Gravel or barebottom

[Wolf3101]

Old school or not...it worked for a LOT of huge tanks for a LOT of years. Once again this is in no way a recomendation to return to the use of UGF's but rather a responce to the statement about how useless the BB in the gravil bed is...

Lazy is not better...sorry to say. I'll match water quality and clarity (two entirly differant issues) with anyone on MFK at any time. Massive water changes with poorly tested or even non tested TAP water is NOT the end all and be all of proper fishkeeping.

Strange....take a close look at Zoo's of 45 years ago and those of today...Notice the differance? The enclosures are becoming MORE and MORE natural looking rather than less. Breeding successes are on the rise and species that have formerly been difficult or even impossible to keep in captivity are now common place.

If you like the look...then by all means...keep your fish in plastic buckets for all I care but don't tell me how much BETTER it is to do so...

 

[hoosier]

it basically boils down to looks vs. ease of cleaaning

 

[Chooka]

Also 25g of gravel is freaking heavy and an unnecessary weight. It just might make or break a floor surface in terms of wrapping.

How is 25G of water much different weightwise to 25G of gravel?????

Brett

 

[Merbeast]

How is 25G of water much different weightwise to 25G of gravel?????

Brett

The difference would probably run something like 100lbs (depending on type and grain size of the gravel). A lot of weight, but not compared to the weight of the tank filled with water. It certainly is not going to make or break the chance of floor failure.

 

[Scorponok]

The concept is the marginal utility of aggregate weight. Suppose a heavy tank is warping the floor, the additional weight of the gravel will make the warping worse comparing to without it. But no, the additional gravel itself won't be the cause of the floor to fail.

 

[Scorponok]

it basically boils down to looks vs. ease of cleaaning

Not true. Another reason not to keep gravel is health related. If you have big catfish they swallow some of it when they charge for food on floor. They spit them back out of course but occasionally some will get stuck inside. Besides, what a tedious way for them to eat whenever they're being fed.

 

[Sturgeon]

If you like the look...then by all means...keep your fish in plastic buckets for all I care but don't tell me how much BETTER it is to do so...

I agree 100%.
some people like gravel, some do not. I don't think theres a huge weight difference between a gallon of water (8.34 Lbs) and a gallons worth of gravel, which can vary in weight.
gravel does support BB, when used with a UGF. Don't knock it, I use one and It does its job while maintaining perfect water (API FW master testkit)

While UGF does trap a ton of fish crap in the gravel, It does not make a bit of a difference when it comes to cleaning. You still have to vac the crap off a bare bottom tank. It takes a whopping extra 10 minutes to vac gravel clean, and you still have to replace the water.

barebottom tanks are decent as hospitals, breeders, or when your jus getting set up, but a fishtank is a home, a habitat for your pet- barebottoms seem like displays, and using the excuse of it being easier to clean is a lousy excuse at that. If you like it easy, why dont you just taxidermy your fish and "display" it on the wall? you wont have to clean, feed it or do WC's. it dont get any easier than that.

 

[Jkoziatek]

i had heard that barebottom effects the coloring of the fish making them lighter and less colors stand out... so i deff would stick with some typa substrate or gravel

 

[Wolf3101]

If the floor in your rental shack can't handle the weight of your Aquraium....it can't....it's as simple as that...if the few extra pounds of gravil or rock is going to make a differance then you already have way more aquarium than you can handle...

I have several big catfish and always have...In 35 years now I've yet have a health related problem with one of them eating a rock.

All of these rather weak arguments seem to be getting more and more lame as we go along. You can't actully belive all of this nonsence...I think all your doing is coming up with anything you can think of that supports your "Ghetto" style of fishkeeping....

Nothing at all wrong with that style by the way...I've talked with...and visited hobbiests who use it all the time. The differance is that they don't preach the superiority of the methoud...They know...and accept that thier tanks are Ghetto.

 

[beblondie]

For your consideration: If you like the idea of a bare bottom tank but not the clear glass bottom simply paint it like you can the back of the tank.I can suggest black or a sand/tan color this also cuts down the reflection form the bottom glass you can silicone some fake plants to the bottom also.Like I said just a thought-Anne