Best substrate for cichlids

[SarahBravo]

I've currently got baby firemouths and a baby Texas in quarantine. I'm setting the tank up for them over the next few days. What's the best substrate, sand or a fine gravel? I know my Midas loves gravel, he plays with it all day long. I also think they dig pits when they breed, so should I go with gravel?

Thanks for any advice!

Sarah

 

[freddyk]

Honest answer - either sand or fine gravel, take your pick. I can say sand but I'd be lying and telling you what I prefer and not what the fish prefers.

 

[BlueIce]

Ditto the above post...

one Q tho...
You don't plan on keeping the firemouth with the texas long term do you?

 

[SarahBravo]

Nope, nothing's long term, I'm emigrating to Australia in about 9 months (want some fish??). The lfs sold the texas to me as being fairly peaceful and said he would be okay with the firemouth clan...... hmmmm. Nuff said! Needless to say, first sign of trouble and I will be spending more of my Oz money on another tank!! I would take him back but he is sooooooo beautiful - neon blue and green, with mottled black and white spots.... he's soooo purty! Could take the firemouths back, but they are soooooo purty too

 

[BlueIce]

Texas peaceful? oh my..did they pull a good one on you.
Texas are not in any way peaceful ...shouldn't be too long before you have plenty of room for a mature texas in that tank.You do realize how large they get and that they are very aggressive?

Average Max Size: 10-12"
Water Parameters: Anything goes
General Temperament: Quite aggressive, prone to excessively bullying/killing weaker fish. Almost rivals the true Aggressive cichlids in temperament

Texas Cichlids are generally considered to be a Semi-Aggressive Cichlid. However, Texas cichlids are also known to be significantly more aggressive than other Semi-Aggressives. Texases will often go the extra mile in tankmate harassment, and can frequently end up killing subdominant fish. They are, generally, more of a “bully”.

 

[SarahBravo]

Yep, he's going in a Juwel 180 this week, I think that's around 50g US - hopefully that will keep him going for a few months. If there's any problems I'll rehome him or take him back to the lfs - he won't be any worse off than if i didn't buy him. Don't worry, I'm not going to stick him in a 10g with my Midas!!!! I shall keep a very close eye on him and the firemouths.

Thanks for the advice, all info appreciated.

 

[playfulalliecat]

When considering substrate, one thing to keep in mind is your filters. When we were running an Aquaclear power filter with sand, it started messing up the impellers in the filter. It gets inside the filter and can cause lots of wear and tear. With my cichlids, I like to use small gravel, its safer for the filter and the fish can still scoop it up. When I had Geophagus Bahia sp. Reds, they were sand sifters and I started out with sand. They still were able to dig in and sift the gravel when I switched over to the smallest particle gravel I could find.

HTH

 

[juanveldez]

another option that I have found with my filters on the tank that I used sand in was to take a large aquaclear sponge (I use the ones for the AC 110) and a razor blade and cut off a big chunk and then trim that down so that there is still alot of bulk to it but that it doesn't look like it and attach that to the filter intakes it has totally eliminated all the sand getting sucked into the filters. and my GT and JD do like thier sand. their fav game used to be lets see how loud the filters could be.

 

[unforgiven]

I prefer gravel with cichlids, especially large ones.
1. They like to dig, and gravel is great for that.
2. Gravel is easy to vacuum, cichlids are all messy fish
3. gravel is easy to repair after the fish decides to move ALL of it to one end of the tank, sand isn't so easy...though, I've never seen a cichlid manage to move all the sand to one end of the tank My female red devil used to manage this in one night, we had a game of it, then I got her a boyfriend and she stopped playing with me

you keep a midas in a 10gallon tank? they are massive, agressive cichlids, topping 14 and in some instances even 16 inches in length, they need room to swim.

 

[SarahBravo]

Nooooo no no no - Peaches is in a 120 litre 27UK / 32 US gallon tank.... and he's only 4" long nose to tail. He has the tank all to himself, with lots of rocks and a remote control submarine that he plays tag with. I might bung a couple of extra neons in a tank, but even I wouldn't put a midas in a 10 gallon with a Texas and some firemouths. And they are only in a 10 gallon for their 2 week quarantine, then they are in a 180 litre.

And fine gravel it is - thanks for the input guys