# Any Disadvantages To A Bare Tank?



## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

So I may be fighting a nitrate battle for the past month. Everytime I do a gravel vac & water change, one of my piranhas would experience a shock to the levels and it seems like it's scales are ripping off. I have an Eheim 2028 and AC110 on my 135G (I think that's enough filtration) and I'm planning to remove all the decorations because a lot of junk does get stuck inbetween small pieces of driftwood.

My question is - is there a disadvantage if I remove all the decorations, leaving a bit of live plants and gravel to the 135G? My piranhas are a year and 3 months old - do they still need hiding spots, or can they freely roam.


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## RedneckR0nin (Nov 5, 2008)

Not really I think just plant it up like mad. I can't say for sure about your filtration if adequate. What's your filtration flow rate altogether. With a 135 i would want around 1000 gallons per hour. That's just me though but I like I little over kill as with filtration I don't think it hurts nothing and makes sure that your well covered. But with enough plants they would provide more than enough cover for your piranhas.


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## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm thinking of having very minimal plants because I don't have enough lighting or CO2. Would it stress the piranhas out too much if I removed all the decorations?


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

This only happens on your 135? Not on the 75 or 55?


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## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

Yep, the other tanks are 100%. Nitrates are pretty low too. It's just my 135G that's getting this problem.


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## James Bond (Apr 4, 2009)

I went through the same thing I ended up taking everything out of the tank and just leaving one piece of Driftwood in for them to hide behind, I am thinking of going all planted with live plants to give them hiding spots and prevent problems in the future. I have switched the decor around alot and it stresses them out a little but they seem to get over it relativly quick. I wouldnt sweat it too much and get the water in check.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

had my shoal in a bare tank before and just added gravel recently, they were much more skittish in a bare bottom tank as compare to with substrate. 
have you thought about switch to sand instead of gravel?


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## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

James Bond said:


> I went through the same thing I ended up taking everything out of the tank and just leaving one piece of Driftwood in for them to hide behind, I am thinking of going all planted with live plants to give them hiding spots and prevent problems in the future. I have switched the decor around alot and it stresses them out a little but they seem to get over it relativly quick. I wouldnt sweat it too much and get the water in check.


That's what I'm saying.

I don't want to risk having dirty water cause the decorations are there. I rather take everything out and leave it out and have a tank with clean water! I'll do it in a couple of days and see how they react.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

How much and how often are you doing waterchanges?

Yes IMO a bare tank is best unless you're trying to breed them


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## jamezgt (Jun 24, 2008)

Feefa said:


> How much and how often are you doing waterchanges?
> 
> Yes IMO a bare tank is best unless you're trying to breed them


Every five days - might have to sell these red bellies cause I'm moving and won't be able to take care of them anymore =[


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## Tensa (Jul 28, 2008)

how much water every 5 days? and just taking the ornaments out makes a big difference no need to remove the substrate unless you really want to. but either way it would be very easy to keep a very thin layer of substrate if you want so its not bare bottom.


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## Us And Them (Dec 4, 2008)

You need to keep up on Your water Changes , you have 6 fairly large adult Reds. 1nce a week isnt
doing the trick. Your also Using Gravel , I hate gravel because Dirt and sh*t and left over food collect in it
like no tomorrrow.

If that were My tank James , I would Firstly , Do a HUGE GRAVEL VAC , spend a good hour on it.
Then Ditch it. Get rid of the gravel for Good. Switch to Sand , Or Pool Filter Sand. anything debris will collect on top for Easier cleaning with a vac.

get a powerhead it has alot of Potential my friend , potential not alot of people even realize. Go to your LFS. and Grab a Hydrosponge ( it also comes with a plastic Tube.)

You can attach this HUGE sponge to the bottom of a AC110 POWERHEAD , you can also add Media, like those clay rocks you find in a Canister Filter, Fill the TUBE with the Media. and attach the sponge and Tube to the bottom of your Powerhead and now you have another filter with a Flow rate: 900 Gallons Per Hour .

Your eheim 2028 has a Pump Output of 277 gph . therefore it is inefficient . thats barely 2x turn around an hour on that tank you have. Your ac110 has a Maximum Flow of 500GPH

The powerhead in my 50 Gallon tank Has more turn around than 2 of Your Filters in a 135.
See my point ?

And if you had a problem with Nitrates James , Taking plants away isnt going to help. Plants need the Nitrates. So infact, Perhaps get more plants and a Better light .

Hope that helps.

Jon


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

jamezgt said:


> So I may be fighting a nitrate battle for the past month. Everytime I do a gravel vac & water change, one of my piranhas would experience a shock to the levels and it seems like it's scales are ripping off. I have an Eheim 2028 and AC110 on my 135G (I think that's enough filtration) and I'm planning to remove all the decorations because a lot of junk does get stuck inbetween small pieces of driftwood.*That seems like enough filtration unless your bioload is high*
> 
> My question is - is there a disadvantage if I remove all the decorations, leaving a bit of live plants and gravel to the 135G? My piranhas are a year and 3 months old - do they still need hiding spots, or can they freely roam.


I dont think no decorations would really help much for the nitrate problem unless their trapping larger things to rot. I think the gravel would have more of an impact with stuff decaying in there. If there are dead spots (where crap accumulates) you may want to look into a powerhead if you dont have one.

When doing gravel vacs keep going untill you arnt sucking any debris from the gravel and push the siphone into the gravel and not just over top.


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