Pea gravel or bare bottom?

[vlcek81]

I drained my 125g today and i am taking the gravel out going to wash it then put it in for a new turtle tank for my baby eastern painted turtle.

Started to think how much easier it would be to vaccum the turtle poo out with no gravel for it to hide in. I know some people on here do the bare bottom for their freshwater rays and such and cant decide which to do.

 

[vlcek81]

bump

 

[DMD123]

I hate the look of bare bottom tanks. It is so sterile and institutionalized. I know it would be easy to maintain but it just does not have a natural look about it. I would at least put in a very thin layer of gravel to at least get rid of the glass bottom look or some lager stones at least.

 

[Allan01230]

I'll secound the above post. I took gravel out of my pleco tank and hated it. Also light went all the way through in the cabinet.. Just seemed like I was always vacuminng. I finally did a 1 inch layer of black quartz and like it soooo much better, too much gravel and the tank was always dirty.

 

[JML1997]

Have you considered Pool Filter Sand?

 

[m1ste2tea]

DO NOT put gravel into your turtle tank. turtles are known to swallow gravel which damages their digestive tract and can cause a blockage and kill them. I have known a turtle that lived in a tank with blue gravel, was put into a new tank with large river stones and lo and behold the next day there was a few pieces of blue gravel in the tank. Fine sand or any substrate which the particles are bigger than the turtles head are best

 

[vlcek81]

Have you considered Pool Filter Sand?

have sand in my 55g in my bed room, i love it, but wanted something diff.

 

[smitty03281964]

The gravel does give it a look that one can appreciate.

 

[ogmoses]

how about a dark color tile

 

[ogmoses]

and some big smooth river rocks