Bare bottom tanks??

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
This is my 90 gallon. I did have more potted plants in there, but they are being babysat in the sump underneath. I went on vacation, and the plecos got hungry, destroyed a lot of my hygros and swords.

The only thing I really need is a black background to cover the ugly wires/filter stuff.

My 125 is currently 3/4 empty. I forgot to turn the filters back on last night after feeding, so as you can imagine, the water was gross, I just hope my BB are still alive, otherwise I'm in for a WORLD OF HURT AND WATER CHANGES!!

90Gallon.jpg
 
importracer;4794117; said:
Because debris/fish poo can fall between the niches of gravel/sand and settle, causing ammonia spikes, lots of people stick with bare bottom tanks....Also, bare bottom tanks look sleek and cleaner than substrate tanks......
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:duh: gravel bottom tanks don't cause ammonia spikes. If anything they are more stable because of the increased surface area for BB to grow.
 
Bderick67;4794188; said:
:duh: gravel bottom tanks don't cause ammonia spikes. If anything they are more stable because of the increased surface area for BB to grow.
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It's nitrAtes that become a problem in that sort of scenario.
 
Laticauda;4794240; said:
It's nitrAtes that become a problem in that sort of scenario.
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Please explain your theory?
 
not a fan of bare bottom. I like gravel but i have gravel because of its looks and my fish like it and its less messy unlike sand that gets thrown all over when fish freak out
 
Bderick67;4794286; said:
Please explain your theory?
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If someone that owns a gravel-bottom tank, and does not adequately vacuum the poop/fish food/sludge out of it, then it creates a very large volume of organics to accumulate. In this situation, even with 100% water change, the nitrAtes will still be high. That is why you HAVE to vacuum your gravel, and HAVE to bang out (or replace) mechanical sponges/pads in order to keep your water healthy/clean.
 
:duh: gravel bottom tanks don't cause ammonia spikes. If anything they are more stable because of the increased surface area for BB to grow.
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I agree that debris shouldn't cause ammonia spikes in a well-filtered aquarium, but strongly disagree that the added surface area of filthy gravel is of any benefit to an already well-filtered tank. By letting any muck at all remain in the gravel, we contribute to the total amount of waste in the system. And the extra bacteria growing on the gravel is not of any consequence if filtration is sufficient, but the added debris is something to abhor. I like barebottom because instead of a siphon, all I need is a turkey baster.
 
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