# Gravel or Marble gems?



## Alexanderismylife (Jun 14, 2010)

Currently in all my tanks I have pebble like gravel..And both of my bettas usually sleep on the gravel floor which I think might be causeing scratches on their sides :| Do you have these problems with gravel? Also I was thinking of maybe switching to those gem like marbles they sell at petstores...What do you guys think?




Thanks,Kayla


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

If your tanks are cycled, gravel is definitely the way to go. It's more porous, which allows bacteria to easily colonize it. Also, if your tank is cycled, you usually clean with a gravel vac--when you have marbles, because the pieces are big and round there are large gaps between each marble, so uneaten food and waste are very difficult to extract with a normal gravel vac. Normal gravel fits much more closely together. 

However, if your tanks are not cycled and you have to take out and wash all the substrate with every change anyway, marbles are the way to go. If your gravel is really jagged, though, there are plenty of finer gravels that are less sharp.


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## Alexanderismylife (Jun 14, 2010)

Okay thanks! I do have my tank cycled. I will just be on the look out for some different gravel!


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

You could just top the gravel with some smooth river stones--they sell aquarium safe ones at the pet store, you could get a small package of large flat stones and put the stones in places the betta likes to rest.


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

Adastra said:


> You could just top the gravel with some smooth river stones--they sell aquarium safe ones at the pet store, you could get a small package of large flat stones and put the stones in places the betta likes to rest.


I agree with the larger stones idea. I have those & drop them in my tanks to make little "rock piles" - gives the tanks a very natural look, IMO.


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