Is gravel really needed for a fish tank?

Question

I have a 10 gallon fish tank and I have already reused the rocks 2 or 3 times and I'm pretty sure it's not good to use them again. So, I was wondering if you really need gravel for the tank or is it just part of design or show. I have another question also, why is there slimy stuff in the filter? Everytime I clean the fliter, the area that has the little pipe to pump the water always has slimy stuff. I can never reach far enough down to get to it to clean it. Someone please tell me how I can clean it and what causes it, also please answer my other question. Thanks

Answer 1

The reason you are getting so much conflicting advice is because there is always more then one way to do things. So what is right and what is wrong? Let's go by points made and see if we can't clear it up a bit.

1: Bacteria: Yes it's true, bacteria can be plentiful in gravel. Obviously if you have an undergravel filter the gravel becomes essential, and same if you don't use a filter, but modern filters like bio-wheels and canisters, and even simple sponge/box filters hold all of the bacteria you need, making the gravel optional. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that since all the bacteria would reside in the filter, you need to becareful not to clean it too well. But this should be considered in any case.

2. Cleanliness: Somebody mentioned you need gravel to trap waste or it will go all around the tank. This is true, but in effect, this makes having gravel MESSIER then not having it - because the waste will have nowhere to go but in the filter, where it can be easily discarded, and will never build up to become a nitrate factory. Discus breeders tend to NOT use gravel because of this - it keeps the water clean without degrading over time. (I use sand for this reason - because I like and need a substrate, but also like how waste and food don't sink into sand, so no matter how much time passes waste doesn't build up in the tank.)

3. Looks: No doubt a tank looks better with substrate then without, but this is preference. It's also good to keep in mind that a darker substrate can help more delicate and shy fish feel more secure. This can be fixed as mentioned above, by painting the bottom of the tank. Also, gravel will hold down any plants you have - hopefully you have some if you keep community tropicals sincemost common types rely on it for security and, in turn, health.

Answer 2

No you don't need gravel. The rocks most likely were not the reason the fish died. The slimy stuff is the beneficail bacteria that control the wastes. You do not need to clean the filter to that extent. You simply want to control the bacteria population not wipe it completely out. I would say that cleaning that filter so much caused the tank never to cycle, and you had to battle ammonia and nitrite constantly, and that's is likely what killed the fish. Someone at the petstore likely told you its dangerous to change too much water too often and to keep the filter very clean. Well that is totally and completely wrong. Its just the opposite. Change a lot of water at first to keep ammonia and nitrite at levels the fish can handle. Leave the filter completely alone until the tank has cycled. The tank has cycled when nitrAtes are present and ammonia and nitrite drop to zero. DO NOT use any product to reduce ammonia or nitrites, they don't work. Water changes, and big ones are the only way to get a tank cycled safely. You may have to change half of the water every day for three weeks. A 10 gallon is a tiny tank. You must be super careful on how many fish you put in there. If the tank is over stocked you will never be able to keep it clean enough. You really need an aquarium guide to help you out. Do some research on your own about the fish you intend to keep. A little research on water will help too. Your city will provide you with a water report free of charge. Get all the test kits so you can test the water yourself. You need ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, then you can better know when to change the water. Here are some good rules of thumb on when and how much to change water.
1. When ph starts to drop.
2. ANYTIME ammonia or nitrite get to 1ppm change 50-75% of the water
3. Anytime nitrates get to 20 ppm change 25-50% of the water.
Clean and refurbish your filter monthly. Wash the bio-media (foam pads or ceramic beads) in tank water only. Everything else just give it a good rinse under the tap, yes it will still be slightly slimy. If you are using a bio-wheel never ever wash off the wheels, only rinse occationally in tank water. (not in the tank in a bucket of tank water)
You must remember you are taking care of a bacterial population as well as fish and plants. Without that good bacteria the tank cannot thrive. Keeping a tank is more about keeping the water clean and the bacteria happy than taking care of the fish. Fish take care of themselves. They get ill when the system is flawed.

