The sand and the fish!

[Danno]

I just bought a book at Barnes and Nobles called "Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature" by Peter Hiscock. I was looking through it and I came to conclusion that this book is really great. This book covers everything from scenes from all the continents (no antarctica duh ) The book costs 27.99 US and 38.95 Canada. I would definatly recommend this book if you want to make your aquarium look like nature. It includes scenery from the Australian River Aquarium to to the Flooded Amazon Forest Aquariums. Truly worth the money. This is the best book that I have bought for Aquarium Design.

While I was looking though the book, most of the scenes introduce sand as there substraight and I have never use sand before. Ive always wanted to use sand but I dont know the first thing about using sand so I desided to post a topic hear to figure out how to use sand. I meen, how would you use a filter or heater? would i use a bubbler or not? What kind of filter would i use since i wouldnt want a giant cloud of sand in the tank . It seems difficult to use sand becuase the book said something about getting corys or whatever fish when with the scene (algae eater things ) I was planing to make a 47 Gallon (US Gallons) Tank with sand but heck...I dont know the first thing about useing sand. Please help meh

I have picked out a form theme of tank I want in the 47 Gallon tank, a Australian river Aquarium. To make this I would need:

1) Slate and "raw" Jati wood
2) Sand and few "pea" gravel
3) Crytocorynes Plants
4) Large Echinodorus Plants (Several)
5) Java Fern
6) Hygrophila Plants
7) Grass-like Sagittaria

Soumds cool eh?

Thanks in advance for the help

UPDATE: I made typos ^^

 

[pnyklr3]

I have also thought about switching to sand, but I'm not sure if my filter causes too much of a current and the sand would get kicked up and cloud the tank. I'm interested in seeing the replies!

 

[Danno]

*bump bump*
Common someone has to have the answers stuck somewhere

 

[charmd2]

Sand is acutally heavy enough that once it gets settled in your tank for the first time it won't under normal circumstances get stirred up constantly.

Sure if you have bottom feeders it will get stirred up a little but it will settle rapidly.

Just be sure to rinse it thoroughly before putting it in your tank. Normal heater, filter, bubblers, whatever you want to use will do fine.

 

[jflowers]

Does sand wear out mechanical parts in your filter? My dad went the oposite way to most here when he took over my old three foot, he changed from sand to gravel on lfs advice that it would lead to filter faliure. I put sand in as it looked good and was easy to clean. I now have two tanks, 4 foot and 2.5 foot, both with gravel, but sure will change to sand soon.

Jon

 

[daddyo72]

I personally use play sand but everyone is different. Buy the bags of sand and put the sand one bag at a time into a five gallon bucket. Place a hose into it and watch as the veru fine crap flats away. Stir the sand often and dont stop until the water is clear. A good rule of thumb is" when you think your done rincing sand rinse some more." Trust me when rincing the sand it WILL end up being clear. The end result in your tank will be when you eventually add plants and such, disturbing the substrate will produce a small sand plume thar should Immediately settle.

 

[Danno]

Thanks alot for the help but how do I change the gravel to sand?
I dont have any extra tanks for the fish to go in
Do i just take all the gravel out then add the sand in?
stange.....oh well
help is appreciated ^^

 

[charmd2]

When I did mine I put the fish in one of the rubbermaid containers. It only was like $5.00 or so.