Bottom of tank

[lado]

Is it really necesery to have bottom of a tank painted black?I have three sides painted white and bottom is clear?

[Upper Canada]

I have never known it to be a concern, none of mine are painted. They sit on either white or blue foam.

Bob

[dishpanhands]

As long as they are not on a metal stand or a stand that is open. They want it to be blocked with something. If they can see somthing move under them they will stay scared, and sometime they will lay down on there side so they can watch under them..

[dawncollette]

I read in a discus book and experieced this as well. If discus can see themselves in the bottom of a clear tank it makes them dizzy and they swim sideways. Just a few weeks ago this happen to me in my QT tank, so.......it can happen.
take care,dawn

[Polar_Bear]

We have often heard that not having something under the bottom will cause problems for fish, discus in particular. Recently we removed all of the substrate from a 125 gallon tank that is not painted. <shrug> The fish have never shown the least concern about it, perhaps because we have numerous potted plants in the tank.