What type of substrate

[CARNO]

So i have a 180 liter tank right now and one of the fish is still alive and the others all ded
I have pea sized gravel but I don't know if I want to to change it to sand or not or do a mix I'm soon getting tiger barbs and plants I have never looked after plants before

 

[utahfish]

So i have a 180 liter tank right now and one of the fish is still alive and the others all ded
I have pea sized gravel but I don't know if I want to to change it to sand or not or do a mix I'm soon getting tiger barbs and plants I have never looked after plants before

If you dont plan on having any bottom fish like corydora, loaches RAms ect...then gravel is fine for plants.
If at some point one wants bottom fish like the above mentioned then sand, which plants also will grow in.
Also when one mixes the sand will fall between the gravel so no mix.

 

[CARNO]

I have one golden pleco in there

 

[utahfish]

I have one golden pleco in there

plecos do better on sand as well as in the wild most habitats arent gravel bottom but river sand or mud, but they will be ok on gravel as long as they have wood in the tank to eat, but better on sand.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Plecos prefer sand, but will be OK with gravel. It’s your choice of you want to switch or not.

 

[CARNO]

Can I move the gravel so the sand won't sink into the gravel

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Can I move the gravel so the sand won't sink into the gravel

Do you mean can you remove it completely from the tank? If you pour sand on top of gravel, you could have a number of issues. (e.i. Sand sinking in between the gravel, decomposing food/poop, etc.)

 

[Byron]

Can I move the gravel so the sand won't sink into the gravel

No. Sand being smaller will always sink to the bottom, with the larger-grain gravel on top. There is no way to prevent this, it is gravity and thermal/water currents.

One aspect of the gravel not mentioned is the grain size. Pea gravel is the largest you want tohave in any aquarium. The larger the grains, the more easily solid organics get down and it takes the bacteria much longer to deal with them. Sand is thus the best substrate biologically. Plants also have problems with larger grain gravel, but pea gravel should not normally be that much of an issue, depending upon the plants of course. Larger plants with root systems will be OK, but very small plants may not anchor.

Pea gravel can be used to create some nice authentic aquascapes from Central America and South Asia (Indian sub-continent). Obviously no cories or similar substrate fish will be in such tanks, so no problem from that aspect. Loaches (S Asia) might need consideration, depending upon the species and the pea gravel.

 

[CARNO]

Ok then tiger barbs should be fine in pea sized gravel but I have never had plants before so can you give out some easy plants to look after that can survive in pea sized gravel

 

[CARNO]

And what will happen if I use soil

 

[Byron]

There is no need for soil, that is only adding complications without any significant benefits (for the plants). Plants like the larger Amazon swords can root in pea gravel, though you may have to weigh them down for a time, with small pebbles, etc, so the fish don't keep dislodging them. Crypts eventually develop very extensive roots, I have had them running for a foot and more from the base, and once established should manage, though sand or a finer gravel would be better. Plants attached to wood or rock, like Java Fern, Anubias, mosses, obviously work as they are not rooted in the gravel.

 

[CARNO]

Alright I'll stay with gravel anything else I need to know

 

[Byron]

Depending upon the plant species and numbers, and your source water GH (this is a source of calcium and magnesium especially), and the fish stocking (all fish food becomes plant nutrients), you may need a comprehensive nutrient supplement for the plants. Light factors in too, as the intensity determines what nutrient balance is needed to benefit plants without encouraging problem algae.

 

[CARNO]

Hi have a 20w light would that be good also my water is hard

 

[Byron]

Hi have a 20w light would that be good also my water is hard

More data is needed to answer this. What type of light (fluorescent tube, LED, etc), and do you have the spectrum (the Kelvin rating, which will be a 4-digit number with a K suffix). The tank is 180 liters, roughly 47 gallons, so presumably the length is 90 cm (3 feet)?