So awhile back I saw these guys in a store and thought they were pretty cool. So I bought 2 and brought them home.
After a while (mainly joining this site) I started to learn more about keeping fish, especially those I already possess and started to try to improve things. For these guys I needed to do something about the gravel as they like my burrow into the substrate. So I started to brainstorm and removed most of the deco. While doing my thinking (cleaning out cobwebs takes awhile) I made a temporary fix and gave them a sandbox.
I knew the sandbox wouldn't cut it for long and I was starting to get an idea of something to try, It was when I saw too little walls that things started to click. I don't want a complete sand base as it churns up too much when I'm adding water during my water changes (I use 5 gallon pails), whereas the gravel is heavier.
So I came up with this ... two problems, I screwed up on the sand ... the first bag I'd gotten was coarser, whereas this stuff was way finer it turns out; the store was sold out of the first kind, and I wanted something now. And two it was way to empty.
At this point though I had discovered driftwood already and was on the prowl for 1 or 2 pieces that could work. Patience is a virtue ... and I need more of it. But luckily one day I found 2 pieces I thought would be perfect.
Now after seeing my son's tank using most of my fake plants, I took the remainder and stuck them in here. Added the bridge to help hold back the gravel behind the walls and it gives me the perfect target for adding pails of water. There was no substrate displacement on the last water change.
Now I've seen a few members on here who have Banjo Catfish in some of their tanks. My question is does this setup work for them ... I find these guys pretty cool and wanted to improve on their conditions. Its a 30 gallon tank, gravel is stacked to the height of the walls almost 4" thick, the rest of the tank is this very fine sand 8" wide and 2" deep. The minute the sandbox was first added, I've rarely seen them touch the gravel.
After a while (mainly joining this site) I started to learn more about keeping fish, especially those I already possess and started to try to improve things. For these guys I needed to do something about the gravel as they like my burrow into the substrate. So I started to brainstorm and removed most of the deco. While doing my thinking (cleaning out cobwebs takes awhile) I made a temporary fix and gave them a sandbox.
I knew the sandbox wouldn't cut it for long and I was starting to get an idea of something to try, It was when I saw too little walls that things started to click. I don't want a complete sand base as it churns up too much when I'm adding water during my water changes (I use 5 gallon pails), whereas the gravel is heavier.
So I came up with this ... two problems, I screwed up on the sand ... the first bag I'd gotten was coarser, whereas this stuff was way finer it turns out; the store was sold out of the first kind, and I wanted something now. And two it was way to empty.
At this point though I had discovered driftwood already and was on the prowl for 1 or 2 pieces that could work. Patience is a virtue ... and I need more of it. But luckily one day I found 2 pieces I thought would be perfect.
Now after seeing my son's tank using most of my fake plants, I took the remainder and stuck them in here. Added the bridge to help hold back the gravel behind the walls and it gives me the perfect target for adding pails of water. There was no substrate displacement on the last water change.
Now I've seen a few members on here who have Banjo Catfish in some of their tanks. My question is does this setup work for them ... I find these guys pretty cool and wanted to improve on their conditions. Its a 30 gallon tank, gravel is stacked to the height of the walls almost 4" thick, the rest of the tank is this very fine sand 8" wide and 2" deep. The minute the sandbox was first added, I've rarely seen them touch the gravel.
