pump and sand and gravel question

[mark456]

hi, I have just brought my first aquarium and was unsure on how many hours per day to have my pump turned on. also do you recommend sand or gravel as a base.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

The tank pump/filter needs to be on 24/7 every day, i personally prefer sand substrate as there are more fish that prefer it than gravel and it is easier to keep clean in my experience. You realy need to reed up on the pinned articles on cycling a tank in the beginner section though otherwise you will run into alot of complications with your new fish if you don't cycle the tank .
Do you have dechlorinator/water conditioner for your tank?

 

[mark456]

nope i havnt got a dechlorinator how much are they and are the essential? thanks for the speedy reply

 

[debiasir]

dechlorinator is something you add to the water when first filling the tank and everytime you replace water in the tank.

dechlorinator ranges from £2 a bottle to £11 for a huge bottle at my LFS, this is essential for the fish to survive,, this product removea chlorine from the water which if left in the water will harm your fish and probably kill them.

Your pump should be on 24/7

I prefer gravel. Some fish require a sand substrate but none of mine do. Substrate choice depends on what fish you want to keep,

 

[mark456]

would it be ok mixing both gravel and sand but sectioning it off, how long do i need to wait before i put some fish into my tank and what fish would you recommend fist, thanks for your time

 

[Mordinbar]

Here is a link to the beginning aquarium FAQ's and Guides, that are crucial to understanding before you start working with your aquarium. They explain basically everything you need to know to get started.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=88643


Good Luck

oh and I have a friend who tried mixing gravel and sand, but he did it in a larger tank (55 gallon) and he used sand and river rock which looked ok. He tried it with smaller gravel before the river rock, and it ended up running together a lot and looked pretty bad.

 

[mark456]

thnak for the reply people its my first tank and its quite big (4ft). thanks again