New gravel

[Tempestuousfury]

I just got a 50 gallon tank yesterday and got two bags of gravel.

They are white in one bag and black in the other.
--Should I add both tgh?

Also, the gravel I got seems pretty small. I plan on putting livebearers and tetras in there, so they won't choke on it, but what if I add cories or some bottom feeders w/ big mouths?

I don't know how old it is, but I'm going to run the gravel under cold water for a while to clean it.

I've also got a \few pipes and stuff that seem pretty dirty. Should I immerse them in boiling water to clean and dissinfect them?

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Unless you have fish or plants that are directly affected by the substrate then you can go with whatever size and color of gravel that you wish. Whether you go with one color, the other color, or mix them, is entirley up to your own preference.

Boiling anything before putting it in the aquarium is never a bad precaution. Except maybe the fish

 

[rsz]

balck an white together should look good i don't think cories will choke on it

remember, when washing gravel, wash it thoroughly... then wash it again... then one more time... then again... then wash it one more time for good luck, then rinse it... then wash it again... make sure no more dirt comes out when you wash it, then wash it 2 more times for good luck!! that's pretty much what i did

 

[Tempestuousfury]

It's a hassle, but I'll do anything for my fish. (which is strange b/c i won't do anything for myself now that I've got my fish. All my $ for the last half a year has gone into my fish, and the most expensive thing I bought for myself was a three dollar face wash)

 

[Inchworm]

It's a hassle, but I'll do anything for my fish.

Hi temp

As a general rule, you should plan to put in about one pound of gravel for each gallon of water the tank holds. If you are planning to put in a lot of plants, you might want to add a little more. At the very least, you will want to have it 1/2 to 1 inch deep because that is the area the beneficial bacteria will grow on.

If you plan to have corys, you MUST have small gravel. They will injure their barbells if the gravel is coarse.

It is easiest, and IMHO, best to wash the gravel in small batches. If you have a big panfull of it, it just makes it harder to stir around so the dirt comes out.

Oh, and temp, don't think of it as a hassle; it's fun. You are creating a thing of beauty that will support life. It is a major creative effort on your part and all the work you put into it now will be well rewarded in the end. Enjoy it!