I have just bought coral sand for my new set up. I have a 70l tank and it has a 15w bulb.Will this be good enough to keep plants? More importantly is coral sand any good, im just waitin for an answer before i start cleanin it.
Coral Sand?
- Thread starter ptyson21
- Start date
Thats why im asking? I dunno what fish im planing on bringing up in it but maybe cichids n I heard they like that, dunno, please help. Not gonna wash it till i know whether to use it coz i might have to take it back. Also i bought it at pets at home n they dont have marine tanks so that wouldnt make sense, it was the only sand they had.
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
Coral sand buffers your pH to about 8.
Which isn't really what you want for plants, but that pH will be fine for most.
If your asking if coral sand alone is good for growing plants in? Then no, not unless you have some kind of plant substrate under it, same goes for gravel and other types of sand
.
Only African cichlids like those from lake Malawi need such a high pH.
If you use the coral sand it will limit you to what fish you can have, like those cichlids and livebearers like guppies.
Before you use it, research the fish you are defiantly going to keep and only use it if those fish like a pH of around 8.
Which means no angelfish or tetras ect.
Which isn't really what you want for plants, but that pH will be fine for most.
If your asking if coral sand alone is good for growing plants in? Then no, not unless you have some kind of plant substrate under it, same goes for gravel and other types of sand
.Only African cichlids like those from lake Malawi need such a high pH.
If you use the coral sand it will limit you to what fish you can have, like those cichlids and livebearers like guppies.
Before you use it, research the fish you are defiantly going to keep and only use it if those fish like a pH of around 8.
Which means no angelfish or tetras ect.
Good info there mate, so what substrate would go underneath? I aint 100% positve of keeping cichids but they are my favourite at the mo. Am I better off therefore to go n get a different type of sand? What sand you think. I just wanted sand so that the plants would grow better.
Irrespective of sand/gravel, if you don't use an all-in-one substrate (e.g. EcoComplete) then you are better off with something below the sand/gravel e.g. JBL AquaBasis Plus, Tropica Substrate etc. Sands/gravels are inert and provide no nutrients to the plants at all. Sand is possibly better for rooting into than gravel, but beyond that there is no difference as far as I am aware.
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
If your not positive, then yes you are certainly better going for a different type of sand
.I would go for play sand (the stuff for sand pits) from your local garden centre/B&Q/homebase/TESCO/argos or wherever.
It's much much cheaper and is inert so wont effect your pH.
Then go for something underneath it like nry said if you want to grow plants well.
If you decide you do want to keep fish that require a high pH (like Malawi cichlids), you can always add sea shells from the beach or a few pieces of tufa rock to the tank later on
.Each different type of substrate will say how much of it you need. Most seem to suggest 1cm depth then top with 204cmof sand/gravel. It does not have to cover all of the area below the sand, but it is possibly better to ensure roots can grow well in any direction and stay in the substrate.
You don't need to keep topping it up, though it will have some form of lifespan. I would suggest 2 years is a good guess, though I don't specifically know about it.
You don't need to keep topping it up, though it will have some form of lifespan. I would suggest 2 years is a good guess, though I don't specifically know about it.
When I was at dobbies they said the finer the sand the better n that i would be better off with somethin that wasnt play sand. What you guys think? So I should just take that sand back and get something else? Ill get some substrate when im at in n put it in. If i get diffent sand then i could do as you say, add some shells or something, cool.
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
No matter were you go, the people at the LFS are going to tell you to use something else, that way they can sell you their over priced substrate. I've gotten a lot of bad advice from dobbies over the years...If they told you coral sand was good, then that's a prime example.
I must admit though, even working at another LFS (that sells plants too), dobbies has the best aquatic plants you can get in Edinburgh.
You don't want sand too fine, the only downside to play sand is that you have to wash it before use, as it usually has silt in it wich can cloud your tank for a few weeks unless your rinse the sand out first .
I must admit though, even working at another LFS (that sells plants too), dobbies has the best aquatic plants you can get in Edinburgh.
You don't want sand too fine, the only downside to play sand is that you have to wash it before use, as it usually has silt in it wich can cloud your tank for a few weeks unless your rinse the sand out first
.Yeah thats where i was today mate. The guy said all tey had was a 25kg bag so sent me to the pets at home n said the finer the better. So i went there n bought the coral sand coz its all i could find. Now i know you live in edinburgh too, could you help me n tell me where to go then? I will take the sand back to pets at home tomorrow. Also where should i buy my substrate from?
cheers
Paul
cheers
Paul
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
For play sand I got mine from B&Q for £4 (I used half the bag on a 50gallon) .
Other 'aquarium sand' can be bought at the lf's , but its more expensive and not really different.
The Aquatic Rooms on leith walk doesn't have any (last time I checked).
Water wonders down at gorgie had 'aquarium sand' last time I was down there, but it came in smaller bags that cost over £4.
The Aquatic Center opposite Meadowbank (where I work Saturdays) has small bags the same as water wonders for £3 odd, but should have bigger bags soon (I think sand's one of the things being ordered in).
I'm not sure about anywhere else though.
But I would say just go with play sand (but yes, put something for the plants under it) .
.Other 'aquarium sand' can be bought at the lf's , but its more expensive and not really different.
The Aquatic Rooms on leith walk doesn't have any (last time I checked).
Water wonders down at gorgie had 'aquarium sand' last time I was down there, but it came in smaller bags that cost over £4.
The Aquatic Center opposite Meadowbank (where I work Saturdays) has small bags the same as water wonders for £3 odd, but should have bigger bags soon (I think sand's one of the things being ordered in).
I'm not sure about anywhere else though.
But I would say just go with play sand (but yes, put something for the plants under it)
.
three-fingers
Fish Connoisseur
From what I've been hearing Tropica Plant Substrate is pretty much the best around, you can buy it from the excellent aquaessentials here .
Or where I work has Prodac Fertilplant substrate at £16.99 for 3.2kg, I've got some of that stuff, though I cant rate it because I've not used it yet.
There's sometimes other plant substrates in too, usually there's tetra plant complete substrate (which you will need to use twice as much of, costing more) and I think there's also Ferplast Fertilising Substrate , although I cant remember the prices for those two
.
I don't know what the aquatic rooms sells...but I think they do sell plant substrates since they have some other plant products too. I've not been there in a while though, I think I recall seeing the tetra plant substrate there.
Water wonders doesn't have any plant substrates, or at least didn't the last time I was there.
.Or where I work has Prodac Fertilplant substrate at £16.99 for 3.2kg, I've got some of that stuff, though I cant rate it because I've not used it yet.
There's sometimes other plant substrates in too, usually there's tetra plant complete substrate (which you will need to use twice as much of, costing more) and I think there's also Ferplast Fertilising Substrate , although I cant remember the prices for those two
.I don't know what the aquatic rooms sells...but I think they do sell plant substrates since they have some other plant products too. I've not been there in a while though, I think I recall seeing the tetra plant substrate there
.Water wonders doesn't have any plant substrates, or at least didn't the last time I was there.
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