# Bare bottomed vs gravel or glass gems.



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I'm getting rather tired of rinsing gravel every time I clean tanks out and I was wondering how many of you have bare bottomed tanks.I COULD go back to the gems...


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

do you use a colander? 
i don't trust the big beads since about 10 years ago when my ex accidentally killed his betta with them. mind you it was really his fault for not getting a shrimp net that would fit in his betta bowl.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yeah, I use a collander but the really tiny pieces are going down my drain. A couple gems have found their way down my drain too and I can't get them out. lol I may have to get someone to take the pipe out and clean it out for me at some point.


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

you could try washing them on the lawn with the hose- it will stop the stuff going down the drain at least.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

lol! Yeah, or out in the garage.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I don't have one, though I don't mind the look of it and I imagine it would be _so_ much easier to clean.


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## Rain Drop (Jul 4, 2009)

I really like having gravel. I like the look of it and it holds down my fake plants. Gems....I'd be afraid that they'd chip and cut me or my fish. But bare is definatly easier to have. If I had as many bettas as you have, I'd defiantly have a few tanks bare bottomed.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I go through my glass gems one by one to make sure there are no broken ones. But that is getting to be a pain, too. The gravel holds the plants down better.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

i just use sand


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

oh, also if you dont want to use gravel, marbles, or sand........

go to a dollar store, they sell 2 pound bags of river stone for a dollar. they are about the size of a dime to about the size of a quarter. no running thru the collander with those.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

and the river rock at the dollar store is VERY smooth, not like regular gravel which is jagged


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Can it just be rinsed with very hot water?


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## bettababe321 (May 13, 2009)

I have those river rocks around my driftwood on the sand and I think they look nice.. I rinsed them with really hot water a couple of times and thats it.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Maybe I'll look for those next time I go to the Dollar Store.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

NEVER boil rocks. they could explode. from what ive read anyway, i wouldntt chance it, all i did was rinse mine

i think youll love em, very natural looking


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

No, I wouldn't boil mine.


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## iheartmyfishies (Sep 14, 2009)

I like having substrate. It keeps a beneficial bacteria colony in the tank and can be very decorative. I personally LOVE the look of sand.


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## veganchick (Jan 10, 2009)

Bare bottom is great for fish that are not used to having substrate, but if they are used to it, many feel insecure with out it.


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

I have boiled my gravel before with no problems. 
Bare bottom is MUCH easier, but definitely not as appealing to the eye.

The only tanks I keep bare bottomed are the hospital/QT tanks.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Yeah, I like the look of gravel but I hate cleaning it and finding it on my bathroom floor.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

angelicscars, i wasnt referring to boiling gravel. i was referring to river rock, the size of a dime and bigger. boiling rocks can be dangerous, they can explode. 

dramaqueen, i think youd really like the river rock, easier to clean, doesnt fall thru a sieve either.


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## AngelicScars (May 5, 2009)

I think I've boiled my river rocks too with no problem. (I THINK). I do like the ease of cleaning them. Definitely easier then gravel.


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