Creating A Sand Bank In My Gravel Planted Tank.....

[Sammy1911]

Hi everyone!

I've a couple of julii cats in my quarantine tank (they only had two remaining at my lfs) - in a couple of weeks I plan on moving them into my planted tank which has pea gravel - see pic below.

I'm toying with the idea of creating a sand bank to run along the front and up the middle-ish (orange area in below pic). Do you think this would look okay or just rubbish???

I was thinking that if I went ahead with this I would need a partition of some kind as the corys will no doubt move the sand around, I do want it to blend in around edges but not get lost if you know what I mean. Any ideas how to go about doing this? For partition - would lead strip be okay or am I best to source some plastic and manipulate it somehow? Also the brown algae that builds up on the glass would having sand stop that? I'm guessing it grows up from the gravel...?

My tank is 248l and has 5 x pearl danios, 19 mixed tetras, 3 SAE's, 1 pair of growth stunted apistos. I want to add a pair of GBR's & a group of corys - how many corys could I get away with? I know I'm right on the limited but could I get away with 4 julii and 4 sterbai? or just go with 6 julii and leave it at that!?

Plan B leave them in the quarantine tank (which is sand) and scrap my plan for a dwarf puffer tank agghhhhh I'm sooooo confused! HELP ME please......

 

[snazy]

If you rescape the tank quite a lot by dividing the sand and gravel area via stones or something similar so the substrates don't get mixed easily then you could be ok. Also, it's better not to use the very fine sand like play sand but get one from the LFS that doesn't float around all over the place. To be honest, I am glad I paid a bit more for sand.

 

[Sammy1911]

Thanks Snazy! Yes it will take some work won't it! But u think using pebbles/stones will work? That's interesting and it would look more 'natural' than if the plastic was to get exposed - good thinking!!!!

Wot about stocking numbers, how many corys cud i add? The 2 i've got in quarantine are v.shy i hardly see them (

 

[KrazyKuhli]

Have you got Slate in your tank? If so make a 'bowl' out of slate to contain the sand.

Or make a divider type thing out of perspex then silicone some slate to it.

 

[snazy]

I think you might get away with 8 corys. How long is the tank? It will be even better if you stick with one species as they will be happier.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'd just like to say that I tried doing this in the tank I have panda cories in, and it didn't work. The cories dug in the gravel and lost their barbels anyway I ended up taking all the gravel out.

 

[Inchworm]

I'd just like to say that I tried doing this in the tank I have panda cories in, and it didn't work. The cories dug in the gravel and lost their barbels anyway I ended up taking all the gravel out.

It's not usually not fine gravel itself that causes problems. More likely, the gravel was too coarse and uneaten food and other debris collected in it. There is no easy way to avoid trouble with corys if the tank is dirty or the water quality poor.

Sammy1911, the OP, has some lovely gravel in his tank. I would leave it just as it is. If you try to add patches of sand, it will only end up a mess. Sand has a way of moving around.

 

[Sammy1911]

I'd just like to say that I tried doing this in the tank I have panda cories in, and it didn't work. The cories dug in the gravel and lost their barbels anyway I ended up taking all the gravel out.

OMG that's terrible!! I do like my gravel though and I think it works better with the plants... I could be opening up a can of worms by saying that but at 8 months pregnant there's no way I'm getting everything out to start all over again lol! A small sand bank sounded like a good idea at first ....

It's not usually not fine gravel itself that causes problems. More likely, the gravel was too coarse and uneaten food and other debris collected in it. There is no easy way to avoid trouble with corys if the tank is dirty or the water quality poor.

Sammy1911, the OP, has some lovely gravel in his tank. I would leave it just as it is. If you try to add patches of sand, it will only end up a mess. Sand has a way of moving around.

.... my OCD wouldn't be happy with it being a mess I think you are right it does seem a lot of hassle from what I've been reading! It probably won't look how I want it to and then I'll struggling to get it out.... I think I'll leave as is and if they start to suffer I'll have to put them back in my 10G and make it a species tank

A big thank-you to all!!!!

 

[snazy]

I kept my corys with gravel and the barbels didn't get damaged or shortened at all. It probably depends on the gravel.
The only thing is corys will be happier with sand of course.

 

[Sammy1911]

that's good to know, thanks Snazy! In answer to your earlier question my tank is 1 metre long, height 560mm, depth 400mm with a bow front so i work it out to be approx 60 us gallons of actual water (less the gravel base). So I think a group of 6 juliis or trillis' - which i believe is probably the case wud be happy. I just need to find another four to match the two i have which by the way are playing happily lol now they've settled in

 

[snazy]

You'll be fine then.
We are going to be waiting for pictures of the scaping and new fish additions!!

 

[Sammy1911]

no probs, thanks again!