Fishy Substrate?

[DevUK]

Got my second hand tank tonight and boy is it huge! It came with a bag of substrate which I'm unsure about though...

The chap who owned it before kept malawi cichlids and mentioned about some gravels raising the PH, but claimed that this wasn't one of them. On inspecting it though it just seems weird. Its a mix of dark black and brown sandy textured stuff and what I can only describe as small light coloured chiped stones and other black stuff (which breaks when crushed between your finger nails). It feels quite light when you pick up a handfull. None of the stones (or whatever) are rounded particularly.

I'm just worried I'll have PH problems if I use it but again, he said this wouldn't be the case. Any ideas what this substrate might be? Cheap LFS sandy stuff?

I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow...

 

[Danno]

Whatever it is ditch it. Get some new gravel or sand on your next trip in.

 

[*Fishkies*]

It's actually probably a type of cichlid substrate. There are types made for them. However I would just purchase new stuff if you can afford to.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

easy enough to test, get a bucket of water and test the pH of it, stick some substrate it and test the pH again over the next 24hrs or so, see what happens!

 

[DevUK]

easy enough to test, get a bucket of water and test the pH of it, stick some substrate it and test the pH again over the next 24hrs or so, see what happens!

Ooh, you're just too smart

I think I'm going to go the new substrate root, if I can get it from P@H to my apartment (I don't drive). I need some more teraplant substrate first though

Thanks guys n gals

 

[Maxta]

Get some Argos play sand. £2.49 BARGAIN!!

Beats paying £4-£8 for a small bag of gravel like i did at first And looks better IMO.

 

[DevUK]

Get some Argos play sand. �2.49 BARGAIN!!

Beats paying �4-�8 for a small bag of gravel like i did at first And looks better IMO.

I thought about that, but I don't really want sand

I've just lugged a 20kg bag of medium pea gravel back from P@H! 30 min walk there, 15 min walk half way to nearest bus stop and then 5 mins from bus stop to home. My shoulders/back/hands hurt now! Oh well, its now under hose pipe being rinsed as I type

20KG bag was 9.99 and is what I've used on my current tank. Looks ok, nothing special.