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Gravel or not that is the question I pose. I know that a bare bottom tank is easy to clean but it also makes it harder for pl*cos to eat.

Can you give us some more info please. What will the tank be used for (ie - breeding plecos, a display tank, etc)?
Also why do you say that it makes it harder for them to eat? I have kept them in bare bottomed tanks and never had a problem. Just wondering.

Cheers, CatBrat.

I voted gravel. I think it looks more natural that way, and although it's easier to clean a bare bottom, it also makes it look dirty quicker because the dirt is easily visible on the bare bottom.

This is obviously one of those questions where personal preference comes in.

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Mats

I'd like to vote sand, as I think look looks best in the tank.

But out of these two options I'd go for gravel for sure.

I would not say this is an either/or question. There are very valid reasons for having or not having a substrate. A substrate makes no sense in a hospital or quarentine tank, but a display tank without a substrate never looks really good.
-Shane

No Gravel or sand in a pleco breeding tank makes feeding difficult and a lot of food can get filtered unless you lay out the tank very carefully. If you're keeping large plecos and you're not attempting a more audacious breeding attempt then I would go with no substrate and a painted base (external) I've used black and dark green to nice effect.

I didn't vote, but I would have if there was a third button for "Depends on what plecos or what you want to do with them".

Jools

I use dark natural gravel/course sand in all my tanks, as the fish 'seem' more at ease in a properly landscaped tank, quarantine included. Just my two cents.

Dave

I like the combination of black gravel and bare bottom. When given the choice I found most of the catfish in the tank like to lay on/in the wood and on the glass bottom, hardly ever on the gravel. I have some picture if you want to see what it can look like.

Right now I am trying to breed L-005 L-007 L-260 LDA-08 and dwarf albino Bristlenose, They are all in bare bottom tanks, like Jools said feeding live and frozen foods is the problem, By the way I would never set up a show tank with out gravel,I cannot believe that anyone would even think that someone would do such a thing! Oh well.
Thanks for any and all advice.

cich_cat wrote:I like the combination of black gravel and bare bottom. When given the choice I found most of the catfish in the tank like to lay on/in the wood and on the glass bottom, hardly ever on the gravel. I have some picture if you want to see what it can look like.

Lets seem them, then

I would love to post some pics. but I do not have a digital camera.