Anybody with 2'+ cat w/o bare bottom?

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2songbirds

2songbirds

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2009
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I tried having sand in with my 2'+ achara last year, but to no avail, I had to scoop it all out due to him "swooooooping" it all to both sides of the tank, leaving a valley like section for him in the middle. I was increasingly afraid of the sand getting too thick and causing air pockets for the bad bacteria and gases...When he was little, under 1', I did have gravel, but got bored with that and switched to sand.

now, I"m bored with the bare bottom look, although it probably does him best. I do have sinking fake plants in there with a small piece of water logged driftwood, but he's constantly "redecorating" and smacking something around ;).

I had been thinking about somehow putting up paper, cardboard, something underneath the stand on the glass...something not permenant. I have a black background which hides the corner overflows best

Just wanted to get some ideas from others
 
My 33" niger cat is on sand. Its a thin layer and there are areas of barebottom due to the water flow of the filtration. To each his own but I don't like the look of a completely barebottom tank.
 
All mine are barebottom. It is just so easy to maintain and keep better water. In one of my growout tanks I have gravel and the rtc keeps piling it up and exposing the ug filter. I have a friend that has white tile in one tank, and roofing slate in another. LOOKS GREAT! I mnight go that route in the future.
 
well, yesterday after posting this I remembered I had a bag of sand in storage. I swang by on my way to work and put it in the tank last night. It's a 40lb argonite (sp?) course sand...reminds me of the salt you put on soft pretzels. It's not as "swift" as regular sand...my catfish can still swoop it, but not nearly as bad. I didn't want to use regular sand again as it was always getting sucked up in the corner overflows...I will just have to wait and see. I didn't want to put gravel in the tank afraid of kitty fish banging it off the glass, and for when my rtc gets a little bit bigger, who will be going in that tank while growing up...afraid the rtc will, um, eat the gravel

Plus, I figured it might help with my extremely low ph problem in that tank.

I will have to put up pics soon...
 
i got a 15" niger now but have had a 24" channel cat and a 20" pleco and all three were on black sand. flattened, the sane is 3" deep but i spread out quarter-golfball sized riverstone to stop the sand drifting to the sides. still have to spread it out about once a week but not nearly as bad as without the stones
 
you could tile the bottom of the tank... don't cement it.. but just let lay there... then you can get whatever color you want.... just a tho
 
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