questions on sand??

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oOMO3NOo

Feeder Fish
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Jan 26, 2008
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pullman
i just finished reading the thread IS CONVERTING TO SAND WORTH THE HASSEL and it seems like everyone loves sand so i was thinking about doing it. but i had a few questions..

1) is there any fish that sand is not good with? i have chiclids which i know will be fine but i also have a pleco not sure what kind but i know its not a comon and its kind of a chocolate brown color and also what about snails are they ok in sand (ramshorn)?

2) with airstones i normaly have mine underneath my gravel so there more hidden can you do this with sand or will it just push the sand all over?

3) ok this has nothing to do with sand but i was wondering were do people get here drift wood caz my LFS only has what looks like fire wood and im looking for some of the larger "knarly" looking wood is there some place really good to find this or should i just check a different LFS?

thanks for all the help
 
1) usually no problems whatsoever, just make sure that it's not too fine and really sinks down. some fish might not like it in the beginning, but I've never heard of any serious problems

2) just fix it with a stone or wood and let the bubbles ascend behind it

3) wrong continent, sorry ;)

cheers
 
Hello,

1) Sand will be ok with plecos. I use pool filter sand because it has heavier grains. I love the look and could never go back. My brother mixes sand and gravel and it looks really natural.
2) Yes you can use airstones in sand. If your bed is deep eneough you can keep them buried but your bubbles will be larger because the sand actually kind of traps the bubbles and they come out larger ( if that makes any sense). I used to put a flat stone on top of the stone and let the bubbles roll out from under it.
3)I get mine from the good old Ohio river. After high water I go down with my reciporicating saw and cut some good pieces off. After a bleach/water soak and a good clean I get slate tiles from the hardware store, drill some holes and attach my wood.
 
1) no mixing of different substrate sizes!

reason: the substrate constipates (right word?), water can't flow anymore (yes, that even happens to a certain extent in sand) and finally goes bad.

and just to anticipate your reaction ;) yes, this constellation might exist out in the nature, but is not favourable for a closed system like a tank.

cheers
 
I also use pool filter sand because it settles quickly and I've never had a problem with it floating around. I also run a 7'' bubble tube thing just under the surface of the sand. I hold it in place by a suction cup on either end and yes, the bubbles are slightly larger, but it looks great and you can't see the tube. It's funny though cuz the sand is constantly popping open then settling, looks like lava. (it doesn't stir around the tank though, it settles immediately
 
Look on ebay for your drift wood. I got some real nice pieces at a good price.
 
oOMO3NOo;1620931; said:
i just finished reading the thread IS CONVERTING TO SAND WORTH THE HASSEL and it seems like everyone loves sand so i was thinking about doing it. but i had a few questions..

1) is there any fish that sand is not good with? i have chiclids which i know will be fine but i also have a pleco not sure what kind but i know its not a comon and its kind of a chocolate brown color and also what about snails are they ok in sand (ramshorn)?

2) with airstones i normaly have mine underneath my gravel so there more hidden can you do this with sand or will it just push the sand all over?

3) ok this has nothing to do with sand but i was wondering were do people get here drift wood caz my LFS only has what looks like fire wood and im looking for some of the larger "knarly" looking wood is there some place really good to find this or should i just check a different LFS?

thanks for all the help
Click to expand...

1. Should be just fine but as for other fish you would have to ask on a case by case basis.

2. Might not be a good idea depending on your sand type as a very fine sand would be sent into the water column if an airstone was buried beneath it and this sand would then end up in one of your filter pumps...which is a bad thing as sand is generally abrasive.

3. Large bodies of water...thats where its made :thumbsup:
 
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