Gravel or No Gravel???

[t_j]

I took out All the gravel out of my 125 last night and I want to know witch looked better Gravel or no Gravel? After I grow my guys out should I put it back in or leave it out?

What do you guys think? Any comments...Thanks.

[pcsb23]

Tiffany, this is one of those questions :)

First off my display tank in my study is a high tech densley planted tank and therfore I believe very ittle looks better than a lush aquarioum full of healthy fish and plants. But the display tank in my lounge has only a thin sand covering and at the moment nothing else (except discus :)). Both look good to me.

For growing out discus then BBis the right way to go. I have grown discus out in a planted tank, just wanted to prove I could really, but I will never ever do it agian. Far too much like hard work.

To answer your question, the one on the left, but put a pale background on it and it will look loads better agian imo.

hth,

[White Worm]

Sand! :D

[Harriett]

I agree with Paul. Since BB is certainly easier to keep clean, I'd probably go with that unless I was going to do a whole planted tank scenario or a biotope.
Harriett

[t_j]

Thank you Paul, Mike, and Harriett for your suggestions and comments.


Mike, I was going to go with sand but I don't know what happen we some how went with gravel:o

[Andres]

Hello everybody,

Can somebody explain to me what is the logic to having a B/B tank??? Except for breeding and Q/T use. So if you’re not using one or the other why have a B/B!!!! I thought the main key to getting a BIG discus was water changes everyday, food and excellent filtration. I have a friend that got me into the hobby which I fell in love with his discus. All of his discus are 6 inch+++ with sand the whole time. I think that a B/B tank is much easier to clean but I don’t see it to grow out a discus.

[Jarrod]

Hello everybody,

Can somebody explain to me what is the logic to having a B/B tank??? Except for breeding and Q/T use. So if you’re not using one or the other why have a B/B!!!! I thought the main key to getting a BIG discus was water changes everyday, food and excellent filtration. I have a friend that got me into the hobby which I fell in love with his discus. All of his discus are 6 inch+++ with sand the whole time. I think that a B/B tank is much easier to clean but I don’t see it to grow out a discus.


Andres, to me the logic of going BB is the ease of cleaning for both breeding and qt purposes. I am a novice at breeding to be sure but even given that fact I have had aquariums off and on since what feels like forever lol. When I first got started in this hobby wc's on a regular basis were unheard of. It was more along the lines of set the tank up with no regards to qt or water parameters other than temps. But that was also before the times of home computers and things such as the internet to allow one to research such things too.My first sight of discus was a next door neighbors tank that was a 55 gal with gravel and fully planted as were mine with african cichlids. I am now a dyed in the wool Discus fanatic and will never change from this other than if I should give up the hobby altogether (fat chance of that happening tho LOL) Asthetics aside between bb and substrates it's just soooo much easier to keep things clean being BB IMHO. To me keeping my tanks as pristine and stable as possible and my fish healthy is so much more important than the mere looks of my tanks. To me it's all about the fish and nothing else...JMHO is all
George

[AADiscus]

I personally like a bb tank but I think is because that is what I am used to. We have never had a planted discus tank. (yet lol) We have had chiclid tanks that are planted with rocks and all that. The reason for a bb tank for growing out discus is the ease of cleaning. Young discus need lots of food which in turn means lots of clean up. They poop all the time, left over food, etc. If the tank is bb then it is very easy to go thru and siphon up anything on the bottom. In a planted tank stuff falls in between the gravel or in the sand, on plants or in the pots. You will notice if you have ever used the fake rock formations you buy at the pet store, stuff will get trapped in them, stale water will also gather in there. IME Also, alot that have planted tanks have live plants. Alot of those plants don't go good with large daily wc's. So it is really up to the handler of the fish to decide what they what at that moment. You could always go back to a planted tank when they are adults and don't require as much neediness as juvies.

Paul......how about a terra cota color instead of a beige. :D :D

You do IMO need to put a lighter color of background on the tank. You will be surprised at how much brighter your fish will look.

[pcsb23]

Paul......how about a terra cota color instead of a beige. :D :D
Works for me ;)

[Alan]

Can somebody explain to me what is the logic to having a B/B tank??? Except for breeding and Q/T use.

Easier to clean. Although sand may be a good option. Gravel is definitely harder to clean. JME

[Alan]

I took out All the gravel out of my 125 last night and I want to know witch looked better Gravel or no Gravel? After I grow my guys out should I put it back in or leave it out?

What do you guys think? Any comments...Thanks.

