Changing My Substrate?!?!

[DaveW]

I am thinking of changing my substrate. I have plain sand at the moment but it's a bit bright for my taste. I have got some gravel that is a bit darker and smaller than the average fine gravel, you can get at the LFS.

The bottom left is sand, the bottom right is fine gravel, and the top one is the darker gravel. I have laterite to mix with it.

So what do you think?

I would like to get some thing like Eco Complete, but I can't afford it for a while!

 

[guppy_man]

i dont know what the question is lol, i was thinking of sand for my new tank, is it any good for growing plants?

i have that fine gravel in my tank now, i have done for a year now

 

[DaveW]

The question is generally "what do you think of the darker gravel?".

Sand is OK, but I would add something like API's Laterite.

 

[Alps]

i like the fine gravel, at my lfs its called lapis lustre i think, maybe they mislabeled.

I was going to use it with sand, either mixed together or one side sand one side that gravel. - and laterite or eco.

what sand is that? regular playsand?

also, how do you plan on changing substrates if you have fish in the tank? im facing the same dilemma

 

[DaveW]

Looks more natural compared to the other gravel.

That's what I think too!

what sand is that? regular playsand?

also, how do you plan on changing substrates if you have fish in the tank? im facing the same dilemma

It's just sand from my LFS.
I have a big plastic container that I plan to put the bog wood, water, fish, heater and filter in. Then I'll have time to wash the tank, put a new background on and refill it. I should get it done in a day, but if it takes longer then it doesn't matter.

 

[walker001]

Hi, I had white playbox sand in my tank from the start, and recently deciced to change up and go with Black Tahitian sand. It looks so much better. With a black background and the black sand with laterite mixed in it, the fishes colors stand out much more and they seem more relaxed.
Btw, a helpful tip to cleaning out your old substrate- If you have a wet/dry shop vac. After you drain the water out reasonable low and put the fish in the last bucket. Hit the shop vac, you can clear a tank in about 3 mins. Wipe with paper towel and you are good to go on refilling. Just be careful, that shop vac is gonna weigh a ton.

 

[scott67892002]

black is best IMHO!!!!