Sand & Gravel Cleaners...

[corrosive]

Is it ok to use, the normal siphon gravel cleaner with a sand substrate, or will the sand get sucked up too?

Right, i have noticed, that my new plec is very nocternal, and likes to hide while it is light, he has bog wood, pots, and a tunnel to hide in, but i was wondering if he would benifit from me having 1 corner of the tank really setup with slate, and my pots moved around, to make a nice little kind of "Den" in the corner for him to hide in. Also other fish can use it, they may like to use it to hide as well, and just mess around there.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Use can use the same cleaners but you'll have to be more skilled with them. the idea is to skim over teh surface, low enough to lift dirt and debris, but high enough no to lift up all the sand. the sand will dance around a bit but as it's heavier than general muck you should be able to do it so that most of it sinks back down again.

I expect your plec would appreciate his own corner, but tehn you can never tell with fish. it can't do any harm, so you might as well jsut set it up and see if he likes it.

 

[corrosive]

Well im thinking of having the whole corner into a feature, moving the bog wood over there and having the pots on different levels and angles, this should make a real dark and perfect cave for my plec to hide in, and will give all the other fish a nice long open stretch of gravel the run around in and swim. Also my bristlenose should like it because he can suck on the glass from inside the cave, and also rest on the rocks.

Should be interesting, my lfs sells slate, but im just wondering wheres the best place to get it from if anyone knows?

 

[Joviella]

Sounds good corrosive......only prob you might have is that slate costs a fortune as they sell it by weight. I got mine from france!! A friend was over there and we got it for free.Lucky me!! Good luck though.....I think your fish will love your idea!!

 

[clutterydrawer]

*shrugs* I got mine from my lfs. It was pretty cheap actually. Though if you can find some bits lying around outside they will probably be safe as long as you wash tehm very very thoroughly.

 

[corrosive]

Sounds good corrosive......only prob you might have is that slate costs a fortune as they sell it by weight. I got mine from france!! A friend was over there and we got it for free.Lucky me!! Good luck though.....I think your fish will love your idea!!

Yeh i hope they will love it, i guess my pockets will be really light then as well so we both win LMAO.

I may ask around at fish shops, because last time my lfs weighted something for me, they charged me full price because the stupid women couldnt work out the maths, they ripped me off about £3 on a piece of bog wood .

I would imagine, i will need about 6 pieces of slate, at the minimum, so i guess that will probably cost £20?

 

[clutterydrawer]

how big pieces of slate are we talking?

 

[FishDan]

You can usually get the same king of slate at lawn and garden centers for much cheaper than at your LFS. My LFSs sell rock for $1.99/pound. I have seen it at garden centers for .33/pound.

\Dan

 

[corrosive]

Well it cost me £3, and i got quite alot of slate, definatly enough for my tank .