substrate

[Gasha]

Play sand is fine, just have to wash it more than PFS. Having saying that, I prefer PFS.. I have it in my tank and love it.

5 dollar... 5 dollar..... 5 dollar fooot longs!!

lol i guess pool filter sand it is.. i don't want to have to wash it out too much ya know? what kind you guys suggest? go to lowes? home depot? i live in new england so what ever is available up here... 140 gallons so maybe 150-170 lbs of sand?

 

[longislandfish]

i only like a thin layer of sand. I have 1 50lb bag in my 240 gallon and my stingray has enough sand to beat it up and cover himself. also, you don't want too much sand as it might need to be stirred if you have a lot.

 

[ar0wan]

I like deep gravel beds but I imagine 100-150lbs would be sufficient for your needs.
If it seems hard-to-find try a pool supply store.

 

[Gasha]

i just got done putting 100lbs in my 140(same dimensions as 150 minus height) you think i should add another 50lbs... a part of me thinks its enough and a part of me says MORE!!! lol just wondering opinions.. THANKS

 

[aclockworkorange]

There is controversy over the use of deep sand beds in freshwater tanks.

 

[ar0wan]

I beleive the debate starts at 4"
With 100lbs he's < half that
BUT yeah don't go over about 3" of sand

 

[Dark Jester]

I'd say if you want to avoid any chance of anaerobic pockets, you probably don't want more than 2" of sand. Oxygen will only penetrate a little more than the top inch of sand. If you have sifting snails or fish they can keep it stirred up enough. If you go deeper than 2" you will have to completely stir it all up at least weekly to avoid dead areas. A real pain. Unless you actually are going for a Deep Sand Bed. Read up on those, pretty interesting.

 

[Gasha]

thanks i'll read up since i have to order my other filter... fish are in 75 so no rush.. got tons of homework to do since ive been at jui jitsu past hour... so not enough time in one day...

 

[Gasha]

do sifting snails require anything special? sounds cool... i'll get some snails!! imma look it up right now!

 

[Dark Jester]

Nope. They will clean up scraps left over from feeding your fish. The small particles of flake and such that the fish miss which sink to the bottom. They tend to self-regulate population too. If they have an abundance of food available they multiply very quickly. Otherwise they will die off to the point of a sustainable population.

Can be a good indicator of whether you are overfeeding or not. If you see hundreds of baby snails in the tank, probably a good idea to cut back on the food a bit.