why dont use sand,gravel in the aquarium?

[yivk]

I ask a question who dont use sand, gravel in the aquariums...

I see a lot of aquarium picture without a sand,gravel, fishes on the glass only, please tell me why dont use sand,gravel in the aquarium?
Fishes are need this because of more naturel atmosphere and less stress... [smilie=fish2.gif]

 

[benny]

I suppose it's a case of easier maintenance...

Cheers,

 

[Guest]

well, honestly, unless you are talking huge tanks, there is very little natural about aquariums. The body of water is too small, chemistry is totally whack, and there are walls. I have gravel in all of my tanks. Does not mean I use a lot. I only put enough to make the impression that it's there, one smooth layer that they then move around. It's done for ease of maintenance. It's much easier to see the condition of the substrate if you dont use it or if you see the crap on top of it. ALso thick layers of sand / gravel can become collectors of stuff you dont want in the tank. THe only reason for thick gravel beds would be planted tanks.

 

[nimbusv]

It's easier to keep mint water condition that way cause there are no detritus hiding on the gravel, and some people like it that way.

 

[evdzwaag]

It's just a matter of taste. I keep thick layers of fine sand with pebbles in and on top of it. Bare bottom and thin layers of sand might be easier to maintain clean, but when your filtering is sufficient, no problems will occur with thick layers of sandy substrate. My largest tank is 200G and I filter 800 gallons an hour, never have a problem.

 

[Roy W.]

I`ve got 2" of sand covering the bottom of my 180 gallon.
I am filtering 700gallons an hour and everything is working well.

 

[catfish]

Bare bottom tanks are rough on the fish, they have their uses like the show bench or a photo tank, but for keeping fish - very stressful.

 

[HighFive]

To help answer your question at hand, many breeders prefer the use of bare bottom tanks for ease of maintenance, this helps ensure that all left over debris is sucked up by their filter or pump. The other factors is less accumulation of waste and bacteria building up within the tank.

Now, on the other hand, gravel does play an important role in that it helps maintain a gradual temperature within the tank. Helps create a playful environment for your fish. Most fish like to pick up gravel and spit it out. This is their way of grazing for algae and cleaning the substrate of potentially harmful parasites. And some gravel tanks look very pleasing to the eyes.

Marc