# "Barebottom" Planted Discus Tank!



## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Anyone ever tried this before? I have 5 discus + 1 blue ram + 1 apisto in a 55 gallon tank that used to be gravel + plants. I found siphoning the gravel 3-4x per week quite time consuming and still not keeping the tank super clean. I've decided to basically remove all of the gravel except for perhaps 3-4 mini islands of gravel to stick some plants in and keep the rest barebottom. I figure this way I can have the viewing pleasure of plants + added benefits plants bring whilst having a bit less work. I'm just wondering if anyone has done this with their discus tanks before and if it has worked for them?


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## Immus21 (Jun 14, 2010)

I've seen people keep plants potted in bare bottom tanks but never little islands of gravel. Won't you have an issue of the gravel spreading/plants unrooting?


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

What I've seen that worked quite well I thought was little potted plants in a bare bottom discus tank.

Unless you build little surrounds for your gravel islands, they will slowly spread and cover the bottom with a few barebottom patches. Not the look you're looking for.


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## mollyb (May 18, 2010)

I use clay pots from the garden store, glazed or raw terra cotta, put a bit of newspaper over the holes, and regular aquarium gravel, if you look around, you can find shallow pots, only 3 inches high.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

With pots if uneaten food all goes in then it rots and you get anaerobic pockets. I did it once and even with 80 percent wcs it
Still had a smell. Found out the pots stunk. 
I've seen where pots are turned upside down and the plant sticks out of the hole.


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## Durogity (Jun 10, 2013)

April said:


> I've seen where pots are turned upside down and the plant sticks out of the hole.


I've seen this as well, looks weird at first, but I could see the efficiency in it


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