I need to know what my other options are for putting at the bottom of my aquarium besides gravel?

Question

I have an octagon shaped thirty gallon tank, and I can't reach to the bottom to clean it properly, and I would rather not invest in an undergravel cleaner, there must be another way besides gravel!!

Answer 1

A gravel washer should reach without any problem. If it still isn't long enough you need only attach a stick to it.
A

Answer 2

I have large smooth river rocks in my tank. They look -awesome- and I can see when there's 'gross' stuff in there. All I do to keep it clean is do a partial water change. I stir up the water to make sure the 'gross' stuff starts to float around, then I scoop out the desire amount of water. I replace it with fresh water, add the appropriate amount of non-iodine salt per gallon and dump the water in (which stirs up the water again). What I don't remove is stirred up and sucked into the filter. The filters themselves I do thorough cleaning of (change out the filter, replace carbon, ect.).

I haven't lost a single fish since setting up my tank...in fact I get TONS of babies all the time. So the lack of 'gravel' doesn't seem to be much of a problem. Just make sure whatever substrate you use is not chemically treated.

So you can use sand (expensive), marbles, peddles, and river stones (you can get these in the 'craft' section at Walmart for about $1/bag. It'll take about 5-6 bags to fill a 10 gallon tank).

Hope that helps

Answer 3

I too faced this probelm, mainly because I figured gravel had been done already. I chose medium (1-2 inch) rocks, and I use a python to clean mine. It works very well. One way or the other, you have to understand that you will have to clean the bottom of your aquarium. Just like cleaning out the hamster cage... fish poop. :) Some other ideas I'm considering for my next tank...

1) a blue bottom, with a small islan in one of the corners (made out of sand colored gravel) and some palm tree ornaments. You can do the bottom with background plastic (sold in rolls at the fish store) taped to the outside of the bottom glass.

2) a black bottom, with potted plants. You can do the bottom with background plastic (I wouldn't leave plain glass on the bottom. It freaks my fish out to see inside their cabinet. They won't go near the clear areas). The potted plants can be real or fake, but it leaves everything pretty easy to clean.

3) large (2-6 inch) reef rock looking rocks, with some coral ornaments. (This would actually probably be harder to clean)

You've got to keep in mind, as well, that your biological filtration bacteria (which convert your toxic fish waste into harmless stuff) need surface area to grow, which they usually get from your gravel. Keeping a flat surface on the bottom will make things easier to clean, but you should consider keeping ornaments or fake plants to increase the surface area of your tank. You can also invest in a biowheel filter. This is a filter that passes your water over a spinning ridged wheel that's made of some form of mesh, that provides a perfect environment for your bacteria.

Happy fishkeeping.

Answer 4

you can use sand but you will still need to get the stuff off the top of it. there is a product called a python that hooks up to your sink and makes a suction. you put the tube down into your gravel and it sort of fluffs it thereby pulling all the debris out. if you don't want to spend that much you can always just get one that is syphon driven just make sure that one side has a wide tube and the other skinny. and that it is long enough to reach the bottom of the tank

Answer 5

actually you don't really need gravel at all, its mainly just for looks and it collects scum, etc. if you dint want to do that you could put in little pebbles (not a lot), seashells, big rocks, which you can find all at the pet stores. or i might suggest setting up a ton of fake coral at the bottom, it looks really cool and the fish swim through it its awesome

Answer 6

Buy a long siphon that reaches the bottom of your fish tank then you can put anything at the bottom.

Answer 7

I have a python and it rocks...

you could also do a planted tanks with sand, flourite and a mix called eco complete... and live plants with plant lights... you don't clean the bottom if you get the planting right...

Answer 8

Try sand or marbles and even river stones. Try buying one of thos syphon things that hook up to the sink and it will such all that waste from the bottom.

Answer 9

You can either buy a smaller tank or invest in a mask, fins and a scuba tank.

Answer 10

garden lava rock looks cool and its available in different colors, just wash real good, and since its porous anarobic bacteria grows in the tiny holes which desolve the fish waste.