Sand Subtrate

[baby_6882]

Hi all. I have kept many fish in different settings. I have always used gravel though. I got a new tank which is a 20 us gallons. I would like to try sand. I can not find information on how gto do this. I need to know everything to put it in the tank. After it does its cycle i want to add some guppies. After the tank is established i want to get some khulli loaches. I did read that a fish that stirs up the sand is good for the sand and air bubbles and stuff. Please help me if you can.

 

[QuotheRaven]

What your after is either sand sold at your local aquarium OR play sand. Sand is harder to clean for some and a joy for others....the sand if it is rather deep gets pockets of gas (anerobic pockets I believe) in it which can be lethal for the fish so the sand needs to be stirred up a little each water change so after you have changed the water runs your fingers throught the sand (with the filter off) to break it apart. When you get the sand you must give it a real good wash to get the muck out & then place a layer in the tank... It's really up to you if your up to alot of maintenance a large layer is ok.

 

[loachman]

it's pretty easy. Just get non-marine sand. You can get it from your LFS, just be sure it's not for marine/african cichlid tanks since that will buffer your pH to around 8-8.2.

Play sand or pool filter sand are really cheap and work well. Most hardware stores will have play sand and obviously pool supply companies for the other.

Put less than 1 inch in the tank and you should never have any trouble with anaerobic bacteria growing in it (bad in a Freshwater tank) and kuhlis should help with stirring it.

Make sure your filter intake is a couple inches off the substrate to prevent it from eating sand. DO NOT use an undergravel filter.

For cleaning,you'll need just a narrowish hose (~1/4 inch). If you have a gravel vac, just remove the "cup" area and use the hose. Wastes will collect on top of the sand, so just hover the hose over it to draw the waste up. A gentle fanning with your finger can help.

 

[JamieBailie]

Not much difference from gravel, Just rinse the sand A LOT or your tank water will be cloudy. I sent over an hour rinsing mine properly