I only have three tanks with gravel (in the showy parts of the house). The rest are bare bottom for easy cleaning. Yesterday I cleaned eleven tanks with water changes in under three hours.
How important is gravel
- Thread starter TCZeli
- Start date
I prefer tanks with substrate for show tanks and tanks with a few handfuls of gravel or sand for tanks in my fishroom.
Deep gravel is just too hard to keep clean.
Deep gravel is just too hard to keep clean.
TCZeli;964482; said:
Thanks!
Only two of my graveled tanks are normal UGF's. My other is reverse flow and I haven't had to clean it yet. my maintenance free tank
I have a system of tanks that have a wet sump and a wet/dry. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36298 Five of my breeder tanks have sponge filters only. My 75g has an emporer 400 and two large sponge filters. I have a ten gallon holding tank that has a penguin 150. Lastly, I have a hex 30g with a penguin 150 and large sponge.
I clean the cartriges by spraying them with a kitchen sprayer that is in my shower. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32369
For fast draining and filling, I use a tool that I made to use with a garden hose. I mix my fill water in a barrel and use the same garden hose to pump it to the tanks. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56299
The bacteria colony lives in the filter. The percentage that lives in the tank is very minor. When you clean the filter, you aren't removing all of the bacteria. Depending on the filter type and bio-load, you the bacteria colony from even a cleaned sponge filter should be sufficient when it is replaced in the tank.
Filters that have a bio-wheel always have a working colony because the bio-wheel is never cleaned (usually).
Sponge filters only need to be squeezed out in a bucket of old tank water and they are ready to go. They should not be cleaned with any detergents, bleach, etc. They also should not be put in the laundry or dishwasher.
The only filter that makes me nervous is Aqua Clear and Top Fin filters. When the media is discarded and replaced, the colony gets discarded with it.
Filters that have a bio-wheel always have a working colony because the bio-wheel is never cleaned (usually).
Sponge filters only need to be squeezed out in a bucket of old tank water and they are ready to go. They should not be cleaned with any detergents, bleach, etc. They also should not be put in the laundry or dishwasher.
The only filter that makes me nervous is Aqua Clear and Top Fin filters. When the media is discarded and replaced, the colony gets discarded with it.
Ha.......bare bottom is gonna show silt/dirt/detritus on the glass bottom 24/7.......you're gonna be vaccuming MORE with bare bottom.Trust me,i only have one FH in my Bare Bottom 40 breeder,and just him alone makes a little pile for me to vaccum.So i put in some river stones recently and it hides alot of dirtTCZeli;962254; said:
i understand that there will be algae and noticable fish poo, but it'll be easier to clean, and you can be sure you get every bit of it with a bare bottom. I also am considering just enough gravel to cover the bottom, 1/2-1inch worth. what do you think? and what would be easier to clean, small are large gravel?
That also leads to the question of whether it is better to clean the tank more often or to hide the poo. It is easier to keep the tank clean and the water chemistry good with frequent cleaning. There are less swings in the water parameters.
Again, bare bottom tanks are not the most ideal in the showy parts of your house.
Again, bare bottom tanks are not the most ideal in the showy parts of your house.
