Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I notice that there is lots of crap (literally) underneath the rocks in my tank. I am aware that whether or not the rocks are present, there would still be crap. However, If the rocks weren't there, would the filter take care of the crap since there would be no place for it to get stuck to? I've seen tanks with and without rocks. Which is better and cleaner?

Sorry about that.

I think you'll find your problem (as many others have) in the amount of gravel you have in there. Instead of having the whole floor covered in gravel, try getting larger and fewer rocks. You'll see that stuff still sits on the bottom, but much much less of it. Most of it should get picked up by the filter as turtles like to 'dig' in gravel or under rocks (which in turn will turn up the water and crap allowing it to get filtered). Hope this helps a little!

I like my tank without rocks. I have 2 Raphael Catfish and a plecostamus that keep the bottom spotless and clean.

Your turt doesn't eat the pleco or catfish? Everything I put in my tank he ends up eating, so I have to be careful!

Raphael Catfish are extremely reclusive. They only come out at night, and you will nearly never see them around the tank. I have a piece of rock they hide under and I can see them in there.

I havn't seen them out of the rock in the past month or so..other than times I have forced them out by moving the rock.

The pleco, I bought when the turtles were small, and it was twice their size so they didn't bother it. They really ignore it now. Occasionally they will piss off the pleco by scratching it while swimming and the pleco will begin pushing them around, sometimes wedging them in a corner to prove it can still whip them. Still, the turtles ignore this even.

I have had several tiger barbs, and they all wind up dead though. I think the water quality gets a bit out of the range they like and they get sick...then the turtles eat them. I have given up on trying them. I have enough in the tank already.

Depend's on your turlte, alot of RES like to dig alot, depening on the turtles themselfs that is as mine like to dig alot and spend a large part of the day digging the smaller and some larger gravel pieces from each side of the tank and without any they woudl just be bored swimming against the glass.