Very Curious RE: bare bottom tanks

[groovitudedude]

It is much easier to prevent waste from building up on the bottom of a bare bottomed tank for many reasons...

You can shoot filter returns at the bottom without worrying about stirring up sand...

Since the bottom is flat & smooth currents are not broken up as much thus a little current goes a longer way...

Since there is no substrate for particles to fall between or lock into, waste particles are more likely to be wasted into an intake...

When doing tank maintenance, there is no concern for suckign up sand/gravel so it is faster/easier to siphon off the bottom...



The main reason we use substrate, is because we like the way it looks...


Some fish "enjoy" digging, but they can live without doing so...


Eartheaters may stress out a bit if they don't have sand to sift, but I think they would learn to live with it as well...


Substrate does increase the "surface area" within the system thus giving bacteria additional options of a place to live, but it is exceptionally rare for a system to not have enough "surface area" for bacteria to live... some leads suggest it is implossible to not have enough surface area...

Although I agree with several of your points, I have to disagree with this. I use substrate because I believe it makes my aquarium more similar to the natural environment of my fish.

 

[nospeed411]

A bare bottom tank to me is akin to driving your car without pants on but wearing a knit cap.

Don't get me wrong ..not knocking it but I think it just looks silly.

 

[jk41589]

I use large rocks as substrate because they are easier to clean up. 2" rocks are great.

 

[tcarswell]

I use large rocks as substrate because they are easier to clean up. 2" rocks are great.

Don't you have to move those rocks around to vacuum under them ? Seems worse than gravel to me...

 

[yogurt_21]

Although I agree with several of your points, I have to disagree with this. I use substrate because I believe it makes my aquarium more similar to the natural environment of my fish.

to be accurate here you would have to grab the exact type of substrate as exists in your specific breed's natural environment. Just using any substarte that you like the look or can find available is about as unantural as none. And seriously there's nothing natural/authentic about an aquarium.

the whole time you're trying to make their tank seem more like home, there you are along with your house/garage totally killing the illusion. lol

 

[killerfahaka]

This is an interesting topic. I always had gravel becuase of the BB and thought w/no gravel i would have to upgrade or add additional filter to maintain the BB. Am I wrong or just little off.

I do like the bare bottom tank as they look alot easier to keep clean.

 

[groovitudedude]

to be accurate here you would have to grab the exact type of substrate as exists in your specific breed's natural environment. Just using any substarte that you like the look or can find available is about as unantural as none. And seriously there's nothing natural/authentic about an aquarium.

the whole time you're trying to make their tank seem more like home, there you are along with your house/garage totally killing the illusion. lol

I don't think it has to be the EXACT type of substrate, but something suitable. Most fish have sand in their environment, some have gravel, etc.... but I have never heard of a fish that has a piece of glass on the bottom of their river/lake, etc. Something is better than nothing, but that's just my opinion.

And if you really believe that there's nothing natural about an aquarium then I think you simply aren't trying hard enough

 

[T1KARMANN]

substrate hold lots of good bacteria how go you think under gravel filters used to work

i have herd of many people who had substrate then removed it and had a tank crash

it takes no time at all to do a gravel clean when doing a water change and with rays they move the substrate around all the time

if your filters are good enough then all the crap will get sucked up

 

[Joey47]

i like my setups Bare bottom. easier to clean and looks nicer to me. thats just my opinion.

 

[Toby_H]

It's unfair to compare gravel in use with an Under Gravel Filter and substrate in use without... the UFG provides flow through all of the gravel, where without the UGF only the top surface has flow...

But yes, you are right bacteria will grow on the surface of the substrate... It will also grow on the surface of the glass of a bare bottomed tank... but the 'surface area' of substrate will be greater as it is not flat/smooth...


Also not there is a world of difference between not using substrate... and removing mature substrate...

since bacteria does exist in/on substrate, removing substrate from a mature set up removes a % of the bacteria... but a set up that has never used substrate will simply grow bacteria elsewhere...


So your 'warning' is very valid for anyone who wishes to remove substrate from a mature tank. Doing so all at once will remove a % of the bacteria in a system therefore after removing substrate we should monitor water conditions closely and water change as needed to keep ammonia/nitrite in check...

I've also removed gravel and in the process stirred an excessive amount of waste into the water column which has caused issues. In my opinion/experience stirring waste into the water column is more of a threat to a healthy system than removing a % of the bacteria...