am i better off not having any gravel in my 125gal tank and just keep it plain....cause i know poop just stays down there and it gets trapped and causes nitrate...my tank is pretty much overstocked with south and central american cichlids and maybe thats what caused the hole in the head to my lovely albino oscar.
is it better to have no gravel?
- Thread starter drano33
- Start date
Thats the main reason why so many people keep bare bottom tanks. If you like the look of it go for it. I would paint the bottom of the tank black though or make sure you put somthing under the tank so the fish cant see through the bottom of it, or else they wont have a "ground" and they wont be comfortable in it
It's more for appearance. Gravel provides some beneficial bacteria, but nothing that won't develop in the tank on it's own anyways.
Just vacuum it weekly, and you don't have to worry about the dirt factor. I have gravel in all my monster tanks, but namely because they like to move it around, so it gives them something to do.
to see the most natural behaviors out of your fish you'll want some kind of substrate. cichlids love to move gravel around and many of them also like to sift through substrate for food.
I have several cichlids also in an overstocked 125 gallon with no gravel. this is only temporary until I move again hopefully in just a couple more months. there is no substrate and the bottom of the tank is not painted. when the fish get towards the bottom they swim kind of cock-eyed like they're looking below them. the only reason I don't put gravel back in the tank is because then I'll have to take it back out when I move again.
I have several cichlids also in an overstocked 125 gallon with no gravel. this is only temporary until I move again hopefully in just a couple more months. there is no substrate and the bottom of the tank is not painted. when the fish get towards the bottom they swim kind of cock-eyed like they're looking below them. the only reason I don't put gravel back in the tank is because then I'll have to take it back out when I move again.
I just like gravel cuz my fish love to dig in it. Weekly water changes with thourough Gravel vaccuming does the trick no problem.
Just press the gravel vac onto a spot...watch the gravel fly and **** come out...then move onto the next spot....by the time ur done there will be lots of nicely ordered lumps in the gravel....
Just press the gravel vac onto a spot...watch the gravel fly and **** come out...then move onto the next spot....by the time ur done there will be lots of nicely ordered lumps in the gravel....
Try taking out your carbon and replacing it with purigen or hypersorb and adding some discus trace elements to the tank. Will get rid of the hold in head no problem as long as you stay on top of your water changes.
i think if it's a show tank, my vote is to go with the gravel, it's a little more work but i think its worth the ohhhhs and ahhhhhhhs. bare bottom tanks reminds me of the supermarket live fish or lobster tanks. good luck
good luck