# bare bottom tanks....



## Mike Hawk (Mar 9, 2012)

I don't know about bare bottom tanks but 1 gallon of water is 7.5 Pounds so 29G is about 215 Pounds. If your sill can hold that plus the tank I'm sure 20 pounds of sand wont matter. Keep in mind by adding sand your removing water so its not like your even adding that much more weight. Just my $0.02, Good luck hope someone with more experience than me comes along to help.


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Yup, the more rocks, driftwood, substrate you add, the less water you add. And if 20lbs is going to break the shelf it's on, you're too close to it breaking it anyways being bare bottom.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

I used to have a bare bottom shrimp tank back in the day. It was super easy to clean and what not... but the shrimps just didn't color up with the lack of dark substrate.

Here's a picture of what it used to look like:









And now it looks like:


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## livebearer (Jun 4, 2006)

ok but water is lighter then something solid like stone and wood and sand right? or is it all the same amount of weight? if 29g is 219 lbs and the tank its self is all heavy glas so i would say about another 50-60lbs that almost 300lbs lol . i considered moving it but it looks reall nice there like the spot was made for it. what ta do, what ta do:icon_conf


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## livebearer (Jun 4, 2006)

i have a shrimp tank also and thats bare bottom to and that one is bare because it is really easy to cllean with a turkey baster ....all it has is a skull ,nearly 5 g off java moss and a fist full of lutea stickin out the skulls head, super easy to care for


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## foogie (Dec 26, 2011)

I have a 55g long that I keep as a bare-bottom tank... because I have a large pleco and he's an absolute poop monster... so it's 100% easier to keep the tank clean of his poops.

I have driftwood, and a home-made stone slab structure (for the pleco's hiding spot) and have created a clay pot of aquarium plants for greenery. (clay pot has a layer of gravel at the bottom, layer of organic potting soil in the middle, capped with another layer of gravel)

The tank sure isn't as beautiful as it could be, but damn is it easy to keep spotless.





When I first planted the pot:











couple months ago: (you can see how the pot has grown in a bit)


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## ErikO (Jul 23, 2011)

Mike Hawk said:


> I don't know about bare bottom tanks but 1 gallon of water is 7.5 Pounds so 29G is about 215 Pounds. If your sill can hold that plus the tank I'm sure 20 pounds of sand wont matter. Keep in mind by adding sand your removing water so its not like your even adding that much more weight. Just my $0.02, Good luck hope someone with more experience than me comes along to help.


Water is closer to 8.3 - 8.4 pounds per gallon.


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## bradlgt21 (Mar 24, 2010)

Here is a good comparison. I just picked up some pool filter sand. I emptied it into a 5 gallon bucket. It was a 50 lbs bag it filled almost exactly the same as if I filled it with water. Water would have been 40 lbs where sand was 50 lbs. You will probably only need about 40 lbs of sand in a 29 gallon plus sand is very dense. So your talking maybe 7 lbs heavier then if it were bare bottom. If you went with something less dense say gravel it might even be like 5 lbs difference. In the grand scheme of things the only way you will ever have issues with weight because of rocks or substrate instead of gravel is if you have a ton of sand and all rocks like a lake malawi holey rock tank. But in a planted tank your not going to notice the difference at all.

If you want bare bottom for any other reason other then weight like a pooping fish like a previous person already pointed out there are ways to make it look better. They sell spray paint now that has like grains of sand in it, it looks just like rocks or sand. If you put that on the bottom at least it might look like substrate to a human but still give you the ability to keep it clean.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

My breeder tanks are all bare bottom, but I painted them with stone paint. 
Here is a link, not mine, that shows some color variations. 
http://www.fishyreview.com/fake_sand.html


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

The general formula is the tank + substrate + equipment and so on = 10 pounds per gallon. 
This allows pretty close to 8 pounds per gallon of water, and roughly 2 pounds per gallon for all the other stuff. 
Yes, rocks, sand, driftwood and ceramic castles are heavier than water (they sink) but not by much.

I agree with the posts above that if you think a bare bottom tank is close to over doing it, then I would get a smaller tank, or run this one as a riparium. 

However, the difference between a bare bottom tank filled with water, and the same tank with substrate is not much. 
Look into Soil Master Select types of substrate, they are lighter than sand or rocks. 
And driftwood branches like Manzanita are not that much heavier than water.
Rocks can be significantly heavier, but a few strategically placed pebbles don't add that much. You don't have to use rocks at all, if you do not want to. You could use fake rocks made from expanding foam filler or Styrofoam. 
To save the weight of the filter either use a sponge filter, or a canister that sits on the floor. HOB filters hold that extra water on the rim of the tank (adding to the weight on the shelf). 
Plants in plastic baskets are almost exactly the same density as water. Add a few pebbles to hold them down.

Those painted tanks in the link above this post look really good!


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## livebearer (Jun 4, 2006)

omg that stone spray paint is a great idea....wish i had of though of it BEFORE i filled my tank with water and fish, this isnt a option now but man am i kickin myself for not getting you guys opinion before i filled it :icon_conf

that flower pot is a cool idea, i may try some glass ones .

man this tank is clearly gonna be differant! when i make up my mind and do something i will definatly have to post a pic.


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## livebearer (Jun 4, 2006)

hummmm.... when i think about it i am really starting to like the easy maintence if a bare bottom tank, i think adding plant to a few clear votive glasses and clear round bowls with a small amount of sand in them will look nice in the end, i will also pick up a couple skinny branchy pieces of drift wood and maybe some flame moss to go on them.....the picture is starting to become clear


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## Cancerkazoo (Aug 6, 2011)

Diana said:


> The general formula is the tank + substrate + equipment and so on = 10 pounds per gallon.
> This allows pretty close to 8 pounds per gallon of water, and roughly 2 pounds per gallon for all the other stuff.
> Yes, rocks, sand, driftwood and ceramic castles are heavier than water (they sink) but not by much.
> 
> ...


Can you paint it from below? I know my stand is open to the bottom of the tank.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> My breeder tanks are all bare bottom, but I painted them with stone paint.
> Here is a link, not mine, that shows some color variations.
> http://www.fishyreview.com/fake_sand.html


Wow that is a great link man! The tanks look really good with that paint.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Yes, you can, but the secret is to MASK EVERYTHING. Spray paint goes everywhere. Wear a mask and eye protection yourself, since you will be working under it. 
I have not used the stone look paint, but I have used other spray paints. Make several thin coats, not a thick one that might bead up, run or drip. There are some special paints that are designed for glass, I have no idea if the stone textured paint is one of them. Maybe test on a spare bit of glass (prop it in the up-side-down position)


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