Answer 3

You do not understand the care of an aquarium at all. You need to do lots more research on aquarium care. The list of things that you need to understand about how to clean an aquarium is too long to deal with here. However most of the advice you've gotten here is dead wrong! Most important,never bleach your rocks or gravel. You cannot just rinse the chlorine away. The stuff in you filter is a residue that among other things contains some of the beneficial bacteria that keep your fish alive,it can be removed with a brush,but don't do too good a job. Leave a little for the new bacteria colony.
Gravel is not an absolute need for your tank,but gravel provides the substrate for your bacteria colony. Gravel should be cleaned with a siphon to remove the uneaten and eaten food that collects there.
If you do not have gravel or rocks and your tank has a glass bottom you should paint the bottom(on the outside),so your fish have a bottom to relate to. Also you should provide porous rocks(Lava Rock or Holey Limestone) as a substrate for a bacteria colony.
There are many other things involved in keeping aquaria clean,books full of really good facts. You should probably buy one. Good luck.

Answer 4

Gravel is not needed in all cases, but I advocate it alot. I just went on a field trip for work last week and found a fish food seller, who's one of our clients, that has three 125 gallon tanks, with no gravel substrate, rocks on one of them, empty on one, and a mix of rocks and driftwood on the third. I advocate gravel in tanks like yours because the population you will have in it, will need a good colony of the bacteria which oxidizes the nitrogen compounds that build up. Though your colony can live in your filter only if you are doing extremely frequent water changes to keep the nitrogen compounds low to non existant, I think you're creating more work for youself. It may be also I don't have a complete understanding of all the processes as well, but I still think with gravel you are safe and can't really go wrong. The slime is probably a combination of algea/bacteria with the bacteria likely to be your good bacteria. As long as you are not getting a massive growth in your tank of algea and it's in your filter I don't see how you run any risk of problems. Cleaning your filter, depending on what kind of filter you have would be clearing out the piping system however it is set up. Most have a tube that extends down the tank body to draw water into the filter, and run it back out. I am thinking this is the kind of filter you have. I'd disconnect the unit when you clean, and rinse out the piping/tubing and change your activated carbon component once a month. If you have a media that filters out debris, I'd only clean that about every three months as that is the housing for your bacteria if you don't have a substrate going. I hope this helps and I know it's not as thorough as other answers I've given

JV

Answer 5

It's important to have gravel to trap fish waste and keep it from floating freely around the tank. You don't technically have to have it though. The rocks are fine, regardless of how many times they've been used. Simply soak them in a 25% bleach & 75% water mixture for 24 hours. After 24 hours, rinse well in fresh water and reuse.

The slimey part inside the tube is little more than algae buildup. All you need to clean it is a fitted pipe-cleaner, which can likely be purchased from your local fish store. Hope this helped you and good luck!

Answer 6

The older the rocks the better. The rocks build up essential bacteria necessary to convert ammonia in the tank. Clean the rocks with a syphon to remove solid debris and food waste. Eventually with proper care you can stop cleaning the tank so often. I have a tank that is 7 years old and I only have to clean it about once every year. Don't clean your filter so often either, this is a prime spot for the bacteria to grow because of the high oxygen levels, replace your carbon cartridge but leave it at that.

Answer 7

Gravel is necessary for your fish, so that your fish can sit on, i would get an all new color, the slimy stuff in the filter is algae, clean the whole filter. Spray a hose into the tube with the slimy stuff.
Just take a hose and rise off the whole filter, when i do that mine looks brand new, and you might wanna have gravel so your fish have a bottom, a glass bottom is not really comfortable to fish.
OK good luck with the filter problem, and gravel.
Good Luck.

Answer 8

There are reward, specially to including floor section for the organic and organic clear out/effective micro organism, even even though it is not strictly mandatory for many fish. in case you had a sand living fish or a burrowing fish, then substrate is maximum suitable for the well being of that fish, yet maximum fish do no longer place self assurance in the substrate for housing, napping, or survival. in certainty many breeding tanks and hospital tanks are run without substrate. Many forte tanks are additionally run without substrate, like a jellyfish tank generally does no longer have substrate. Backgrounds are strictly optionally available and to your excitement purely.

Answer 9

nobody has mentioned yet that the gravel is what traps the benefitial bacteria. if you clean the gravel too much you will remove too much of the bacteria. a light rinsing is all you need, with a good three stage filter. biomass, sponge and charcoal.

Answer 10

If you have territorial fish like Cichlids, then yes, you need rocks in there so they can make their boundaries. otherwise, it looks stupid without the rocks in my opinion, could also get sand. the slimy stuff is prolly algae or poop. use a brush