is gravel a must

[Chunandler]

do you have to have gravel in your tank?

 

[NinjaSmurf]

You don't have to, but if you don't you can expect little poop tornadoes to be flying around your tank.

 

[FrAnK3333]

could always get sand

 

[Chunandler]

awesome...poop tornadoes..actually I am asking because im getting two fish to put in a ten gallon tank for a only a couple of week because im going to monitor their behavior with different variables and feeding times for a school "experiment" and I didn't want to bother with gravel

 

[Chunandler]

could always get sand

ooh i like that idea..if i did that i may just keep them in there..can i just put any sand in there or what do i need to know

 

[Chunandler]

how big do the smallest chichilids get..

 

[gale]

In that case you could get by without gravel but are you going to use a filter? Will you use old filter media? If not you could use a sock of old gravel. I am planning to quarantine my next batch of fish for 2 weeks and won't be using gravel.

 

[MAM]

gravel does hold some beneficial bacteria. but in the situation of a quarantine tank or a breeding tank, often gravel can be more of a pain and not really needed. sand is really more effort than gravel to begin with.

um, what kind of fish were you going to put in this 10 gal for your school project??

 

[corykitty516]

you can get sand from the petshop or just playsand from the hardware store. Blasting sand and pool filter sand works too. You have to rinse and rinse and rise and rinse and rinse it so it doesnt cloud up the tank.

Since this is for an experiment you might just go with a bare tank. Environment can be a variable all by itself

 

[pnyklr3]

Male Dwarf cichlids get to be about 3 inches and females are about half that.

 

[Chunandler]

in that case how about some female dwarf chichilids

 

[Synirr]

sand is really more effort than gravel to begin with.

I disagree!!!
I switched to sand a few months ago, and I'd never go back.... Sure, the water was a little clouded for a few days, but I no longer have to gravel vaccuum!!

 

[Chunandler]

ok i got my 10 gal set up check it out at
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=70593

 

[wrs]

the smallest cichlid is the neolamparologus multifactitus ( hope i spelled that right). the females get to be 3/4 of an inch to and inch.

 

[Chunandler]

and its probably hard to find..