gravel

[aherzog]

What are some scientific reasons for using gravel in a tank? My son, who works in a pet shop, wants to keep the gravel but his new boss says that it is not necessary and only an additional expense. However, the boss did say that with sufficient support, he will allow Joshua to retain the gravel.

Thank you for your considered replies.

[Caryl]

The tanks look nicer.

Fish are calmer as they feel safer with a dark substrate below them.

Fish will show more colour against dark gravel and will be pale with a white (assuming there is white poly under the tanks) base.

Gravel holds the plants in place.

Gravel will also host some beneficial bacteria.

Boss is right though, essentially you don't need it. Speaking as a customer, a well set out shop tank will make me more inclined to buy fish than from bare tanks. After all, the shop is not just selling fish, it is supposed to be selling aquascaping stuff as well so they need to show what can be done and what a tank should look like!

[HummingBird]

The main plus for having gravel, like Caryl said, is that it provides more surface area for bacteria to grow on, resulting in less of a load on your filter and less of a chance of a crash. This should be especially important in a pet shop, with all the fish coming and going.

[suphew]

But bare bottom tanks are far easier to clean, a major bonus for a pet shop, plus they would likely have one huge central filter so this wouldnt be much of a problem. Personally if I had a choice I would buy fish from a clean bare bottom over a dirty tank with gravel.

Of course clean and gravel would be even better....