back grounds or lighting on my tanks, I am sure folks look at that and say tank ugly. that's there personnel opinion and welcome to it, if bare bottom tanks are "ugly as sin" to him, This fine, he should have put IMHO. just sayen

 

[pops]

Is this tank over loaded? I have over a dozen 8 to 12" fish plus many smaller ones hiding inside the rock and I rely on running three Penquin 350 without external biomedia and my fish don't die. I use the HOBs to provide the flow and to mechanically filter the water for clarity. I don't even bother to install the biowheels so as not to slow down the flow. I am following the Berlin reef system approach that relies on in-tank live sand and live rock (biomedia) for biological filtration.

View attachment 1151762

I think your HoB pads are doing the job for bio filtration and better used as mech filtration. but again just me. if working for you and your fish, who am I to say dif, for me personally, I like a good bio-filtration system.