Best Small Gravel Substrate For Midevil Cichlid

[Roger Mcfish]

My midevils tank leaked during the winter snap we just had and had no choice but to place him with my parachromis multifaciatus in a 125. With funds low, I had to grab a quick 75 gallon for him few days later and order a 125 gallon which will be here in another two weeks.

Instead of PFS, I'd love to put black substrate in the new 125 gallon tank like smaller gravel but not overly huge gravel.

Is there a certain brand I can look into?

 

[Roger Mcfish]

Also to add, my water is soft so I add crushed coral to my filters to get it where I want in my tanks. So any buffering substrate options would help as well.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

The only black gravel I'll use is Marina. I've tried other stuff in the past and either didn't like it, or it nearly killed my fish. Marina black gravel is what I have always used for my various midas/devils/midevils over the years.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

The marina brand you speak of, is it more smooth rounded surfaces on the gravel to keep detritus from clinging?

I've had him PFS, but he's about 9 almost 10 inches and I think at this point of ours lives, he's done with PFS lmao

 

[Roger Mcfish]

The only black gravel I'll use is Marina. I've tried other stuff in the past and either didn't like it, or it nearly killed my fish. Marina black gravel is what I have always used for my various midas/devils/midevils over the years.

May have to try different brand. Just looked up marina and it's more available in canada and overseas. Amazon has it for sale for the states, but in 1lb bags lol

Figure I would need at 60 lbs

 

[duanes]

I have heard there is s blackish natural aragonite sand mined in Florida, and some from Hawaii.

I have never tried it though, because the black sand I have tried seems to make cichlids unnaturally dark, to try and mimic their surroundings.
What´s good about aragonite, is it naturally buffers pH for Central American that, prefer more mineralized parameters.
I have used Aragonite in fluidized bed reactors.

But because my tap water was already quite alkaline, it tinted the water a bit milky, until it precipitated.

Whether or not it will get milky in soft water, I wouldn´t have experienced.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

I have heard there is s blackish natural aragonite sand mined in Florida, and some from Hawaii.

I have never tried it though, because the black sand I have tried seems to make cichlids unnaturally dark, to try and mimic their surroundings.
What´s good about aragonite, is it naturally buffers pH for Central American that, prefer more mineralized parameters.
I have used Aragonite in fluidized bed reactors.
View attachment 1572652
But because my tap water was already quite alkaline, it tinted the water a bit milky, until it precipitated.
View attachment 1572653
Whether or not it will get milky in soft water, I wouldn´t have experienced.

I believe when I looked there's caribsea Hawaiian black for salt water which will work but I've read about small particles that can float if not thoroughly rinsed and also people running magnets through it as well to get those particles.
There's another one called caribsea eco complete African cichlid substrate. Both stabilize and buffer ph naturally if you have soft water.

I do plan on running crushed coral in my HOBs as well for this tank. Doing this in my other tanks raises and stabilizes my ph from 7.2 to 7.8 which is perfect.
I just don't want the midevil throwing "sand" everywhere. He rearranged my parachromis multifaciatus PFS in their tank lol

The reason for black is also having his color pop over black.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

Ahh too bad, I didn't think it was a Canadian thing. Because yes, it's a smooth, rounded small gravel that works perfectly for big fish.

 

[Roger Mcfish]

Ahh too bad, I didn't think it was a Canadian thing. Because yes, it's a smooth, rounded small gravel that works perfectly for big fish.

I'm wondering if a common PetSmart or Petco gravel would be the same. Just don't course type gravel to where it becomes an issue with his waste clinging.
I thought about stoney river "African cichlid" substrate that has the black gravel mixed with aragonite based items such as crushed coral in it but it also has actual shells as well in it and I'd be worried about my guy injuring his mouth.

 

[DMD123]

I use CaribSea Super Naturals Midnight River "sand" in two of my tanks. I have it in a 90g goldfish tank and a 65B growout tank. I like it because its larger than sand but not huge gravel either.

Here it is dry

Darkens up nice when wet, but not absolute fake black looking

Here it is in my 90g with a Universal Rocks fake slate rockwork

Close up with the tank inhabitants to see that it looks very real, and not fake colored.

My 65B sits lower in my tank racks so it looks just slightly different. Actually a bad pic since the light is directly on the tank and currently I have it up off the tank so the stuff looks darker.

Hopefully the pictures help