extolling the virtues of having a bare bottom..........

[shoveltrash]

http://cosgan.de/images/smilie/frech/r070.gif (http://www.cosgan.de/smilie.php)
http://cosgan.de/images/midi/frech/c035.gif (http://www.cosgan.de/smilie.php) http://cosgan.de/images/midi/frech/c035.gif (http://www.cosgan.de/smilie.php) http://cosgan.de/images/midi/frech/c035.gif (http://www.cosgan.de/smilie.php)
(sorry, couldn't resist!)


but seriously.......
until getting into Discus, I never considered keeping a completely bare bottom tank. now I wonder why I never did this before?!
it is WONDERFUL.
right now my new group feed mainly off the bottom, which I can't imagine them doing so thoroughly if there were substrate. and they clean it up spotlessly!
super easy-peasy to keep clean, just a breeze. I have a strong siphon, which probably wouldn't work with sand - otherwise I'd be tempted. but I actually like the BB look.

thank you TURQ64 & Warlock for the initial kick in the arse.
my Angelfish thank you too - both my 65g Discus & 40g AF tanks are now BB :D

[Disgirl]

Me too Trish! I have never had more healthy angelfish than I do now with their tank also almost BB. Thin layer of PF sand like my discus tank. It is the way to go. But now I have no use for my beautiful 30+ year old gravel that I have taken such good care of over the years in dozens of tanks. It is gorgeous gravel and I will keep it of course. The African cichlids I used to keep sure did move tons of it around over the years.
Barb

[Bud Smith]

To each their own but Iam a solid member of the BB club - I use a clean sweep to clean up the debri and do daily water changes - weekly wipe down and thats it - I spend about 30 minutes every evening on 2 discus and 1 angel tank and the tanks look great and my discus and angels are doing fine. Its amazing how much debri you get out of a tank in a days time.

[BoiseDiscusGuy]

I had to do a search just to figure out what extolling meant....lol

[shoveltrash]

LOL Chris!!!!!!

I'd hoped the title might prompt some, er, discussion (perhaps humorous).......but I guess not.


Its amazing how much debri you get out of a tank in a days time.yes it really is!

[Rummy]

Seeing the pictue on the first post reminds me of having been afraid to do google searches on bare bottom tanks for fear of what naughty pictures might show up. Lol

Now, I can't imagine going back to so much gunk that I used to have inside the gravel. The bucket I used for draining the tanks used to always be so dark. Now it's clear.

[TURQ64]

Nothing beats a bare bottom!..(well, maybe the palm of my hand!)..Enjoy the whole 'cleanliness' boost...Gary

[judy]

Hey. Al, maybe we should make this thread a sticky, too...
My 1.8 cents (Canadian)-- the BB tank is incredibly easier to deal with than the substrate ever was. Cannot believe how much time I used to spend painfully vaccing it, working around plants, and when I finally removed it, how much utter filth was still in there that I never sucked out-- along with nasty sulfurous pockets of bad air. Now a vac takes a few minutes, consists entirely of fish poop that's drifted into a couple of corners, and the fish get every bit of food. And all I have to do is shove a couple pots around a little to get at the crud. Plants ridiculously happy, fish happy, fishkeeper thrilled. And I now love the look-- SO clean, so pretty.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

But the question is, "do discus really belong in a BB tank?"

I mean they are fish, in water, from rivers where plants are abundant, use to eating between the gravel, rocks etc.

Isn't the beauty of the discus in their colors mixed with green lush plants?

Ok, BB are easy, but........

[TNT77]

But the question is, "do discus really belong in a BB tank?"

I mean they are fish, in water, from rivers where plants are abundant, use to eating between the gravel, rocks etc.

Isn't the beauty of the discus in their colors mixed with green lush plants?

Ok, BB are easy, but........
Need to take a look at Hudsons dives into discus habitats. Sure you will see plants...but not many at all where the discus are. There you see tree stumps and roots. And the substrate is more of a sand/dirt mix instead of rock. Not sure why people think discus come from lush green waters. Its full of roots and murky from all the water flow comming through.

[Flygirl]

But the question is, "do discus really belong in a BB tank?"

I mean they are fish, in water, from rivers where plants are abundant, use to eating between the gravel, rocks etc.

Isn't the beauty of the discus in their colors mixed with green lush plants?

Ok, BB are easy, but........