Try putting sand, take a picture and let's see... :D

[traco]

Even a skim coat of sand makes a difference. It is still easy to clean, the fish don't see their reflection;) and it looks nice. That is what I started with when I wanted to have a substrate.

[Jarrod]

What I did was paint the underside of the bottom of the glass with a "sand" color and they seem to be doing fine with it since they can't see their reflections.
Just how I did it is all.
George

[White Worm]

Sand! :D

[White Worm]

18645


Sand! :D :D

[crazie.eddie]

I personally like gravel, but I'm not sure about the color of the gravel you are using. Or it could be the lighting and the camera not doing justice to the color of the substrate.

[t_j]

Thanks again for every ones suggestions:)

Mike I do like the way the sand looks but after I got the 125 I bought a lot of gravel for the tank and if I go and get sand now it would be a wast because then I'd have a 5gal bucket of rocks and no way to get rid of it.

[t_j]

I personally like gravel, but I'm not sure about the color of the gravel you are using. Or it could be the lighting and the camera not doing justice to the color of the substrate.

It's both I have a $300 Kodak camra that I can't seem to take good in door pictures out door comes out great in door you better take about a 100 pictures before you get one good one. I've tried all the settings on it and nothing has worked. I also have low lighting on the tank so the colors on the discus pop out or come out better.


Mike,

How do you clean sand any ways?:confused:

[t_j]

I have one more question plants would I even want to get in to plants or would it be too hard? My mom use to keep plants in her tank and it wasn't that bad that is until my little sister poured juice in the fish tank!:(

Any ways do I even want to get in to that right know or should I wait and do one thing at a time?

[traco]

Hi Tiffany

I did start with a skim coat of sand in my tank. The finished product right now is sand and gravel mixed up along the back two corners of the tank and just a skim coat for the center and along the front.

I added some anubias and java fern to the piece of driftwood, have some swords in the deeper substrate and vals. Easy low light plants and all I do is add some fertilizer tablets under the swords.

You could just give the anubias and java fern tied onto something for a start. Also, silk plants look fairly realistic in a tank too.

Oh and others have done the potted plants in their tanks also.

[cosman]

:bandana: Tiff I have over 2 inches of sand in my tank. When I go to clean it I just skim the top of it with a hose.I use a regular garden hose that I keep just for my tank. Keep in my that at the other end of the hose I have an old piece of pantyhose wrapped around it. I only do this in the winter months when I cant hang the hose out the window right into my grass. If you dont do this and dump right into the drain ie. tube, sink,toilet you will plug your drain up. B/B are ok to me if your breeding or selling discus. Its easier to maintain but if your talkng SHOW TANK I am a firm believer to hook it up nicely. I also go with a very natural surrounding. Your tank looked so nice now it looks so BLAHH!!

[t_j]

:bandana: Tiff I have over 2 inches of sand in my tank. When I go to clean it I just skim the top of it with a hose.I use a regular garden hose that I keep just for my tank. Keep in my that at the other end of the hose I have an old piece of pantyhose wrapped around it. I only do this in the winter months when I cant hang the hose out the window right into my grass. If you dont do this and dump right into the drain ie. tube, sink,toilet you will plug your drain up. B/B are ok to me if your breeding or selling discus. Its easier to maintain but if your talkng SHOW TANK I am a firm believer to hook it up nicely. I also go with a very natural surrounding. Let Andres take the pictures if you cant....

You know COSMAN your not funny I can take better pictures then Andres. You see all those pictures he shows you those are mine that I took. :D :D :D

Any ways I thought you liked the gravel we have? And how do you like that nice "nonfloating" piece of driftwood we got? We where only planning to keep it bare until we grow out the discus and then redo it.

[cosman]

Your tank looked good until you made it naked. The gravel you had in it was nice. I just dont know what made you want to take it out. As you can see this myth about bare bottom tanks is BUSTED!!! So please put the substrate back or go with sand:D . I have a piece of driftwood thats been floating for over7 years its looks cool. I can do much more with it floating than I could if it sank. I just dont want to see your hubby crying at work on how he has lost control of the fish tank. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH OH YEAH I FORGOT IS HE GOING TO BRING YOU AND THE KIDS TO SEE THE HALLOWEEN DECOR??HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[White Worm]

:bandana: Tiff I have over 2 inches of sand in my tank. When I go to clean it I just skim the top of it with a hose.I use a regular garden hose that I keep just for my tank.

