With sand, gravel or bare tanks?

[wirajendi]

I'm a zebra pleco enthusiast from jakarta, I have 2meter x 70cm(w) x 50cm(h)
tank and I use eheim 2260 canister filter

Is it better if i leave the zebra without gravel/ sand? because some people
prefer bare tanks and others prefer gravel and sand. Does it have any effect on reproduction? or it's a matter of style preference?

Thanks for your help and advice,

[Raul-7]

I'm a zebra pleco enthusiast from jakarta, I have 2meter x 70cm(w) x 50cm(h)
tank and I use eheim 2260 canister filter

Is it better if i leave the zebra without gravel/ sand? because some people
prefer bare tanks and others prefer gravel and sand. Does it have any effect on reproduction? or it's a matter of style preference?

Thanks for your help and advice,

It is a matter of preference and it does have some advantages/disadvantages.

People go with BB (bare-bottom) to easily remove debris, leftover food and other waste. Personally, I would only do this if I was breeding a top dwelling fish because they don't seem to care about the substrate. As for pleco's I believe a BB tank is somewhat stressful as they aren't used to lying a BB in their natural habitats. I don't believe it has any effect on whether or not the fish will breed; if conditions are perfect - fish will breed no matter what!

As for sand, it is great for holding down plants; it looks pleasing to the eye, and it is more natural for the fish (security). The only downside is that may compact overtime, but this can easily be remedied by adding Malaysian trumpet snails to help aerate the sand. As for H2S build-up, it is rare becuase unless there is a source of carbon (base fertilizers, laterite, soil, etc.) the anerobic bacteria cannot exist to produce H2S.

The general recommendation is to use sand over gravel simply because whatever debris falls down stays above the sand, as opposed to falling through the gravel layers where it will decay. In my pleco breeding tank, I use black sand to help bring out the colors of the fish better.

[wirajendi]

Thank's for your advice raul!!, i think you are right, I will try to follow your set up since it will be closer condition to its natural habitat.

[McEve]

I use sand in all my tanks. The fish is digging a lot in it, especially in front of the caves. I wonder if it's a way of telling other males to stay away? Pure speculations though.

What does seem to me to be true is that they they show off by using the sand to spray it behind them, there's a sandstorm at times when there's a scuffle on, so my preference is to keep sand, together with MS.

Those that prefer BB does it, as Raul-7 said, because it's easier to keep clean, even though I'm not so sure that is true if you have a well established tank. Bacteria sticks to surfaces, and sand is in constant motion, whereas BB tanks provides an ideal surface to stick to.

When that's said, I know some breeders have all their fry die in the tanks with sand, and don't loose any in BB tanks. I haven't had that problem, so what the cause is I couldn't say.

I'm not helping now am I What it comes down to is your personal preferences I guess. Try both and see what suits you best.

[wirajendi]

Thank's so much for your help McEve, your information is really helpfull for me. I will definetely try to set up with sand, hopefully it'll do ok

[Frontyking]

Hi Raul-7 and McEve.

McEve, I've seen your set ups on your website and think they look absolutely fantastic.

Raul-7, any chance of posting a pic to see your set up as I too am in the process of setting up my Zebra tank.

The other thing I was thinking, what would you say to a part BB and part sandy tank in other words, a very thin layer of sand so as to not have any problems with compacting, yet give the Zebra a bit of a natural feel?

Thanks,

Nick.

[Zebrabreeder]

Hello Nick,
2 of my breeding tanks have the "half and half" look. Half of the tank has no sand and the other half has about 6mm of Sand. The tanks are pretty symmetrical in terms of cave placement and decor, but I've noticed the Zebras mostly stay on the half of the tank with the Sand. Although in terms of breeding ist is about 50/50 whether they spawn on the Sand side or the BB side.

[wirajendi]

do you have pictures of the 50/50 set ups?

thank's

Robin wirajendi

[Zebrabreeder]

I can take some for you.

[McEve]

I've seen 50/50 setups before, and think it's a great idea. That way the adults get to rummage in sand while the feeding can be done in the BB part. Easy to keep clean and both young and adults should be happy

I might set up one of my tanks like that and see how it works

[Frontyking]

I've seen 50/50 setups before, and think it's a great idea. That way the adults get to rummage in sand while the feeding can be done in the BB part. Easy to keep clean and both young and adults should be happy

I might set up one of my tanks like that and see how it works

That's exactly what I was thinking too Mceve. Yes please Zebrabreeder, I wouldn't mind seeing them also.

Cheers,

Nick.

[Raul-7]

But unless you're concentrating absolutely on breeding the fish, I don't see the reason for having a BB. I mean if you keep all your tanks in a basement and don't enjoy watching them everyday, I don't see the 'must have' reason for keeping a BB. Mind you, a thriving planted tank is much healthier than any BB is.

[Frontyking]

Hi Raul,

My fish aren't at the breeding stage and I don't think they will be for another year and a half or so, and they are definitely not in the basement. They are in my living room and their tank is an eyesore at the moment as it is BB because I don't know which substarte/decore etc etc to choose for them. That's why I asked the question to get some ideas so I can start piecing together their tank. I'm having alot of trouble finding bogwood for them here in Aus but I might have found some from one fellow in the country that collects it. He will be getting back to me tomorrow.

Cheers mate,

Nick

[zebra046]

I once talked to guy who went to Xingu River and collected some zebras cories the only thing he see's under water is rocks, peebles, clear water and algae on the rocks the way they catch the zebra is to chase it under a rock and start removing the surrounding rocks and place a large net over it, If I remember it correctly he only caught one fish the whole day and his other comment was you have to be a strong swimmer or hold on to the rocks or else the water will swep you away while catching fish.

So If we are talking about natural setup wouldnt a Tanganyikan tank be a perfect zebra tank rocks and peebles sort of a Goby tank, Eretmodus, Spathodus and Tanganyicodus Sp. strong waves just soft water just be sure that the decor is stable or else you end up with a few flat fish I know this so well it happend to me twice one with slate another one with a power head and you just dont kill one fish they squish them in groups st#pid fish they hudle in a group.

A thriving planted tank dont have to have sand you can plant them in pots or tie them on a drift wood and the best plant are the once that are floating anyways http://www.mobot.org/jwcross/duckweed/duckweed.htm
if you walk on the beach sand will swirl as you move along, it doesnt mean that they need the sand for courtship even sand building fish like Cyathopharynx Sp. or a little shell dwelling Neolamprologus multifaciatus will breed in a BB tank as long as you provide a place for them to deposit there eggs like a PVC pipe, in the past I used to use marbles to breed zebra danios it will help collect the eggs so the fish wont eat them.

wirajendi it really depends on what your intentions are for the fish, if it is only breeding them I highly recommend BB and when you have enough fry then you can do what ever you feel like it Like placing them in a 5 gallon bare bottom tank just like this one


A Bare Bottom 5 Gallon Eclipse in-between 2 black leather couches, the impeller of the power head broke and is now with out a power head and the pair still spawned


Female that just Spawned in a 5 gallon Bare Bottom tank even though it is bare this girl still looks good with a blue tinge on her when you view her on a good angle


eggs in the males cave in a 5 Gallon Bare Bottom tank


Good Luck

[Frontyking]

Very interesting read zebra046. Thanks for that.

Nick.