Ok, So What About Rocks?

[arbatey]

So I have heard millions of different things about the rock issue.
Should you have rocks in your tank? Absolutely-say most people.
How much? One guy told me it is necessary to have 15 pounds for every 10 gals you have.
Now, I find that hard to believe b/c it looks to take up a good bit of the bottom of the tank.

A few others have said that rocks arent really needed. That they are just used for appearance. In that case, I think the tank might look a bit odd and my dojo would have no where to go.

I'd like to take kind of like a survey from all who visit this post.
If you will, kindly, post:
1. what size tanks you own
2. how much gravel you have in each specific tank
3. your take on the issue/what you think

Thanks all!!!!

 

[wendywc]

I've heard just use one pound per gallon or just enough to cover the bottom with whatever thickness you want. I used about 40-45 pounds of gravel for my 30 gallon tank; I left some of the 50 pound bag for my 6 gallon. I guess I use so much because I like the thick bed look. Plus I do have some slate pieces upright or leaning on eachother, so I have a thick substrate to put them in to hold the slate better.

 

[arbatey]

I see...thanks Wendy.

More comments everyone!!
Thanks!

 

[cujoho78]

Hi. By rocks do you mean gravel? I have a 55 gal and i haven't put any gravel in it yet. Instead, i have a bunch of larger rocks covering most of the bottom with lots of caves etc. for the corys. The plus side is it is really easy to vacuum the tank out. I think having gravel is purely a cosmetic decision as i believe most of the good bacteria to live in the filter. As for the amount of gravel needed, if you have live plants i think you need 3-4 inches, and if you don't have live plants then an inch or two would probably do it. It's really up to you.

 

[Tolak]

It's mostly what you think is good looking, everyones taste is different. I have 14 tanks running, 3 have gravel, the rest are bare bottom. One pound per gallon works well for me, gives around 1 1/2 to 2 inches. I've seen tanks with 4+ inches of gravel, and african tanks totally filled with huge rocks.