fragmented slate bottom (not a medical condition)

[ccole]

ok guys and girls and all inbetween, under and over.

New tank = the same do i dont i questions for myself.

I found a tank in a store ...i dont want to name the store for the embaresment factor of being there.

ANYWAY it had a tank with plumb slate, smale pieces about 2 inc square but all rough but not sharp. It was layered about 2 inch thinck maybe a bit more

QUESTIONS;
(after looking though the threads )

1. if i use an undergravel filter will this stop the mulm/poo building up and me not being able to get to it? I have never used one befor! this will be its only job as the tank will have a huge over top filter and external filter on top .

http://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/aquarium-1/fish-tanks/cabinet-aquarium-fish-tanks/cabinet-fish-tank-aquarium-330-litres-120cm-four-colours.html

that is the tank i am getting.

I was thinking of using this as my sub because i have difficulty using my arms (no not because i use them for naughy other things to much ) and sucking the bottom every three days/week is a buit hard and often gets not done.


2.will my pleco's get upset? I have 1 x rusty 1 x worm line 2x clown stripe? small things very dark with tiny thin yellow stripes! 2 x abn's and hundreds of fry 1 x whiptail 2x weather loach 4 x kholi

3. how likly are my fry to get stuck? i have loads of bog wood with ferns they normally hide in. same go's for kholi's

4. nope forgotton


hope you can help

claire

 

[xingu]

What are you asking about, UG filters or slate?! Or both?

I don't like UG filters personally and have used slate with no ill effects before.

 

[ccole]

lol
questions 1 is about UGF
the rest slate

respect and thanks

 

[FF MkII]

Leave the UGF, so outdated in my opinion. As for an all slate bottom.... Not entirely sold on that idea as you will get crap trapped between the gaps and it will be a pain to clean. I do however like the idea of using slate tiles (whole tiles) as a substrate.

 

[ccole]

i just looked at a tank that had a whole floor that was two tiles cut to fit. I could pop down to the floor tile place and get them from there!! magic! easy!

 

[Lornek8]

You'd still need to clean the bottom. With slate it'd be harder in my opinion. Just like running no substrate at all with a bare glass bottom, a layer of mulm would 'grow" on the tiles. Unless this is scrubbed off every so often it can become a breeding-ground for disease. Its one of the reasons people see deaths with fry in tanks with no substrate.

 

[Tener ds]

You'd still need to clean the bottom. With slate it'd be harder in my opinion. Just like running no substrate at all with a bare glass bottom, a layer of mulm would 'grow" on the tiles. Unless this is scrubbed off every so often it can become a breeding-ground for disease. Its one of the reasons people see deaths with fry in tanks with no substrate.

i had this problem when i rescaped edge with a slate bottom.looked good but was a pain to keep clean.

 

[FF MkII]

Thin layer of sand on top on the slate? The movement should help to keep it clear of any nasty films

 

[Lornek8]

Thin layer of sand on top on the slate? The movement should help to keep it clear of any nasty films

Could work if done right. This was the same type of problem Tener ds had. He had sand with slate on the bottom. Slate/sand trapped debris & went stagnant. Probably have to completely seal the bottom of the slate tiles for it to work well.