I'd say you can use sand for all those fish, but it's pretty much a must for corys and GBRs. See, those guys are substrate feeders, they like to pick up mouthfuls of sand and sift out food particles. I'm all about giving them what they expect, you know?
Gravel's got its place too, like in a stream or river setup. That's where it can really shine, especially for fish like rainbowfish or barbs. But if you've got substrate fish, sand's probably the way to go.
As for water changes, I've never had any issues with sand. I've got it in all 8 of my tanks, and I've never had any problems. Just be careful not to get too close to the sand, or it'll suck up. I use a PytLion water changer, and it works great. I can even run it over the surface of the sand, and it'll pick up the detritus and only a few grains of sand.
Is this sand safe for my aquarium?
Re: Is this sand safe for my aquarium?
I'd also like to mention that for substrate spawners like rams, it's best to minimize gravel or sand cleaning, as this can stress them out and even cause them to eat their eggs or fry.
When doing water changes, I just do them from one corner with the lights off, and as long as the mulm on the substrate is just fish waste and dead plant bits, rather than leftover food, it's not a problem and can actually provide a good source of food for the fry.
When doing water changes, I just do them from one corner with the lights off, and as long as the mulm on the substrate is just fish waste and dead plant bits, rather than leftover food, it's not a problem and can actually provide a good source of food for the fry.
Re: Is this sand safe for my aquarium?
I've had great success with pool filter sand in my tanks, currently using it in six out of eight setups. The results have been fantastic, and I'm curious - does anyone know the typical grain size of this type of sand?
Re: Is this sand safe for my aquarium?
I'm considering ditching gravel vacs altogether. I've seen some YouTubers swear by not vacuuming, letting the poop act as a natural fertilizer for plants. I'm planning on using sand for all my breeding tanks, but I'm wondering if I can get away with bare bottom for my neptunes and endlers.
As for sand recommendations, I'm open to suggestions. I've ruled out pool filter sand, but I'm okay with play sand. The play sand at my local hardware store is super fine, I'm looking for something with a slightly larger grain size.
As for sand recommendations, I'm open to suggestions. I've ruled out pool filter sand, but I'm okay with play sand. The play sand at my local hardware store is super fine, I'm looking for something with a slightly larger grain size.
Re: Is this sand safe for my aquarium?
The advice on the package is legit, it's all about being careful with the dust. Not a huge deal, but still worth considering. It's similar to wearing dust masks and eye protection when doing any dusty job - up to you, but recommended. If you've got the stuff, I wouldn't worry about it in the tank. As for pool filters, it does indeed come into contact with the water and is returned to the pool after that.
No need to gravel vac sand, Geneflake. Lighter colours can show mulm more, but you can remove it with a sypLion with gentle disturbance just above the surface with the hose. If you stick a gravel vac in, you'll be taking out substrate. The easiest way to remove sand is by sypLion, if you want to change substrate.
Bare bottom can be great for breeding projects, except for bottom feeders/spawners. It's perfect for removing left over scraps that the fry don't eat to keep the water quality up when you don't want to do big water changes.
No need to gravel vac sand, Geneflake. Lighter colours can show mulm more, but you can remove it with a sypLion with gentle disturbance just above the surface with the hose. If you stick a gravel vac in, you'll be taking out substrate. The easiest way to remove sand is by sypLion, if you want to change substrate.
Bare bottom can be great for breeding projects, except for bottom feeders/spawners. It's perfect for removing left over scraps that the fry don't eat to keep the water quality up when you don't want to do big water changes.