Bare bottom?

[Cheifwalnut]

I currently have pool filter sand in my native 55. I'm thinking about going bare bottom for the ease of cleaning as it is a grow out for my neighbors pond, and the largemouth and pumpkinseed have a tendency to make quite a bit of waste. My only concerns are that I'm not sure how they would react, and I have a Amazon sword in their with them. Would a bare bottom work for them? And what would I do with the sword?

 

[ShadowP]

I currently have pool filter sand in my native 55. I'm thinking about going bare bottom for the ease of cleaning as it is a grow out for my neighbors pond, and the largemouth and pumpkinseed have a tendency to make quite a bit of waste. My only concerns are that I'm not sure how they would react, and I have a Amazon sword in their with them. Would a bare bottom work for them? And what would I do with the sword?

The fish couldn't care less if you go bare bottom while cleaning their tank, but what will the neighbors think? And stop trying to figure out where to stick the sword... we really don't want to know that much!

 

[ShadowP]

Now the serious side...
IRTYQ - a bare bottom tank won't have much effect on the fish at all. They'll get used to it fairly quickly. You will be giving up some of your BB from the sand bed, but the eae of cleaning will compensate greatly with minimal organic waste much to your favor provided you vac it often. As to the sword, get a tupperware or rubbermaid storage container and cut a big X across the entire lid but not through the sealing ring, fill with gravel for weight, top off with shredded peat pots and plant your sword in the center of it. Fold or bend the center of the lid wide open and slide down over your sword being careful not to snag the leaves or stems. Reverse the bending one section at a time til even, then seal over canister bottom and place in tank.

 

[Cheifwalnut]

Now the serious side...
IRTYQ - a bare bottom tank won't have much effect on the fish at all. They'll get used to it fairly quickly. You will be giving up some of your BB from the sand bed, but the eae of cleaning will compensate greatly with minimal organic waste much to your favor provided you vac it often. As to the sword, get a tupperware or rubbermaid storage container and cut a big X across the entire lid but not through the sealing ring, fill with gravel for weight, top off with shredded peat pots and plant your sword in the center of it. Fold or bend the center of the lid wide open and slide down over your sword being careful not to snag the leaves or stems. Reverse the bending one section at a time til even, then seal over canister bottom and place in tank.

I plan on removing 25% of the sand every water change so I don't have a mini cycle. And I've seen pictures of people using terra cotta pots to hold their plants in bb tanks. I'm just not sure how to go about that

 

[ShadowP]

I plan on removing 25% of the sand every water change so I don't have a mini cycle. And I've seen pictures of people using terra cotta pots to hold their plants in bb tanks. I'm just not sure how to go about that

Same basic principle as the lid on a storage container method... plant the sword in the medium and cover the surface of the medium with river rocks (LARGE pebbles) so your fish can't dig it up.

 

[Cheifwalnut]

Same basic principle as the lid on a storage container method... plant the sword in the medium and cover the surface of the medium with river rocks (LARGE pebbles) so your fish can't dig it up.

I think it should be alright with some normal plant substrate for nutrients because my pumpkinseed and bass don't bother any of the plants I have( I have Java fern attached to a price of rock) I'm going to the lfs tomorrow to get 2 dozen fathead minnows to gut load and quarantine for my bass so I'll pick up the smallest bag of plant substrate and maybe some more plants too, I'm hoping I can find more Java fern, Amazon swords and some floating plants too like duckweed.