Gravelless... but where's the fun gone?

[Keefa]

Hi all.

I recently switched to a gravel-free tank for my two pals, and the thing is:
they don't seem too keen on it. Sure, it's poop free, but they look
miserable! They've never hid so much, or generally just moped around. Will
they get used to their new home? It is pretty sparse in there, I've never
had the confidence to put plants in. Also, they seem frightened. Is it
something to do with the new reflections from the bottom of the tank?

Finally, does anyone have a good gravel alternatives that don't house poop
quite so efficiently?

Other than that (!), they're healthy and happy.

Thanks,

Keefa.

[Geezer From The Freezer]

Keefa,

The bottom will eventually grow algae and/or diatoms and won't be as
shiny. Plants are a good addition as are ornaments (bridges, caves etc)
for them to play in. Mine play in the plants or the air wands.

[Graeme]

"Keefa" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all.
>
> I recently switched to a gravel-free tank for my two pals, and the thing
is:
> they don't seem too keen on it. Sure, it's poop free, but they look
> miserable! They've never hid so much, or generally just moped around. Will
> they get used to their new home? It is pretty sparse in there, I've never
> had the confidence to put plants in. Also, they seem frightened. Is it
> something to do with the new reflections from the bottom of the tank?
>
> Finally, does anyone have a good gravel alternatives that don't house poop
> quite so efficiently?
>
> Other than that (!), they're healthy and happy.

I removed my gravel about 3 weeks ago now, first night was hard, they didn't
like seeing themselves :-) But the bottom was covered in algae so quickly,
it doesn't look bad, so I don't think I will need to clean it.

I created a kind of centre piece in the tank. No live plants, just plastic
ones. I got a small pot, placed gravel in it to weigh it down. I attached
a plastic plant to this. Then to cover the pot I used another set of
plastic plants around the outside which are meant to look like grass, these
are attached using suction caps I brought to the bottom.

I then placed small stones around this (brought in the UK as Zen Stones).
So now my fish has something nice to look at, plus they can still hunt for
food in the stones and plants - but it is a lot easier to keep clean.

Experiment with stuff for the tank, maybe some kind of tunnel for them?

Graeme

[stompbox]

Keefa.

I do not believe the fish experience the refelections you are seeing
inside the tank. We see these reflections because of all the
refraction (bending) of the light as it travels through the water and
hits the glass surfaces at angles that bounce back and create
reflections to us (outside the tank)

I have a timer, this turns the lights on and off at the same time
everyday, and I also try to set the timer so it turns off before the
lights in the room go out. (I have my room lights on a timer)

Could your fish be reacting to something else? How did you remove the
gravel - all at once? Could your water chemistry be off?

As Geezer has pointed out you will get algae on the walls and
decorations. This will keep your fish 'very' active.

Finally it sounds like your fish maybe going through adolesence - up
all night and sleeping late into the day.....

good luck

ps - here is my gravelless tank

fkerm.net/fish

[Geezer From The Freezer]

stompbox wrote:

> ps - here is my gravelless tank
>
> fkerm.net/fish

cute moor!!

[[email protected]]

the spectrum of the light often has a lot to do with the fish hiding. try a warmer
color and maybe not so strong, a lower wattage. also, suction cup some fake plants
in there, put a few flat marbles on the bottom for them to move around. Ingrid

"Keefa" > wrote:

>Hi all.
>
>I recently switched to a gravel-free tank for my two pals, and the thing is:
>they don't seem too keen on it. Sure, it's poop free, but they look
>miserable! They've never hid so much, or generally just moped around. Will
>they get used to their new home? It is pretty sparse in there, I've never
>had the confidence to put plants in. Also, they seem frightened. Is it
>something to do with the new reflections from the bottom of the tank?
>
>Finally, does anyone have a good gravel alternatives that don't house poop
>quite so efficiently?
>
>Other than that (!), they're healthy and happy.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Keefa.
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

use solid ornaments. GF are notorious for getting caught in bridges and caves.
Ingrid

Geezer From The Freezer > wrote:

>
>Keefa,
>
>The bottom will eventually grow algae and/or diatoms and won't be as
>shiny. Plants are a good addition as are ornaments (bridges, caves etc)
>for them to play in. Mine play in the plants or the air wands.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

very good point. check the water parameters. Ingrid

(stompbox) wrote:
>Could your fish be reacting to something else? How did you remove the
>gravel - all at once? Could your water chemistry be off?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Mick Manford]

Experiments have shown that fish find dark colours on the bottom
comforting. If for instance you poured a little gravel back in one
patch I bet you would find that is where your fish would sleep.

Got a few suggestions for you. How about trying a piece of slate on
the bottom. They might find this more of a comfort than just the glass
under them. Even if its only on one spot until they get used to the
new decor.

I would also recommend that you do get some plants. Java fern and
anubias can be grown attached to wood or stones, so you don't need
gravel. They look great and will give your fish something to poke
around.

[Geezer From The Freezer]

wrote:
>
> use solid ornaments. GF are notorious for getting caught in bridges and caves.
> Ingrid

mine are too big for them to get caught in, but I can see your point!

[stompbox]

Further to Mick Manfords point below about dark colors - I have cork
under my gravel-less tank. It is very dark, like a very rich soil (not
black but brown).

I use the cork because there are many aquarium setup guides on the web
and in books suggest placing an absorbing material under your tank, to
help compensate for stands or floors which may lean or have
undesierable pitch. The soft material (cork in my case) absorbs the
weight of the tank (and water) and allows the tank to settle to an
evenly distributed level.

[Magic menagerie]

I too, am removing the gravel... Just a scoop or two every few days... Last
night part of the bottom showed and the fish went goofy. They did NOT like it
one bit, and wouldn't go to the "bare" side of the tank until I moved some more
gravel around to cover the bare spot... They sure are funny! For excitement,
since they have outgrown all their toys, I use 4" PVC plumbing. They love the
junctions. Get the thin wall (for downspouts/outside use) - it's cheaper than
the regular thick wall... Bev

[Geezer From The Freezer]

The bottom will soon grow algae or diatoms!

[[email protected]]

drop their food on the bare part of the tank and see how fast they get over their
"fear". Ingrid



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Geezer From The Freezer]

wrote:
>
> drop their food on the bare part of the tank and see how fast they get > over their "fear". Ingrid

lol :)