Are Barebottom tanks stressful to fish?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
knifegill;4124389; said:
I wasn't bashing anyone except for people who still believe that fish can't see their reflections. It still gets said as if it were a fact, and it's not a fact. Sometimes they can and sometimes they can't. Some fish care and some don't. What each person does with this information is nothing to argue about.
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I assume from your Avatar that you have an Oscar...you will have seen how often they display to the glass thinking they are displaying to another fish...I have kept them and yes, they can see their own reflections.


People seem to be getting very heated on this thread but personally I think it is a good, open discussion...lets not take it so personally.

I have said that I am a gravel fan but I am painting the bottom of the new tank for the Rays just in case I later need the bare bottom route.
 
IDK, but I do the whole amazon theme for my cichla and other SA fish...:headbang2
 
I was curious about being able to see your reflection from a fishes point of view so I filled a spare tank tonight and stuck my head in and opened my eyes...I wasnt able to see my reflection....try it...you'll like it!
 
IDK if fish see them selves or not...I just observe the Oscar flaring up and displaying like hes trying to fight his reflection...only when the lights are off. It was worse when I had a black background. I had a couple of FHs do it also...they never stopped and were soon exhausted and bloody. With the water splashed out of the tank pissing me off, I finally put substrate in and took the background off...ended all the behavior, like, now.
Bare bottom tanks look ok, and I can see why people do it. But they can easily look like sh-- to...just like wood or tile floors in a house. People put wood or tile in often because they believe it is better/cleaner...reality, it also requires a fare amount of work.
Being able to vac out every little speck off the bottom means you can see EVERY LITTLE SPECK, so, in a way, gravel/sand whatever is actually easier.
My .02
 
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