This is a great point, one I've been wondering more and more about each time I read the reasoning and praises behind BB tanks. I completely understand the justification behind BB, especially when it comes to breeding or grow out tanks, but later... Wouldn't the fish be happier in an environment that felt a bit closer to home?


Need to take a look at Hudsons dives into discus habitats. Sure you will see plants...but not many at all where the discus are. There you see tree stumps and roots. And the substrate is more of a sand/dirt mix instead of rock. Not sure why people think discus come from lush green waters. Its full of roots and murky from all the water flow coming through.

Fair enough, I guess if I were a fish, I would take roots and tree stumps or anything that provided me with a sense comfort or security over complete exposure.


I guess that's what you get from a longtime planted tank enthusiast... however, if I must admit... I have swung to the BB side with getting ready to set up my very first BB tank to grow out my soon to be juvies in :inquisitive:

Louise

[shoveltrash]

Who said having a bare bottom means no driftwood, or plants, etc???

[Flygirl]

Who said having a bare bottom means no driftwood, or plants, etc???


Ahhh yes, so right... I guess one could still have a BB and not compromise water quality while throwing in a few pieces of wood with some java and windelov fern attached. :idea:

[Rummy]

Many of our domestic animals/pets are living far removed from their natural environments. As a consequence, they tend to live longer and healthier lives. I am speaking for domestic animals, not wild ones living in captivity. By providing BB, we are in essence, trying to provide the cleanest environment possible. A clean living space improves quality of life for all involved. I agree that all animals need a hiding place at their disposal and some form of mental enrichment.
I have also seen several videos of Discus in their natural environments. It looks quite scary, dark and murky. Our clean aquariums provide them with lives free of predators (macroscopic and microscopic), near constant and excellent food, etc., etc. In my opinion, our domestics are actually happier in this situation.

Que viva la "BB"! ;). But always keep your tops on. Discus jump ;)!

[DiscusBR]

As I showed in another thread, I tried the BB setup in my 80g tank with 7 wild Cuipeua discus:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee482/DiscusBR/Nov2011/janB12013.jpg

I finally did not like the "sterile" look and how all the poop and dirt would be very visible and "dancing around" in the tank. So I brought back pool filter sand, more Manzanita branches and a few hardy plants like Anubias:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee482/DiscusBR/discosJan26032.jpg

I love the new setup, gives me the illusion that I have a piece of nature in my living room. And sand is very easy to clean. The key is to make sure you don´t put wood or plants in the way of your full syphoning ability. I also got rid of Java Moss and the Amazon Frogbits because food was getting trapped. But I am basically keeping the setup of the second photograph. Very easy to clean.

[gerrard00]

As I showed in another thread, I tried the BB setup in my 80g tank with 7 wild Cuipeua discus:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee482/DiscusBR/Nov2011/janB12013.jpg

I finally did not like the "sterile" look and how all the poop and dirt would be very visible and "dancing around" in the tank. So I brought back pool filter sand, more Manzanita branches and a few hardy plants like Anubias:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee482/DiscusBR/discosJan26032.jpg

I love the new setup, gives me the illusion that I have a piece of nature in my living room. And sand is very easy to clean. The key is to make sure you don´t put wood or plants in the way of your full syphoning ability. I also got rid of Java Moss and the Amazon Frogbits because food was getting trapped. But I am basically keeping the setup of the second photograph. Very easy to clean.

My tank is currently heavily planted, but I think I'm going to work towards something like your second photo, but with floating plants. Good balance between the two extremes IMO.

[shoveltrash]

Que viva la "BB"! . But always keep your tops on. Discus jump !well said Anik! :D
in fact what you wrote should be made a *sticky*
Many of our domestic animals/pets are living far removed from their natural environments. As a consequence, they tend to live longer and healthier lives. I am speaking for domestic animals, not wild ones living in captivity. By providing BB, we are in essence, trying to provide the cleanest environment possible. A clean living space improves quality of life for all involved. I agree that all animals need a hiding place at their disposal and some form of mental enrichment.
I have also seen several videos of Discus in their natural environments. It looks quite scary, dark and murky. Our clean aquariums provide them with lives free of predators (macroscopic and microscopic), near constant and excellent food, etc., etc. In my opinion, our domestics are actually happier in this situation.



Mauro I LOVE your tank!!! I'm considering getting some Anubias for my own tank, I like that you can grow it ON the driftwood. just worried about my brown thumb effect LOL.