I HAVE A QUESTION???

MidasMan

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 10, 2005
39
0
0
38
Virginia
why do alot of u guys not have any gravel in with your fish? is it really needed if you have enough filtration?
 

R1_Ridah

In Loving Memory
Apr 4, 2005
5,488
18
0
WEST COAST
It's all personal preference I think. Gravel is primarly for looks and gives the tank that certain Biotope look. I use to have gravel in my tanks and now I'm into sand but thinking about going commando with my 600 gallon.

I just like the whole Japanese bare bottom MONSTER TANK look. However it's only certain species that can achieve the look.

Not to mention bare bottom is easier to clean =-)
 

redtailfool

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,397
31
62
New Jersey
Its not necessary to have gravel at all. But if youre the type that goes for the "natural" or Biotope look, then you have to have subrate in your tank.

But its not necessary at all. The beneficial bacteria mostly resides in your filter media.

I have some tanks with black sand and some with gravel. But my ray tank is bare bottom with pieces of wood and slate . Easier to clean that way and the attention is on the animal and not the tank.

Whatever floats your boat !
 

ezman

Gambusia
MFK Member
May 6, 2005
756
8
18
50
Singapore
i will say its easier for maintainance...........partly is also dued to the type of food we are feeding our fishes (like MP)......there are bits & pcs left over after each feeding.....once they are trapped in-between the gravels, then alot of problems will araise after that..........
 

rollerboy244

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 30, 2005
29
0
0
60
it's funny i used to be more into herps and i thought that aquarium keeping was more advanced.Now the trend in herping is away from the easy newsprint linning for snakes and lizards to self cleaning bio substrate and naturalistic displays--the trend like zoos are doing going away from concrete barred cages.
But i can see why people would go to bare aquarium bottoms considering the maintenance of such large aquariums some of you have.If i didn't have such heavy filtration and good gravel vacuuming habits on my 180 gallon-it would be in rough shape-i feed my 30 small fish(av 2-3 inches) in that tank lightly with very high quality food and it's amazing how much waste accumulates in the gravel
 

rayman45

Team Rayman
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2005
7,515
20
0
33
staten island new york
well i like bare alot better
i do have graavel in my 4 of my tanks b/c
my sh tank- he get itchy and rubs his head on the graqvel, when it was bare he would bugg out
my 30g- its a show tank
my 55 gator tank- b/c i made that a natural tank
any my snapping turtles tub- but just a little bit, like 1.5 lbs
 
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