Split from Nmonk's sand topic

[nmonks]

Most shrimps are fine. Go for the small species though: there are some big "long arm" shrimps that are territorial and predatory. Small shrimps and fan shrimps are much easier to accommodate. A good web site is this:

http/www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co.uk/

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Egmel]

I'm looking to set up a small (10G US) cold water tank, is sand a good option, I think it'll look nicer and be better for plants but I'm not sure what I can get in the way of cold water 'sand shifters'.

 

[nmonks]

Goldfish!

But failing that, most Chinese gobies are best in coldwater aquaria (or at least room temperature rather than tropical aquaria). Consider white cheek gobies, Rhinogobius duospilus, often called Rhinogobius wui or dragon gobies. They're very hardy, and shift a lot of sand for their size.

Pretty much any coldwater catfish or loach would work, too, but in a 10 gallon, you're limited in choice. Peppered Corydoras do well at room temperature, provided the temperature doesn't drop below 12-15C.

Cheers,

Neale

I think it'll look nicer and be better for plants but I'm not sure what I can get in the way of cold water 'sand shifters'.

 

[Egmel]

Wow, thanks for the lightning speed reply. I'm looking at White Cloud Mountain Minnows and small fish rather than Goldfish size fish. I'll do some investigation into those you've suggested and see what looks most practicable!

Thanks again.

 

[nmonks]

The gobies are tiny (4-5 cm) and very friendly. Full of character. Give them some wood and stones, and they'll create a maze of burrows in the sand, and will entertain you for hours. They shovel the sand with their mouths, spitting it out in little heaps all over the place. Great, great fun. Fairly easily spawned, though the fry are small and tricky to raise.

Cheers,

Neale

PS: this is one of mine:

 

[Scotty87]

What would you recommend for a 10Gallon tank. Some gobies or corys? If using a sand substrate.

That gobie's a nice looking fish

Phil

 

[nmonks]

You can't really go wrong with gobies. Either the coldwater Chinese species, or some of the tropical ones. Bumblebees are lovely in slightly brackish, mixed with some river shrimps if you want. There are various species of small sleeper goby to choose from, such as peacock gobies.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Egmel]

The gobies are tiny (4-5 cm) and very friendly. Full of character. Give them some wood and stones, and they'll create a maze of burrows in the sand, and will entertain you for hours. They shovel the sand with their mouths, spitting it out in little heaps all over the place. Great, great fun.

http/www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/508.htm

To abuse a catchphrase "Want that one!" They look really cool, I might have to get a small heater as we're stingy with our house heating at home and it can get quite cold in winter but I'll get a thermometer and see how it goes.

Are they happier as solos or not? It says that the males can be quite territorial, I don't exactly want to breed them but if they'll be happier as a pair then I'll get them as a pair. With a mini school of WCMM they'll be lovely

 

[nmonks]

If WCMMs are fine in your tank, then those gobies will be too: same habitat in the wild.

http/filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/speci...ry.php?ID=55204

Males fight, but give them enough space and they're fine. I'd let each one have a shell or cave and leave it at that. Allow ~1-2 gallons per fish.

They're OK on their own, but more fun in groups.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Egmel]

If WCMMs are fine in your tank, then those gobies will be too: same habitat in the wild

I haven't got the tank set up yet, I just liked the look of them so decided they would be the starting point! My parents are going to drop me off the tank in September so I'd imagine that I won't actually get any fish until October. I hate rushing into things, I like to fully investigate, so am doing all the leg work now

Cheers for all your help

 

[jayjay]

Neal, it was definatley the anerobic pockets, it turned my sand black and smelt of sluphur

 

[nmonks]

Well that's not good. Was the sulphide smell slightly metallic? Or eggy? If the former, it's iron sulphide, which is present in sand sometimes. It's the "black sand" you see if you dig in beach sand quite deeply (sure you remember this as a kid!). It's smelly, but harmless. Doesn't seem to do the fish any harm, in small amounts anyway.

You shouldn't normally have any risk of anaerobic decay in just 4 days. The toxic stuff is hydrogen sulphide. It isn't cyanide-level toxic, but it is long-term unpleasant for your fish. Anyway, to get hydrogen sulphide you need not just stale air but a certain mass of organic material: a dead fish, for example. That's why the snails help, they eat organic material in the sand.

Did you have aquarium plants? And Malayan snails? You do need these. It does sound like you should give the sand a really good stir and then change the water.

Cheers,

Neale

Neal, it was definatley the anerobic pockets, it turned my sand black and smelt of sluphur

 

[jayjay]

Well it smelt like eggs but that's about all I remember, I tore the tank apart and redid it all and yes it was planted fairly heavily. I'm trying to get hold of some MTS now.

 

[smoov89]

hey my aquarium has been set up for nearly 2 years (15 gallons) and i fancy changing from gravel to sand. i have a few questions if thats ok. firstly is it ever ok to simply mix sand and gravel together? secondly, if i use soil or whatever underneath the sand how do i prevent it from just being mixed together? thirdly, if i use just sand, 2cm is a huge drop from the level the grvel is at now and i fear this may look a bit rubbish. any suggestions?

 

[nmonks]

Yes, you can mix sand and gravel. Done right, with patches of gravel peeking out from the surface of sand, it can look very naturalistic.

Adding soil after a tank has been set up is problematic, and is best avoided. The best way to use soil is to mix it with some sand (to make the soil stable), then place a gravel tidy (a sheet of plastic mesh) on top, and then add the sand or gravel on top of that. Unless you need soil, it's best avoided, especially if you are using plants (like vallis, Java ferns, hornwort) that get their nutrients out of the water anyway.

A 2 cm depth of sand (by itself) is ideal for any aquarium without rooted plants. It will basically stay clean through the digging action of the fish, and can be easily cleaned manually with the odd stir with a stick. Use plants (like Java fern and Anubias) that grow stuck to rocks/bogwood or floating plants. These give you lots of scope for aquascaping without tears.

Cheers,

Neale

hey my aquarium has been set up for nearly 2 years (15 gallons) and i fancy changing from gravel to sand. i have a few questions if thats ok. firstly is it ever ok to simply mix sand and gravel together? secondly, if i use soil or whatever underneath the sand how do i prevent it from just being mixed together? thirdly, if i use just sand, 2cm is a huge drop from the level the grvel is at now and i fear this may look a bit rubbish. any suggestions?