What is best to put at bottom of fish tank?

Gravel is the better choice for most freshwater aquariums. One of the major benefits of gravel is that it allows water to flow through it, preventing the buildup of amoebas and bacteria in the substrate.
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What should I put at the bottom of my fish tank?

What is Aquarium Gravel? Aquarium gravel, or any other material placed on the bottom of the tank, is referred to as substrate. Beneficial bacteria reside in your aquarium's substrate and break down fish waste, leftover food, and plant debris to keep the water conditions healthy.
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Do fish tanks need rocks at bottom?

Generally, coral-only reef tanks can go bare, planted freshwater tanks can't; freshwater fish-only tanks might not need it but saltwater fish-only tanks (or fish-only with live rock) will do better with it.
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Do I need a substrate in my aquarium?

You don't need a substrate. In fact, you can skip it entirely. An aquarium without any substrate is referred to as a bare bottom tank. A bare bottom tank has pros and cons.
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Which is better sand or gravel for a fish tank?

Gravel is the better choice for most freshwater aquariums. One of the major benefits of gravel is that it allows water to flow through it, preventing the buildup of amoebas and bacteria in the substrate. If allowed to build up for too long, these can sicken your fish and lead to an accumulation of aquarium mold.
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Aquatasy - Dangers Of A Bare Bottom Aquarium



Do I need a mat under my aquarium?

Think of an aquarium mat as a mattress for your fish tank. It gives your aquarium a comfortable spot to rest, away from harm. While it might not look like much, this extra piece of padding is an essential piece of equipment for many fish keepers.
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How deep should aquarium substrate be?

No matter the plant, no matter the tank size, have a substrate layer that is at least 2 inches deep. This will allow for your rooting plants to sufficiently grow. Also, when planning out your scape, try to create the illusion of depth by increasing the depth of the substrate towards the back of your tank.
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Do goldfish like bare bottom tanks?

And the answer is that goldfish don't need substrate. There's nothing essential about having a substrate and goldfish can survive quite healthily and happily without one. So, as goldfish don't require a substrate, you could choose to simply leave the bottom of your goldfish tank bare.
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Can I use aquarium without gravel?

To put it simply: Fish tanks don't necessarily need gravel to function properly. Gravel is something that is needed to promote a healthy environment for fish to thrive in. Keeping this in mind, while it may not be a necessity, it should be your priority.
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Can I put pebbles in my fish tank?

Aquarium pebbles are the most common aquarium substrates over all kinds of fish tank stones and sand. This is not only for decorating your fish tank, but there are sundry bio-chemical properties in gravels, that help filtrate your aquarium, and provide nutrients to the fish and other inhabitants.
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Can I use normal sand in aquarium?

Yes, you can use play sand in an aquarium.

The reason some people want to use play sand in their fish tanks is that it adds more color and effects to the aquarium. Here's what you need to know about using play sand and other kinds of substrates for your aquarium.
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What do fish like in their tank?

Goldfish like plants, variety in their food, a large, clean tank with a stress-free environment, lots of oxygen in their tank, nice cold soft water, other Goldfish as mates and some decorations in their tank.
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What Colour substrate is best?

Darker colors tend to make a light-colored fish look brilliant. On the other hand, a light-colored substrate can wash these same fish out, but can also make dark-colored fish stand out. Overly dark substrate can reduce how large the tank looks in a similar fashion to painting a room in your house a dark color.
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Is sand easier to clean than gravel?

Cleaning and Maintenance

Since the debris accumulates on top of the substrate, sandy bottoms often look dirtier than aquariums with gravel. Sand is also very dusty and difficult to rinse clean, and the particles are so small and light that they may be easily sucked up by your filtration system or vacuum hose.
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How often should you change aquarium substrate?

How Often Do You Need to Change the Aquarium Substrate? With newer filter technology, you actually don't need to change your substrate very often. You can even go for several years without feeling the need to do a substrate change.
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Do I need to wash substrate?

Although they're often pre-washed, most substrates are very dusty and need to be cleaned thoroughly before they're used, otherwise the tank will turn extremely cloudy. Washing dusty gravel or sand is messy, tedious and, in winter, rather cold work.
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How much gravel should be in a fish tank?

Generally speaking, you should add about 1 pound of substrate per gallon of water. This means that for a 5-gallon fish tank, a safe bet would be 5 pounds of gravel. Similarly, for a 20-gallon fish tank, roughly 20 pounds of gravel would suffice.
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Can I put a yoga mat under my fish tank?

Something like a yoga mat is the way to go. Styrofoam (Expanded white little ball type) is recommended by virtually every Custom tank manufacturer out there for TRIMLESS tanks. In fact using yoga mats or other extruded styrofoam on them will void your warranty.
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What do you put between fish tank and stand?

If you really want a cushion/buffer between the tank and stand, consider 1/2" pink foam insulation. This will not absorb moisture and also take out any uneven surfaces between your tank and stand.
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Can you put an aquarium on carpet?

I've had aquariums on carpet in the past without any problems. Just be careful with your spills, etc.
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How often should I change my aquarium gravel?

How often should you change the gravel in a fish tank? You don't need to change the gravel in a fish tank unless you want to for aesthetic reasons. However, you should vacuum the gravel whenever you clean the tank or if the aquarium is dirty.
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What's the best Colour gravel for fish tank?

The bottom line is that some black (like our top pick of GloFish Aquarium Gravel), colored (like Pure Water Pebbles Aquarium Gravel, our runner-up), or even glow-in-the-dark aquarium gravel can really make any fish tank come to life.
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Can I use both sand and gravel in my aquarium?

Sand and gravel can be used together in aquariums, but if the gravel is put down first it will end up on top as the sand gradually settles to the bottom. Sand can't be used with gravel when using under-gravel filters as the motor won't be able to suck the water through both the gravel and the hard-packed sand.
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