Ornate Birchir & Aragonite.

[jvin85]

I like the white look of my current sand substrate however it currently gets vacuumed up the siphon too quickly and is making it difficult to gravel clean for me.

The only other white color substrate I could find that I liked was aragonite. I know it'll be ok for my cichlids, but will it be ok for an ornate birchir?

 

[Darth Scohin]

I wouldn't recommend it just stick with the sand and replacement as needed

 

[jvin85]

The other issue is that I use a HOB with the intake high enough that the sand doesn't get sucked up easily (which if it did would ruin the impeller).

I'm hopefully switching to an eheim2217 or some form of canister, surely the sand will get sucked up and cause problems. Staying with my current sand does not seem like an option. I'll keep looking for thicker grain white substrate... but i've only seen aragonite thus far.

 

[xander]

aragonite/crushed coral sand has always worked well for me. you cannot siphon it, just stir and drain. the sand should keep most particles out anyways

 

[Darth Scohin]

Put a sponge over the intake then you dont have to worry about it getting sucked up