# Bare bottom planted tanks?



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Wondering if it has been done before? I can't find any images of that setup on the web. 

How would one do a setup like that? How would you hold the plants in? 


I've been more and more interested in bare bottom tanks for easier maintenance. I mean heck it's easy to syphon all the mess out of the tank without having to worry about gravel bits getting sucked up and such and faster IMHO.

Thanks in advance.


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Sort of: Plants grown in shallow containers with soil in them placed into a bare bottom tank.


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

Duckweed? lol


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Breeders do this all the time. BB tanks and floating plants such as duckweed, water lettuce, amazon frogbit. Stem plants that you more or less just let float such as hornwort and najas grass. Or plants that attach to pieces of driftwood or rock - such as java fern, anubias and moss. Plants in pots already mentioned by Mr Fishies also works. For the breeder, most of this type of setup is still easy to clean, gives the fry hiding spots and things to nibble between feedings, won't build up total dissolved solids as a full substrate planted tank would. More interesting then a bare tank, and the plants help to use up excess nutrients.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

take a look at the plant section next time you're at your LFS.

They generally have their plants in small pots with rocks (tend to see river stones) to hold them down.

Would be funny to see a planted tank scaped with all potted plants lol


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Yes, hide the pots with driftwood or stone.

Just don't use the pots the plants come with at the fishstore, which contain rockwool hydroponic growing medium and liquid plant ferts. Not for fry


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I have a barebottom planted tank - mostly due to laziness at this point, but it works fine because of the plants I have in it.

Anubias, java fern, mosses and some vallliseneria growing on driftwood. Easy to clean!


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