My personal opinion is no. Fry my die and it can pollute the water causing others to die. At least with a bare bottom you can suction out the dead fry. Plus a lot easier to keep the tank clean!!
Should I have gravel in a fry tank?
- Thread starter Tiretrackeel lover
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I have sand and a sh*t load of mts and ramshorn snails in my 10g grow out. Don't have to worry about over feeding because the snails eat leftover food.
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You are very right about it being easier to clean, but a sand bottom isn't that much harder to clean if you have a good gavel vac (preferably with a small diameter hose so you can avoid sucking up fry as best you can).
All three have their benefits.
Bare bottom is super easy to clean and maintain. Personally I don't like seeing the bottom of the tank, but that is just a personal opinion.
Sand is my preferred sediment. It is only a little harder to clean sand than it is a bare bottom tank. The poop is easy to see, but unfortunately the down side is that dead fry tend to be white or clear and will blend in with the sand (assuming you are going with a light colored sediment). Sand also holds decorations/plants better than gravel will.
Gravel has gaps in it that tiny fry can hide in to feel safe and secure. Downside is that is also traps uneaten food and dead fry. They will sit there and decay, which fouls up your water pretty fast. Not to mention you will suck up a bunch of fry when you have to vac the gravel because the fry will be hiding in it.
So it depends on what you want. If you focus on the easiest to maintain, then bare bottom is your style. If you want sediment with possible decorations, then I recommend sand.
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