Fish for the upper half

This one is less expensive
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMRD7FB/?tag=ff0d01-20

Both linked sponge filters seem much the same. I use less complicated ones, photo below. I have a single sponge in my 10g,m and one dual sponge in the 20, 29, 33 and 40 gallon tanks. The Hagen Elite don't seem to be available any longer, least I couldn't find them online or locally, so I ordered the cheaper ones via Amazon and they are fine. Maybe even better, because the sponges seem a bit stronger; after two years they have not worn at all, with weekly rinsing under the tap (they do pick up organics well) whereas my Hagen sponges tended to fall apart after a year or so.

HazMatt said:

Also, quite a while back, you told me about some sponge filters at Amazon. Have you seen these sponge filters yet? They have cups below the sponges to hold bio balls. Interesting concept and the reviews are mostly positive. What do you think about them?

Click to expand...

Concept makes sense although I question how much actual difference they would make because of the tiny volume. Not sure I'd want a transparent muck collector on display in my tank though

I also use the cheap Amazon ones as in Byron's pic.

And, you can buy a 4 pack of the cheap ones with prime 2 day delivery for the price of the first one I linked.

I mixed a few handfuls of the black and blue sand together, with the same two parts black/one part blue. I really like the look in this glass.

This is your aquarium, but I would not use this mix. it is totally unnatural, and one should think of the fish, not us.

For one thing, as soon as you do this sort of mix, you draw attention to the substrate, and that should be the last thing you want in any aquarium; the substrate, like the background, should be so innocuous it isn't noticed unless you specifically think about it.

The only mixes that work are the "natural" ones like the play sand or similar fine gravel. Blue should never be used for the substrate.

I guess this is where we will disagree. I want a dark substrate and I like this mix. I will be using loads of driftwood, live plants and slate to add a bit of a natural look.

Now, if I could find a dark sand mix of natural colors, like those that can be found in gravel mixes, I may change it out one day in the future.

I do appreciate all the incredibly helpful information you have given me, over several threads now. And I'm sure I'll be asking for your input again...probably before I even finish setting up this aquarium.

Hard to say from the pic for certain - but that looks too sharp for Corys

After digging my hands through it for over an hour while rinsing it, I'd say it's pretty darn smooth.