Bare bottom tanks

[Full Metal Gundam]

I think Cohazard was right on the money. Unless the text of the post has changed since you posted it, I furthermore do not think he 'lapsed in his reading comprehension" either. I feel rather compelled to tear apart your post as well You didn't convey anger, I agre with that. But exchanges of ideas and respect should not be accompanied with zealous, over-ego inflating antics about "wack" "ugly" and even more intrusive "demonstration of lack of compassion for their fish" that was stated earlier. I could go on, but everyone knows the rest so not gonna pick through the countless demonstrations of lack of open-mindedness, respect, and ignorance displayed in a "particular" post.

You obviously do not know crap of what you are talking about, and attemped to insidiously convey disrespect towards fellow fishkeepers. Great part about it is, I personally laugh at the ignorance displayed.

"Dislike" and "do not agree with" are completely different than the "strikes at compassion AND MORE" that was earlier stated. This is a forum...to each his/her will do. So....I have multiple tanks, 2 with substrate (220 and 30 gallon) and barebottom (240 gallon). At a moments notice I will post up pics of my well manicured, healthy fish tanks at any time. All of my tanks are the results of hard work and the wisdom I have learned from fellow monsterfishkeepers who have shared factful knowledge....not biased rhetoric.

Until you have owned anything larger than a 60 gallon tank, or have experience in the matter at hand, you really shouldn't even pipe in at all. A simple "I do not like it" would be just fine.

words of wisdom

 

[TicaL]

Hmm, apparently disecting a members post is some sign of modesty I'm to assume? You claim to each his own, well my own opinion is that it's somewhat cruel because I feel substrate adds some form of security (not an overwhelming amount but it's the thought that counts I believe). I clearly admitted upfront I wasn't aware if my beliefs were well founded which is why I presented them and I admitted to not knowing if they were right...




With regards to the moderators,

I am in no way attempting to start a conflict but merely prove my case that I wasn't intending on starting one.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

Lets all simply agree to disagree, this way the thread can stay open...

 

[jimk]

I gravel vac on approximately 600 gallons of tanks a week, not really a huge volume. I can tell you that it takes about 45 minutes a day, 4 days a week. If I was not a stay at home parent, I would probably not have as many tanks. As for aesthetics, very few of us come close to replicating natural environments. Most fish in the wild have thousands of gallons constantly renewed, naturally filtered and not overcrowded. I have seen a lot of beautiful bare bottom tanks. Really, the only way to judge fishkeepers is by the condition and health of their fish.

 

[rallysman]

Lets all simply agree to disagree

Exactly. You're not going to change someone elses mind, so state your case and move along

 

[redtailfool]

You claim to each his own, well my own opinion is that it's somewhat cruel because I feel substrate adds some form of security

It may well be, but whoever said that a barebottom tank has to be Bare? I have my barebottom tank with slate and driftwood so that the fish have some form of cover and interaction from its surroundings.

Another thing is ,if the fish are really insecure without substrate , then they should be stressed to the point that they will not thrive ,right ? Then how come these " sensitive " discus , who cannot breed in ph thats not slightly acidic ,breed like rabbits in barebottom tanks? What about stingrays , whereas the average aquarist has a 50/50 chance with a stingray but they have been succesfully bred in bare bottom facilities .

 

[dragonfish]

I guess you can't argue with success. As for myself, I will stick with substrate for now. But never again will I go with white or natural color sand.
Thanks everyone for all the great answers.

 

[redtailfool]

dragonfish - i absolutely love white and black estes sand, but it just kills me to find sand inside filters and i hate the occasional "sand storm"
that occurs whenever a fight breaks out or when somebody gets surprised.

 

[angeladay]

I converted to a substrate free tank when I set up my newest 300g and I LOVE it. It'll take a lot of convincing to switch back to fully substrated tanks. Aside from all the pros that have been aforementioned, for large tanks, bare bottom surface can create a deep-water effect, and make the fish stand out more, giving it a framed look. Plus, the tank can hold more water and the fish appears to enjoy it more.

BTW, this may offend a lot of people but I think 90% of fully decorated tanks with substrates, wood, etc. DO NOT LOOK ALL THAT natural or aethetically pleasing That's my personal opinion.

 

[DeLgAdO]

i agree. its tacky. plus its costly. your mechanical media needs changing more often. its easier to vac the poop out of the rocks with water changes.

if you purchase a durable media you wont have the problem of replacing it every so often. I use 100 micron filter pads and these thing s are very durable, before that i used a blue bond filter pad for ponds that i would replace every year.

you really wont have to change it more often, i change my fitler pads once a week the same as before when i had gravel rocks and decor.

besides better you take it out in one shot than have to go vaccum it through out the entire gravel or sand bed.