Bare bottom????

Mbuloverxxt

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Alright guys. Here's a serious question. I cant get over the nervousness of the Sand in my tank destroying my fx6s. Now. I'm seriously debating going bare bottom. Before I do. Is there anything I should worry about? I have the 3 fx6 filters in the tank, I'll have 2 large air stones and a large bio sponge for bubbles and also for just back up bio etc. I'll be keeping an albino aro, a datnoid, and maybe something else in there also in the future. I need advice on pros and cons. I like the look of bare, But worried fish wont like it. And I'm worried itll get "to dirty"? I once had a flowerhorn in a 75 gallon tank and went bare bottom and it got disgusting fast. But I also didnt use powerhead or anything and only had a hob filter. Any advice welcome! Also debated once barebottom throwing in tile just to look somewhat nice. But that would be later on
 

fishhead0103666

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Substrate is like carpet, you don't realize just how dirty it is with it. Once you go bare bottom you'll realize just how much stuff is around and how inadequate your maintenance is that you thought was fine.
 

Mbuloverxxt

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Substrate is like carpet, you don't realize just how dirty it is with it. Once you go bare bottom you'll realize just how much stuff is around and how inadequate your maintenance is that you thought was fine.
So you're saying bare bottom is a good idea? And us putting tile on the bottoms good or bad idea?
 

fishhead0103666

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I have not personally had any problems with bare bottom. With tiles many people here can confirm that unless you glue them down waste and whatnot is going to get stuck underneath, don't ask me how as quite frankly I don't know how.
So to sum it up, bare bottom good (in my experience), tiles have to be glued down.
 
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Mbuloverxxt

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I have not personally had any problems with bare bottom. With tiles many people here can confirm that unless you glue them down waste and whatnot is going to get stuck underneath, don't ask me how as quite frankly I don't know how.
So to sum it up, bare bottom good (in my experience), tiles have to be glued down.
Oh okay.
 

esoxlucius

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A good turnover with cleverly positioned powerheads and an intake that is towards the bottom of your tank, and your tank will be spotless. It gets a bit tricky when decor is added because you may get the odd dead spot but that can be overcome if the post on of your powerheads is tweaked.

Be aware though that all the crud that has miraculously gone from your tank has not disappeared, it is now in your filter. So be sure to keep on top of filter pads etc to prevent nitrate build up.

Tiles, unless fastened down and some form of grout added between then, will harbour just as much detritus underneath as substrate.
 
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duanes

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One problem in going bare bottom, because substrate has the ability to hold billions of beneficial bacteria in the its many interstitial spaces, many more than simple glass bottom, this means in a bare bottom tank your filter is the main center for biological action (not solely but main center). if your power goes out for any length time, halting flow to and from filters, much of the biological action becomes non-existent. and if you are at all overstocked ammonia can become problematic very quickly,
In a tank with substrate full of beneficial bacteria, and semi-microscopic detritus feeders (and a little under stocked) that biological action between fish, bacteria and other detritus consumers is still available for at least a slightly longer amount of time before the tank goes anoxic.
Plants and algae can also be of help in these power outage situations, and are not as often a part of stark bare bottom set ups.
 
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Mbuloverxxt

Exodon
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2020
74
36
21
27
One problem in going bare bottom, because substrate has the ability to hold billions of beneficial bacteria in the its many interstitial spaces, many more than simple glass bottom, this means in a bare bottom tank your filter is the main center for biological action (not solely but main center). if your power goes out for any length time, halting flow to and from filters, much of the biological action becomes non-existent. and if you are at all overstocked ammonia can become problematic very quickly,
In a tank with substrate full of beneficial bacteria, and semi-microscopic detritus feeders (and a little under stocked) that biological action between fish, bacteria and other detritus consumers is still available for at least a slightly longer amount of time before the tank goes anoxic.
Plants and algae can also be of help in these power outage situations, and are not as often a part of stark bare bottom set ups.
In regards to an outage. With me having 2 sponges in the tank rated for 220 gallons each and having a backup air pump during these outages, wouldn't that cover that issue? Or am I wrong?
 
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