Choose My Substrate!!

[Becca]

Don't worry, I'm not adding anything hot pink...but I just can't decide on a substrate for my tank.

I wanted to do sand, but I heard that wasn't a good idea. So I thought about crushed coral, which I heard would help keep the PH level of the tank up - which cichlids like. But I have that Spiney Eel, so the items need to be smooth and not jagged.

 

[Doggfather]

sand

 

[The-Wolf]

I wouldn't use crushed coral in a freshwater tank, personally.
don't know why, just wouldn't.

 

[Phantom Thief]

I say small gravel. Its the best compromise between ordinary gravel and sand. Besides, i use it, and it looks great!

P.T.

 

[cometcattle]

Black sand. I think that would look awesome with your cichlids, and your eel.

Once you go sand, you never go back.

 

[Becca]

Black sand. I think that would look awesome with your cichlids, and your eel.

Once you go sand, you never go back.

Comet (and Doggfather...)

I was actually thinking sand a while ago, but my LFS recommended AGAINST it saying that it was hard to clean and your water started getting cloudy after a few months.

What are your opinions, if you have sand?

 

[tstenback]

Sand is a great substrate. It is easy to look after and a lot of my bottom dwellers seem to prefer it.

 

[cat.fish]

i have sand in my 10 gallon it is not that hard to clean.

 

[Becca]

Sand is a great substrate. It is easy to look after and a lot of my bottom dwellers seem to prefer it.

Ok, if I go with sand, I've heard I can use Play Sand or Pool Filter sand. I've also heard pros and cons about Silica Based Sand. Can someone point in the direction of what's good / what's not good. I don't just want to choose a sand and thing I'm good and end up picking something that sucks.

 

[luxum]

I have flourite and black sand, any new tank i set up will be pure sand unless i'm growing plants. The black sand sold at petsmart under the name "Tahitian Moon" is awesome, it doesn't float and the fish show great color against it. It's not hard to clean, it just requires a slightly different technique. If you use play sand you need to rinse, rinse, rinse before you put it in the tank to get the fines out to prevent clouding. The sand looks so natural, it's very attractive.

 

[Becca]

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It's not hard to clean, it just requires a slightly different technique.
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Thanks! Any chance you can let me know what the different technique is?

Oh! And one more question - do I still go according to the 1 lb of substrate / 1 gallon rule? How much sand should I add?

 

[SirMinion]

Sand sand and more sand.

It it EASY to clean as the crap just sits on the surface where it can be vacuumed off, not like gravel where it get betwwen the stones and festers.

With the right kind of sand, it won't make your water cloudy

your spiney eel will love you forever for using sand.

Depth of substrate is personal choice, but if you want live plants, you'll need a depth of at least two to three inches - this will also let your eel borrow.

get some malasyan trumpet snails in there too, and they'll burrow and keep the sand turned over. Don't worry, they won't eat your plants, and the eel will enjoy hunting them too.

just don't use an UG filter with sand

 

[luxum]

To clean the sand, just wave the wand a bit above the surface. Any debris that has settled on the sand will come up into the water where you can vacuum it, the sand is heavier and will stay put or sink back down quickly. Don't dig your vac into it like you do with gravel.

 

[Becca]

Sand sand and more sand.

It it EASY to clean as the crap just sits on the surface where it can be vacuumed off, not like gravel where it get betwwen the stones and festers.

With the right kind of sand, it won't make your water cloudy

your spiney eel will love you forever for using sand.

Depth of substrate is personal choice, but if you want live plants, you'll need a depth of at least two to three inches - this will also let your eel borrow.

get some malasyan trumpet snails in there too, and they'll burrow and keep the sand turned over. Don't worry, they won't eat your plants, and the eel will enjoy hunting them too.

just don't use an UG filter with sand

With the snails, are they going to multiply and take over my tank? I'm not fond of snails. Don't really know why... *shrug* But then again, i thought I wouldn't be fond of the pleco, and I love him dearly. And I never thought I'd have an eel, but I like him too!

 

[luxum]

~sigh~ Everybody always hatin' on the snails, i don't get it. They won't "take over" the tank. Their population will grow to match the food supply in the tank. Want less snails? Feed less and keep up with the water changes. Snails can be very beneficial, particularly the Malaysian trumpets since they keep the substrate aerated by burrowing around in it. They eat algae and keep it cleaned off the decorations and plants and whatnot, and eat excess food so it doesn't rot. They contribute a little poop but it's worth it for the clean do they do for you. The MTS burrows in the substrate, during the day you'll be lucky to see one, they come out at night. Like a crew of janitors! Snails make your little ecosystem more complete, i love them. I've kept them for years and they have never "taken over" a tank although they have population booms if there is an algae bloom. If they are on the front glass and bugging you, just wipe the algea off the glass and they will go elsewhere.

~John Lennon mode~ Alllll iiiii am saaaayiiiiing.... is give snails a chaaaance!