I Had To Cover My Bare Bottom

[poconogal]

I just couldn't take it any more!!!! :( One week of looking at that BB 75g tank was driving me crazy. The reflection of the glass, the poo swirling around (I don't do daily WCs, I do every third day) or floating by, arggggghhhhh! I've ALWAYS had a gravel substrate, which was lots of work to thoroughly clean so there was nothing coming up the siphon tube, so I thought I'd try BB when I set up my new 75, to cut down on maintenance time. Nope, definitely not for me...

Now I put river pebbles on the bottom, scattered around, still with areas of bare glass, but it looks so much better, my BN pleco is much happier, my Cory is happier, and my Moss Balls have stopped rolling behind the flower pots where I can't see them! It should still be very easy to clean, though.

I also bought the Eheim Sludge Extractor and Gravel Cleaner. Its a bit pricey, but I tried it out for the first time last night. It's works great - especially for anyone that doesn't do daily WCs, you can vacuum the bottom of the tank in just a few quick minutes without removing water and its very easy to empty and clean. Many years ago I tried one of those gravel vacs, which didn't work at all. I haven't tried it with a gravel bottom yet, but I plan to on my community tank, to see how it actually works with gravel. And oh, yeah, Eheim does give a 2 year warranty, too.

Connie

[Kindredspirit]

the poo swirling around


That was hilarious Connie!! I can just see it in my minds eye as I too have a bb ~

[mkeBob]

I'm with you Connie. After being out of the fish hobby for 30+ years I came back about two months ago. I too don't like the looks of a BB tank. I want to be able to sit down in front of a tank and enjoy the fish, plants, drift wood, stone work, etc. and how it all comes together. The only time I'd have fish in a bare bottom tank is when raising smaller fry..........Bob

[mkeBob]

Marie,

Please put something on that bb of yours.......Bob

[poconogal]

That was hilarious Connie!! I can just see it in my minds eye as I too have a bb ~

Marie, ugggghhhhh, its horrible, isn't it? I don't think my Discus liked the BB either, since they were used to the black gravel bottom. They seem more relaxed now!

[Kindredspirit]

Marie,

Please put something on that bb of yours.......Bob



okay Bob!


http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_11_2.gif

[t_j]

Wheres the smile on that smilie Marie?:D :D J/K Its cute.

[steve.ryall]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_6_8.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYJYGB)

[poconogal]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_6_8.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYJYGB)
Now that's a bare bottom!

[Kindredspirit]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_30_115.gif

[Sue50]

:D Oh Connie, I'm always in a quandry about BB or substrate too. I have mostly BB in one tank with a 6 inch strip of black gravel over the cross bar on center bottom and some plants in that. I hate that brown or black unpainted strip in the middle. I suppose there is a way to paint it, but I don't know how? It looks pretty good.
Sue ;)

[poconogal]

:D Oh Connie, I'm always in a quandry about BB or substrate too. I have mostly BB in one tank with a 6 inch strip of black gravel over the cross bar on center bottom and some plants in that. I hate that brown or black unpainted strip in the middle. I suppose there is a way to paint it, but I don't know how? It looks pretty good.
Sue ;)


Sue, are you talking about your 120? I don't have a strip in the bottom center on the 75, so I guess when the tanks reach 5 ft. or more, they have that strip on the bottom, too. I only have a wide, thick glass strip in the center top of the tank. Yeah, I'm definitely not cut out for BB. The scattered pebbles look really nice, and nothing can get buried in substrate since they're just one layer on the glass.

[Sue50]

Yes, It's my 120. But my 72 gallon bow front had a strip too, probably because it's a BOW FRONT front...lol And my 110 has one. Maybe becaue it's so tall?? I like the look of the substrate too. I just get nervous about nasties living in it. I'm going to look into one of those gravel cleaners you just got. That sounded great!

[poconogal]

Yes, It's my 120. But my 72 gallon bow front had a strip too, probably because it's a BOW FRONT front...lol And my 110 has one. Maybe becaue it's so tall?? I like the look of the substrate too. I just get nervous about nasties living in it. I'm going to look into one of those gravel cleaners you just got. That sounded great!
Sue, soon as I try it in a full gravel substrate, this weekend (my community tank) I'll let you know how it works, but with the BB, it just sucked up the stuff in the blink of an eye. It seems as if it'll work good in gravel, too. People that reviewed it on other forums mostly raved about it, though.

[steve.ryall]

Connie, does it work with a sand substrate too?

Steve

[poconogal]

Connie, does it work with a sand substrate too?

Steve
Steve, offhand I don't know, but I'll check what the booklet says for you and let you know tomorrow, okay?

[White Worm]

Sand beats them all. No BB for me and no worries with gravel.

[steve.ryall]

Yes, I find sand very good, just a thin layer, looks really nice too, and easy to sift through to clean, without the suck out problems too.

Thanks Connie, I'll wait :D

S~

[Sue50]

Sand beats them all. No BB for me and no worries with gravel.

What kind of sand do you use?? I always suck out a lot of the white play sand when vacuuming because it's so fine, even with hovering just above it.

Sue http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/28/28_1_16.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYJJUS)





http://www.smileycentral.com/sig.jsp?pc=ZSzeb112&pp=ZSYYYYYYJJUS (http://smiley.smileycentral.com/download/index.jhtml?partner=ZSzeb112_ZSYYYYYYJJUS&utm_id=7920)

[White Worm]

I use what home depot calls monterey silica sand. When I looked, there was two types....fine and medium. I went with the medium. After a while it compacts and I barely suck up any sand when I vacuum.

[White Worm]

I posted a pic here and I have been happier with this sand than anything else. No gravel, BBB, etc. My breeders get BB but for a community tank, bare is boring :(

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=53993

[Sue50]

I posted a pic here and I have been happier with this sand than anything else. No gravel, BBB, etc. My breeders get BB but for a community tank, bare is boring :(

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//sh...ad.php?t=53993 (http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=53993)
Thanks for the link to that thread. I'll check into that type of sand. I too, like the light colors because of my PB's.
Sue:)

[poconogal]

Yes, I find sand very good, just a thin layer, looks really nice too, and easy to sift through to clean, without the suck out problems too.

Thanks Connie, I'll wait :D

S~

Hi Steve - I checked the booklet and box and it says nothing about sand. There is an impeller, I'm not sure if the detritus bypasses it or if it passes thru the impeller area into the catch bin. If your sand doesn't easily become pulled out, then you probably could use it. Perhaps you can contact Eheim and see what they say, too?

Here's a link to the product. You can email them too and ask. Note that I did NOT pay their price, though. I paid $40 less and got free shipping from either Petco or Petsmart.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=EH3531