flowerhorn tank. bare or gravel?

[bitteraspects]

ive seen a lot of solo flowerhorn tanks that were bare and a few that were decorated. what are your opinions. pros and cons of each.
im about to move my flowerhorn to a new tank by himself cause my jacks kind of pick on him, but i was torn between the decor of the tank.

lmk what you guys think

 

[TheFighterFish]

If I ever kept flowerhorn, I'd probably keep the tank bare. Easier to clean and easier to spot waste or leftover food. You'd probably want to have a backdrop though. It'll look a little bit less bare. Flowerhorns can get pretty large, so be sure to have an accommodating tank.

 

[bitteraspects]

ive got more then enouigh tanks to choose from, so space wont be a problem. i was also thinking of maybe a big flowerpot cave or something. one piece will be easy to clean but idk about the bottom. i have lots of extra black sand lying around, but im not sure if i want to put it in or not.

 

[di0nysus]

yea i agree bare bottom would be easier to maintain. you can syphon the majority of the waste out when doing a water change and will over all make your water quality much better, but i dont blame you i like the looks of black sand in my tanks.

 

[Big Vine]

If it were me I'd go with substrate of some sort...makes for a much more appealing setup. Otherwise you'd end up with a bare bottom covered in poop and other waste, and it will be way more apparent than in a sand/gravel-bottomed tank. Water quality shouldn't be an issue in an appropriate-sized tank with a proper maintenance/water-change schedule.

BV

 

[Katie217]

Im with BV on this one...
Gravel would not only look nicer, but it is the best place for bacteria to grow. Also flowerhorns like to dig and move the substrate around (so I hear) so I'm sure the flowerhorn would enjoy the entertainment

 

[FishGeek]

Im going with Katie and BV on this one. (Cant think of anything else to add either LOL)