# Marbles or Gravel?



## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

Tomorrow I am going to my LFS and I was wondering, should I get marbles or gravel for the bottom of my tank, will it be harder to clean and also will they be able to go through the gravel vacuum or should I suck the water out with the gravel vacuum take out the marbles then take out all the waste?


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## kbjunior8 (Sep 3, 2007)

marbles look nicer but i think gravels are more comfortable for the fish. I guess its your decision
btw in the private message you said beside my name is showed an a + what did you mean


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

are you sure gravel is more comfortable for the fish? I know when I ask questions like this it pisses u off but how do u know?


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## kbjunior8 (Sep 3, 2007)

no it dosent piss me off at all lol but i dunno i have gravel and my betta sleeps on gravel a lot so thts why i thought that. Like i said what do you mean a +


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## mesapod (Aug 18, 2007)

waste gets caught in marbles easier so it would be harder to get out. Im a fan of gravel not marbles but if you like marbles you should get them. Its accually hard to figure out if gravel s more comfortable than marbles. think gravel looks nicer and there isn't big gaps. I think marbles would be cheaper than gravel because you dont need as many.

Kevin


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## kbjunior8 (Sep 3, 2007)

thats true too yo imran can you answer my question bout the a +


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

I did on the phone and mesapod, you make alot of sense thanks for that help, i'll be getting some gravel tomorrow, and probably another betta!


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## mesapod (Aug 18, 2007)

no problem and i hope your bettas are happy


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

do plakats stay short finned or do their fins grow out? I have been intrigued by them so tomorrow I am going to probably get a 2.5G (i know its small but i'm only 13) and a red plakat most probably


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## mesapod (Aug 18, 2007)

umm im dont know too much about betta tail types but im pretty sure plakats stay with short fins. I have my betta in a 2.5g with a little 3 gallon filter and its a veiltail








and the tank he is in








there are marbles at the bottom cause that was going to be a danio breeding tank


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

do three gallon filters work well? Also in such a small tank do they need to cycle? Because before today I knew nothing about cycling and now i know barely anything hahaha


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

how much did your filter cost?


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## mesapod (Aug 18, 2007)

umm my grandma got me that filter like 4 or 5 years ago i have no idea what it costs. I don't know how long it would take to cycle a 2.5gallon tank but it takes like 2 to 4 weeks to cycle a ten gallon so i would imagine it would take a quarte of that time to cycle a 2.5 gallon. just maybe put a little gravel from one pf youre cycles tanks into the 2.5g and maybe it will cycle a little

Kevin


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

alright, will do


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

I've never cycled the tanks I put my bettas in. not saying it isn't an idea to do it, just that it isn't all that necessary.


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

okay, thanks anasfire, but will the betta be okay with high ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels?


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## anasfire23 (Jan 19, 2005)

well no, but that's why it is recommended to do frequent water changes even if they are in a tank that has a filter.


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

okay, I will is every 3-5 days in a 2.5G sufficient changes of water? Also if I do change water should I do maybe 50% every 4 days?


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2007)

I've never cycled one of my tanks. Actually, I cycled my 20, but for all my other tanks, I put water in them, filter media from one of my other tanks, and fish in all in the same day, and I've neer had a fish die. 

I would use gravel. Marbles are too big IMO, and I've had fish get stuck between marbles before. Gravel is also easier to clean IMO, and because the holes between gravel are soo much smaller than in marbles, it hides the dirt. IME, with marbles, you can see the dirt an dstuff between the marbles.


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

okay, how does a gravel vacuum work? Do i just take out all the gravel with it and rinse it and only put the gravel back in? Or does it have enough power that when I am sucking out the water all the waste will come out?


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2007)

Not to mention marbles look incredibly fake....I prefer natural looking tanks.

Gravel vacuums do not suck up gravel. They suck up water and all of the crap in the gravel. You throw out this water and replace it will fresh, treated (with tap water conditioner) water.


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

is distilled water, clean for a fish already or do I still have to put a conditioner in it? What about silk plants? Because I definitely do not want my betta to get hurt. We don't have petco in canada what about petsmart will they have a small heater?


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

okay, thanks for all the help, when I am putting my gravel and other stuff in today can I vacuum out some water into a bucket and put my betta in there for a bit, because I am afraid he might jump out also how fast are gravel vacuum at taking water out of a 5 Gallon Tank


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## ikermalli (Sep 23, 2007)

Alright, I definitely won't, my local petsmart just got in a bunch of crowntails WOOT WOOT (the same day that i am going to get another betta lol)


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