General Care Discussion :: to gravel or not to gravel... THAT is the question

[stanthrax]

So i've seen some people on here say when setting up their new tank, not to put gravel in it...
and then i've seen other say TO put gravel..

SO i'm wondering which is right.. or if it even matter either way.

I figure it leaves room for any debris and/or turtle crap to fall in between and not float around... but i'm pretty new to this so i'd like some opinions.

my current setup.. with gravel..

[flutterby]

Gravel = bad because its usually smaller than the turtles head which means it can be eaten and can lead to impaction.

Rivier Rocks = Is the best alternative if you want some kind of rock/stone covering the bottom of your tank.

But most people will agree that leaving your tank bottom bare makes for easier cleaning.

[stanthrax]

Gravel = bad because its usually smaller than the turtles head which means it can be eaten and can lead to impaction.

Rivier Rocks = Is the best alternative if you want some kind of rock/stone covering the bottom of your tank.

But most people will agree that leaving your tank bottom bare makes for easier cleaning.

makes sense

thank u
i'm learnin as i go along

[jenaero]

My res like playing with rocks so I have several river rocks at the bottom. Even too many of those can make cleaning the tank a hassle tho. I actually removed some recently after I found fish carcasses and other debris had built up...ick.

[CountryGirl68]

I have only about 10 river rocks in a 75 gallon tank with a few decorations for my turtle to rest on during the day. It makes cleaning up poop and left over food much easier. To avoid having the bottom of the tank totally bare, I covered the outside of the bottom with a black aquarium background so Tanner isn't looking into the cabinet all day long.

[grey goose]

In my setups I have smooth, small river rocks similar to the ones in the pic above. Only I put them in small, shallow tupperware containers that have holes drilled into the bottom. So on cleaning day, (7-10 days) I slowly lift them out and just thoroghly rinse them. When lifting them out, you will get a bit of a cloud from it, but a good filter will take care of it in less than 10 min.

[Shavannah]

Since joining this forum, I replaced the small rocks (not gravel) with river rocks bigger than Gandalf's head. I put about 15 in there. He plays with them, and the tank is much easier to clean.
Here's what I found after the change: He pooped out some small rock bits he must have found mixed in with the small rocks. Thank goodness he never became impacted. I felt so horrible about it. It took about a week for all of the bits to be expelled. I removed them as he expelled them, and haven't seen any since.
So, my advice is to not take the chance with anything smaller than their heads. You can pick up small bags of the bigger river rocks at the dollar store. They come with about 10-12 rocks each I think.

[industrial_girl_2000]

I used large stone gravel a long time ago in my turtle tank & got rid of it because there is no decent (effective) way to really keep it clean. The waste is just too large and eventually the water looks cloudy all the time.

And I have to agree with what people say about the turtle-kids eating the gravel. It was another reason I got rid of it because my turtle eats anything that isn't bolted down! Her tank setup is very plain now, but it is so clean that it doesn't look like there is any water in it!

[akaghettoraver]

The only thing I have in the enclosure is a heater and basking spot. It makes cleaning a lot easier and LT gets plenty of room to swim around, decorations are cool, but my slider, and I'm sure she isn't the only one, will eat it or atleast try too! I just can't see putting something in there to make the environment look appealing, after all it isn't my home its hers. She does what she wants with it.

[marisa]

What can she possibly do in a home with virtually nothing in it? You're right, it's her tank, but she is dependent on you to at least make it a little stimulating for her...

Are you going to leave that new big tank bare as well? With all that space, there is so much potential to make a great-looking setting. If you got a fake plant with leaves that are too big to swallow, she wouldn't eat them, even accidently. And a few rocks don't take up much room and really don't make cleaning that much more difficult.

[CountryGirl68]

but she is dependent on you to at least make it a little stimulating for her...

I agree with Marisa. I've added a few decorations to Tanner's tank for several reasons: first, it gives him some areas to "hide" when he doesn't want to be bothered or stared at; second, it gives him a place to rest in between swimming.

I didn't expect that he'd want anything else to do with the decor but Tanner will probably grow up to be an interior decorator. He is constantly rearranging his "furniture". Guess it gives him something to do.