no substrate?

[Datnoid101]

Do you do a couple of 50% changes, or move the fish to another tank or something?

I try to do 30-40% every 4-5 days along with a gravel vac. I've got sand in my 80g and 40g tanks, but I'm think about using tiles in the big tank I'm planning as I hate the way a bare-bottomed tank looks.

I drain the tanks to the height of the biggest dat with a Mag 9 connected to a garden hose, I then have another hose connected to the outside faucet connected to a pvc hook that hangs on the tank. I cycle the water for about 10 minutes then fill back up. About the tiles, sounds pretty cool. I was thinking about using retangular cut slate to either line the bottom or silicone to the back of the tank. I'm sure it would look really nice but I'm sure the dats wouldnt care for it. They prefer soft water.

 

[T1KARMANN]

tigers are fine with substrate the tank looks 100% better than a bare bottom tank

a tank with bare bottom is no cleaner than a tank with substrate

the substrate even acts like media with a massive surface area

 

[vanimate]

a tank with bare bottom is no cleaner than a tank with substrate

A tank is only as clean as you clean it.


It is easier to see the dirt and clean it up in a BB tank though.

 

[rone]

after some reading and talkin to some buddies... it boils down to this...

no substrate=lazy keepers. they dont wanna take the time to make the habitat the best for the fish. all they care about it is "oh it looks nice".. the fish cant be happy tho.... is it natural for a fish to skim his face along the bottom of a tank frantically...

plus dirt isnt a bad thing... u want dirt in yer gravel... i just really think it lazy fish keeping... they dont wanna gravel vaccume gravel... well la te da...
not trying to offend or piss anyone off... just my point of view... if u cant get a animal and give it the best possabable home... DONT GET IT

rite now my water changes are done 25% every 2 days


people just have to respect animals. i look at all the BB tanks and sure the fish are nice in them... but the tanks look like half done... lol

 

[vanimate]

after some reading and talkin to some buddies... it boils down to this...

no substrate=lazy keepers.

Depends on how much water you are maintainig. Tell someone with 12 tanks and over 1,000 gallons to maintain that they are lazy fishkeepers and that they shouldn't have fish.

 

[rone]

sorry didnt mean to come accross rude... but think about it... its true ...lol

no but it means that they have too many fish to take care of... if they cant give it a natural habitat... its just greedy...
u guys ever hear of silica sand... 10$ for 40 KG bag

 

[dragonfish]

sorry didnt mean to come accross rude... but think about it... its true ...lol

Sorry, but it did sound rude. I maintain eight tanks and the only BB is the hospital tank. But that is because I personally don't like the look. Just look at the condition of some of the fish these people on here keep. Just having no substrate is not a substitute for maintenance. If they were lazy the fish would not survive, much less thrive.

 

[TCZeli]

all they care about it is "oh it looks nice"

I dont think ppl do it because they think it looks nice, 9 out of 10 ppl will say gravel bottom looks better then BB even if they have BB.

And i'm sure their are some ppl that do it to be lazy, but I get the impression that most ppl do it becasue they want to make sure the water is as clean as possible, and that isn't being lazy, if it is anything, its "going the extra mile" in some ppls eyes anyway.

BB dont stop the need to vacuum out the waste, or do water changes, so ppl aren't going BB to be lazy, they're doing it to make sure they clean it completely.

JUST MO

 

[rone]

yes but anyone who is in the hobby or knows jack about fish. knows that certin crap is good for the water quallity... u need some crap under yer gravel. for your fish to thrive
anyways its all good... i was just sayin that it looks terrable for a show tank to have no substrate... amaizing fish but holding tank looking tanks

 

[vanimate]

anyways its all good