I have about 1.5 inches of sand and I clean it the same way except I use the python size hose attached to a long pvc pipe so that I dont have to put my hands and arms in to vacuum. Just hover the end of the pvc pipe over the sand and it gets some great power. Just drain it out the front door into the plants. It will suck up a little sand with it but you can just replace it if you lose too much. The stuff is $3 for 50lb bag at home depot (silica sand) mine was called monterey sand. Gotta love the price and I love the simple natural look. One bag would be plenty to do a 85g tank at a nice thickness for plants. Thats what mine is.

18661

[t_j]

What do you mean he's never had control over the tank including the fish:D He didn't want rams but do you see what we got? Rams!! And any way at the beginning I think you scared him about the discus because you where telling him about how much care it took and what you could and couldn't do with them etc... I told him that we could and look what happen we did. I fell in love with them as soon as he showed me a picture I think of one of yours or one off the internet and I told him thats what I wanted.

I don't know about the halloween decor he hasn't said any thing about it and also I haven't even seen him that much lately with him working all the time.

[cosman]

I think we are getting away from the topic on hand. So I wont dignify your answer.

[Cosmo]

For what it is or isn't worth... I had been told by someone I believe knows what he's doing that going deeper than 1 inch with sand can be dangerous as the lack of water flow can lead to the development of anearobic bacteria colonies... which are bad

Don't use substrate so don't know first hand
Jim

PS. just because a tank is BB doesn't mean it has to be bare and unattractive. And they are SO much easier to clean. I have a 180 BB show tank with driftwood only and everyone who saw it previously with gravel and now without believes it looks more attractive now. I have half a dozen 5 gal buckets in the garage filled with gravel... and it's either staying there or going into the garden cause it ain't going back in the tank :)

[Kindredspirit]

Even a skim coat of sand makes a difference. It is still easy to clean, the fish don't see their reflection;) and it looks nice. That is what I started with when I wanted to have a substrate.



Hey Tiff! I agree with Barb here plus that.....I do not really like gravel ~ I guess it reminds me too much of a gold fish bowl:p

I love your tank tho woman! Really nice ~ infact I was at your other thread and used the link to get here ....now I forget where the thread I was reading is!

Marie ~ http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_5_2.gif

[t_j]

Thank you Marie for your comments. Well the gravel I have is like a sand color and there more like pebbles I can't seem to get a good picture of it and its starting to drive me crazy!!

[sleonard]

When I first found this site I had about an inch and a half of sand in my tank. After reading here about the advantages of BB I siphoned off the sand with hardly a thought about it. At first I didn't think it looked nearly as good but I have gotten used to it and now I actually like the clean look of a bare bottom.

I am experimenting with painting the bottom, back and sides on the outside. I have done 2 29G tanks in a light blue that turned out really nice and want to try using some of that textured rock paint on a bottom to see how that comes out.

Scott

[Alight]

OK, so it seems that one aspect of why not to have substrate in a Discus grow out tank has been missed. Discus eating habits are such that they like to pick at food on the bottom of the tank. If you have substrate, it makes it difficult for them to do this. So, they will get less to eat, unless you really coat the gravel with food at each meal. But that means lots of bits of uneaten food in the gravel, where it feeds bacteria, which, when the Discus pick at the bottom, ends up in the Discus and causes problems.

So, you must keep the gravel very clean with constant gravel vaccing to grow out Discus in a substrate tank (the work Paul was talking about).

Sand has the problem that when you siphon the bottom, you constantly suck sand up, too. This can cause clogged drains, etc, when you dump out the siphoned water. As was already said, a thick sand substrate can really cause problems.

BB is just much easier. Not the only way to go, though. If you are excessively OCD, you might really enjoy growing out Discus in substrate bottom tank.

[White Worm]

I would agree that gravel is a pain. Although....with sand, once it is in the tank for a while, it gets compacted and I barely suck up any sand during vacuuming. I also drain it outside and not into my drains. BB is the easiest and I would probably go with rock/sand color painted bottom if no substrate.

[lhforbes12]

Tiffany,
I didn't read the this thread other than your original question. My opinion the gravel looks better, but the no gravel IS better. BTW since you live close to me I may have to come in the middle of the night and steal that piece of driftwood for my 125. <grin>

[t_j]

Larry,

Do you know how hard it was to find a piece like that? I got it from Ted at www.tedsfishroom.com I meat up with him when he was at an animal show cause I missed him at the last swap.

You could try to come in the middle of the night and get it but you'd probably never make it to the door with out me hearing you cause I have a guard bird who will squawk before you even get there.:D