So many questions...

[Kelp23]

Hi,

I'll apologise up front for this post but I'm so confused

So when I bought my original tank it was intended as a goldfsh tank for my daughter so I literally bought a bag of gravel and chucked everything in. As I'm now the owner of this tank and it's full of temperate fish ( not goldfish) I'm taking much better care and now I'm upgrading to a large tank I don't want to make any mistakes. I made the mistake of googling aquascapes and now I'm totally confused so I have some questions that is be really grateful for some help with.. I've also now realised that both of my lfs don't really have a clue what they are doing so thought you guys would know the right answer

1. Gravel or sand substrate? I like the look of sand but I've never used it in a tank so it makes me a bit nervous.
2. Do I need a special aquarium gravel or can I use any gravel if it's thoroughly cleaned?
3. If I'm putting live plants in the tank do I need anything specific to help them grow. ( Mine are currently weighted down into gravel and grow like mad so I assume not)
4. I live 5 minutes away from the beach. Can I get big pebbles and rocks from there to use in my tank? How do I ensure they are clean?
5. I've noticed today that a couple of my fish are rubbing themselves against leaves. I'll do a big water change anyway today but any other ideas ? ( Don't get mad but I've never tested my water- I'll buy a test kit today) could ammonia be the issue? I'm aware my tank is now overstocked which is why I'm picking up a much bigger one tomorrow but I needed to remove lots of plants and I know they help with soaking up ammonia.

Anyway thanks in advance, Kel

 

[KevinZ]

Sand will be great, most member here use play sand
If you use sand substrate you probably going to need root tabs for any hard root feeder plant (ex: Amazon Sword)
Using Beach rock/pebble/sand/Dead Corals
as Aquarium Hardscape is really dangerous because of unknown materials and a long process to make it "Aquarium Safe"
What kind of fish do you have in there & what size the tank is ?

 

[Lajos_Detari]

1) Actually both gravel and sand are beautiful. I have both in my tank.
Gravel will collect dirt/debris easily but easier to siphon/suck out the debris.
Sand will be harder to siphon. You can only siphon gently hovering above it and not touching it.

2) If you want to save yourself the trouble, use aquarium gravel.
But others may have ideas of where to get gravel.

3) Stem plants don't really need anything. Plants use the waste from the fish as fertilizer.
If your plants are growing well, then you don't need anything else.
If not, then you can add some liquid fertilizer.
For rooted plants, you will need the roots tab as fertilizer.

4) Yes, you can use the rocks and pebbles from the beach. Rinse them many times with tap water. Then rinse and soak with hot water.
But make sure that they don't increase your water GH. You may have to test the GH after soaking them in water for a few days.
I think the beach sand may affect your GH (just my opinion).

5)When your fish are rubbing against plants or objects in the tank, there is possibility of flukes infection.
This will take long time to treat.
You can use Praziquantel or Flubendazole or even just salt ( 1 tablespoon for every 10 liter of water)
You may have to treat up to 1 to 1.5 month or longer.
But if you use salt, you can only treat up to 2-3 or 3-4 weeks as not all fish can withstand the salt for too long. But Praziquantel or Flubendazole are safe.

 

[Kelp23]

Sand will be great, most member here use play sand
If you use sand substrate you probably going to need root tabs for any hard root feeder plant (ex: Amazon Sword)
Using Beach rock/pebble/sand/Dead Corals
as Aquarium Hardscape is really dangerous because of unknown materials and a long process to make it "Aquarium Safe"
What kind of fish do you have in there & what size the tank is ?

Hi, my tank will be 110litres. I have platies, minnows a Hillstream Loach and a nerite snail

 

[Lajos_Detari]

I guess your overstocked tank is feeding the plants well.
That's why they are growing well....LOL

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Hi, my tank will be 110litres. I have platies, minnows a Hillstream Loach and a nerite snail

You are having a snail. It will be difficult to treat your tank.
Flubendazole will kill your snail.
I think salt is also not safe for your snail.

I'm not sure whether Praziquantel is safe for your snail....

 

[Kelp23]

You are having a snail. It will be difficult to treat your tank.
Flubendazole will kill your snail.
I think salt is also not safe for your snail.

I'm not sure whether Praziquantel is safe for your snail....

I've got a breeder tank so I could move him

 

[Lajos_Detari]

I think for collecting rocks and pebbles from the beach, make sure that there isn't any major pollution in the environment nearby.
If you are worry about the pollution, probably you may have to test them before using them.
Also, be aware that snail can carry parasites with them and infect your other tank.