Gravel Or No Gravel?

[Sxusie]

Ok so there is a lot of mixed options about this but I want to know the truth...
should I put gravel in my pond? I know it looks nicer but I’d much rather have something that’s better for the fish and that is why I wanted to put it in, so more beneficial bacteria can grow. But then people say it’s bad because it kills off the fish???
It’s all very confusing, why would it kill the fish if it was supposed to be helping them?
And also if I did put gravel in, how would I clean it?

 

[oldsalt777]

Ok so there is a lot of mixed options about this but I want to know the truth...
should I put gravel in my pond? I know it looks nicer but I’d much rather have something that’s better for the fish and that is why I wanted to put it in, so more beneficial bacteria can grow. But then people say it’s bad because it kills off the fish???
It’s all very confusing, why would it kill the fish if it was supposed to be helping them?
And also if I did put gravel in, how would I clean it?

Hello Sx...

Gravel is fine for your pond. I've got a 300 gallon back yard trough pond and used gravel in it. The fish are fine. I've never heard of a natural gravel substrate doing harm to fish. Someone is pulling your chain. You don't need to clean the gravel. The waste the fish produce dissolves in the water. I just remove and replace half the water every month to keep the environment safe for the fish.

Old

 

[nope]

I think that with gravel in a pond it provides a home for bb that can convert ammonia to nitrate. On the other hand it will also have an anoxic zone where there is no oxygen and bacteria will grow there that convert nitrate into nitrogen gas which is harmless. If you don’t disturb it it should be fine and the toxic gases that develop there won’t be released. See what other people have to say though

 

[Gourami36]

Do you have goldfish? If the gravel is too large it can’t go through their digestive system because they dig through the substrate to find leftover food

 

[Sxusie]

Do you have goldfish? If the gravel is too large it can’t go through their digestive system because they dig through the substrate to find leftover food

I haven’t got anything yet, I’m just planning it out as much as I can to make the fish happiest when I do get them. I will hopefully be getting goldfish... should I get big gravel that can’t fit in the fishes mouths or small gravel that passes through?

 

[Gourami36]

I haven’t got anything yet, I’m just planning it out as much as I can to make the fish happiest when I do get them. I will hopefully be getting goldfish... should I get big gravel that can’t fit in the fishes mouths or small gravel that passes through?

Small gravel or sand. Large gravel will most likely kill the fish

 

[aae0130]

Small gravel or sand. Large gravel will most likely kill the fish

This is a myth. I have raised Goldie’s for decades and I can tell you it never happened to me, or anyone I know.

 

[Collin Chorba]

considering goldfish love to sift through sand for food I would go with sand, also if you do decide to do gravel then you should clean it once or twice a year.

 

[Gourami36]

This is a myth. I have raised Goldie’s for decades and I can tell you it never happened to me, or anyone I know.

Why does everyone I know says to use small gravel or sand?

 

[aae0130]

because they read the myth somewhere.

I once was a member of koko’s gold fish forum. It got passed around there plenty. I had to stop going on that sight because of all the bad information that was being passed around. Let’s just say they are not the sharpest tools in the shed.

 

[Galathiel]

This is a myth. I have raised Goldie’s for decades and I can tell you it never happened to me, or anyone I know.

And I know someone that used larger gravel and had to extract it on two separate with tweezers when it became stuck in their mouth.

Like saying it's a myth that people can get struck by lightning because you've never had it happen to someone you know. Things do happen just because you didn't witness it.

 

[Collin Chorba]

Why does everyone I know says to use small gravel or sand?

because digging in the sand is a vital part of their natural social behavior.

because digging in the sand is a vital part of their natural social behavior.

oops sorry, I thought this thread was a different one about shell dwellers

 

[aae0130]

And I know someone that used larger gravel and had to extract it on two separate with tweezers when it became stuck in their mouth.

Like saying it's a myth that people can get struck by lightning because you've never had it happen to someone you know. Things do happen just because you didn't witness it.

What they did was stress out the fish by extracting the piece of gravel they’re really rolling around in their mouth because they were tasting the algae on it.
I promise you....your fish will never die choking on gravel.

 

[Fanatic]

I know a lot of people use gravel, sand, or larger river rocks, or some of each combined together.

 

[Galathiel]

Nope, it was stuck, but carry on LOL.

 

[Aquadiscovery]

Hello! Sxusie
Actually bacteria and algae problems in pond damages only to newly borned babies like guppies,mollies.,zebra danioz etc.so if algae is growing then it's usually useful for newly babies as they eat algea.gravel also is an best option and it doesn't matter a lot if you put it or not.my advice would be if you are not putting gravel then just start aquaponics with banana Amazon plants as they absorb ammonia.
Thank you

D and also algae damages babies when babies get stuck in algae and can't get rid of them so they die finally.

 

[callmebeeplease]

I haven’t got anything yet, I’m just planning it out as much as I can to make the fish happiest when I do get them. I will hopefully be getting goldfish... should I get big gravel that can’t fit in the fishes mouths or small gravel that passes through?

I'm in the same boat as you Sxusie! I have a pond set up with no fish in it yet and am wondering whether to put gravel in it or not? I'm leaning towards no so that it's super low maintenance, but am currently on the fence about it!