New Tank Set Up - Suggesions/tips

[Tory]

What are people thoughts on substrate - sand or gravel? If I chose sand, what sand do you buy and what are the benefits?

Also...

Im wanting to have plenty of foliage in my new tank, but am lost at what to get.

I know fish pick at the plants, but in my current tank, my fishies have trashed the flora!!!


Any tips on what plants they wont wreck

 

[kizno1]

sand and gravel are exactly the same its just upo to what u personaly prefer but if you have corys or other scavangers sand is better

 

[m00se]

What are people thoughts on substrate - sand or gravel? If I chose sand, what sand do you buy and what are the benefits?

I had gravel for over a year and then randomly, on a whim, decided to change to sand two days ago. In my opinion it's far far better, and I won't be going back to gravel. Sand, I think, just looks better, it's not difficult to clean once you get the hang of it (which doesn't take long) and your bottom-dwelling fish will thank you for it. People on here recommended, and I bought, Argos playsand (this only applies if you're in the UK I assume, although iirc Toys R Us do a playsand that's just as good but a bit more pricey), which looks great and cleans up well.

Also...

Im wanting to have plenty of foliage in my new tank, but am lost at what to get.
I know fish pick at the plants, but in my current tank, my fishies have trashed the flora!!!
Any tips on what plants they wont wreck

What fish do you have? Not all fish wreck all plants.

HTH

 

[Bebobb]

sand and gravel are exactly the same its just upo to what u personaly prefer but if you have corys or other scavangers sand is better

Sand is WAAAY finer than gravel. Lots of people use play sand, but you have to rince it a lot. Anything with barbels prefer sand. Sand is eaiser to clean than gravel is. Make sure you have a thin layer unless you are going to have fish that moe it around. MTS burrow in the sand, but also multiply rapidly.

 

[Tory]

What fish do you have? Not all fish wreck all plants.[/quote]

HTH
[/quote]


I have platys, mollies, tiger barbs and danios - have seen a few nipping at the plants, my bottom and top dwellers dont bother

 

[Tory]

sand and gravel are exactly the same its just upo to what u personaly prefer but if you have corys or other scavangers sand is better

Sand is WAAAY finer than gravel. Lots of people use play sand, but you have to rince it a lot. Anything with barbels prefer sand. Sand is eaiser to clean than gravel is. Make sure you have a thin layer unless you are going to have fish that moe it around. MTS burrow in the sand, but also multiply rapidly.

When you say rincing - do you mean before or when it is in the tank? how do you go about cleaning when it is in the tank? Ive got a couple of corys that like churning up the gravel - but have taken into account peoples comments about possibilities of their barbels being damaged so have been looking at the alternatives. Also wanting to plant the new tank so am guessing it would have to be fairly deep to hold the plants, my corys have uprooted several!

 

[Bebobb]

There might be some algea on the plants, and that might be what they are eating, some fish are known to do this.

I have seen my ram doing it, so I don't have to post saying not to take my advice seriously because I have no expirence.

You can take my advice seriously, as I have expirence on this matter.

 

[Tory]

There might be some algea on the plants, and that might be what they are eating, some fish are known to do this.

I have seen my ram doing it, so I don't have to post saying not to take my advice seriously because I have no expirence.

You can take my advice seriously, as I have expirence on this matter.

Thanks dude, appreciate it - havent thought of that supidly!! Is just because a lovely plant I bought has lost all its leaves in its midsection - is the aquarium liquid plant foods any good? Will they harm fish - I thought it doubtful as why would someone make a product for aquariums that will affect the fist...but you never know

There might be some algea on the plants, and that might be what they are eating, some fish are known to do this.

I have seen my ram doing it, so I don't have to post saying not to take my advice seriously because I have no expirence.

You can take my advice seriously, as I have expirence on this matter.

Thanks dude, appreciate it - havent thought of that supidly!! Is just because a lovely plant I bought has lost all its leaves in its midsection - is the aquarium liquid plant foods any good? Will they harm fish - I thought it doubtful as why would someone make a product for aquariums that will affect the fist...but you never know

 

[Truck]

There might be some algea on the plants, and that might be what they are eating, some fish are known to do this.

I have seen my ram doing it, so I don't have to post saying not to take my advice seriously because I have no expirence.

You can take my advice seriously, as I have expirence on this matter.

Thanks dude, appreciate it - havent thought of that supidly!! Is just because a lovely plant I bought has lost all its leaves in its midsection - is the aquarium liquid plant foods any good? Will they harm fish - I thought it doubtful as why would someone make a product for aquariums that will affect the fist...but you never know

buy some tropica plant nutrition...its the best plan fert IMO
if you have rams you should have a sand substrate...as their latin name suggests - mikrogeophagus ramirezi , the mikro=mini...Geophagus=eartheater

 

[Bebobb]

It won't hurt the fish, but if it has copper in it, it might hurt snails, or any other invertabrate.

Why do rams need sand? Gravel isin't earth, it is not like they are going to eat it. Oh, do you have expirence with rams, I do.

 

[ALW]

There might be some algea on the plants, and that might be what they are eating, some fish are known to do this.

I have seen my ram doing it, so I don't have to post saying not to take my advice seriously because I have no expirence.

You can take my advice seriously, as I have expirence on this matter.

Thanks dude, appreciate it - havent thought of that supidly!! Is just because a lovely plant I bought has lost all its leaves in its midsection - is the aquarium liquid plant foods any good? Will they harm fish - I thought it doubtful as why would someone make a product for aquariums that will affect the fist...but you never know

buy some tropica plant nutrition...its the best plan fert IMO
if you have rams you should have a sand substrate...as their latin name suggests - mikrogeophagus ramirezi , the mikro=mini...Geophagus=eartheater

You dont have to have sand just because you have rams, mine are doing fine with gravel.

 

[Truck]

It won't hurt the fish, but if it has copper in it, it might hurt snails, or any other invertabrate.

Why do rams need sand? Gravel isin't earth, it is not like they are going to eat it. Oh, do you have expirence with rams, I do.

yes i have loads of experience with rams...rams will pick at the sand and sift it through their gills for food...like most earth eaters. most plant ferts contain copper but none of them have enough to affect inverts

There might be some algea on the plants, and that might be what they are eating, some fish are known to do this.

I have seen my ram doing it, so I don't have to post saying not to take my advice seriously because I have no expirence.

You can take my advice seriously, as I have expirence on this matter.

Thanks dude, appreciate it - havent thought of that supidly!! Is just because a lovely plant I bought has lost all its leaves in its midsection - is the aquarium liquid plant foods any good? Will they harm fish - I thought it doubtful as why would someone make a product for aquariums that will affect the fist...but you never know

buy some tropica plant nutrition...its the best plan fert IMO
if you have rams you should have a sand substrate...as their latin name suggests - mikrogeophagus ramirezi , the mikro=mini...Geophagus=eartheater

You dont have to have sand just because you have rams, mine are doing fine with gravel.

you should really have sand...all the papers and citations writen explain this property performed in the wild...it really is a must! along with the higher temperatures for them to survive properly (28-34 oC )

 

[ALW]

28-34 is way too warm for Bolivian Rams, were did you get this from?

 

[Truck]

28-34 is way too warm for Bolivian Rams, were did you get this from?

yep your right...i should have been clearer only the ramirezi species require these higher temperatures

 

[ALW]

28-34 is way too warm for Bolivian Rams, were did you get this from?

yep your right...i should have been clearer only the ramirezi species require these higher temperatures

Yeh you would be cooking the Bolis at that temp, fine for GBR.