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Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on August 10, 2011 at 7:15pm

what are fish are you keeping?

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Permalink Reply by slownas1 on August 11, 2011 at 10:56am

one angel, four tetras, three clown loaches and one clown pleco

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Permalink Reply by PaducahFishFan on August 10, 2011 at 7:23pm

The only challenge or concern I have for that gravel size.  I used it a long time ago...  Like in the 80's.

 

The danger is with over feeding because flakes and extra food will fall deep into the cracks.

 

The reason I like the finer substrate is it makes it easier for me to feed my corrys and bottom feeders.  I purposely over feed a little and they suck it up on the bottom.

 

You could consider a bottom feeder type pellet or tablet/pill type food if you plan on keeping that type of fish.  Also if you have live plants it will help eat the decayed matter falling into the rocks.

 

The other concern will be when you move a rooted plant.  The finer substrate media will help the dirt from kicking up.

 

But who knows.  You might be the person that builds such a cool tank that everyone wants to build one with large gravel media.  ;-)

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Permalink Reply by slownas1 on August 11, 2011 at 11:00am

PaducahFishFan thanks for the confidence booster for sure big ups for that. Good point on it kicking up dirt I never thought about that, I think I'm definitely going to go with the finer substrate and just pay extra.

I think I saw one of your videos, are you using sand?

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Permalink Reply by PaducahFishFan on August 11, 2011 at 2:29pm

It' like sand but it's black.  Here is a tank getting setup using the same stuff I did:

http://www.freewebs.com/malawimoon/thetank.htm

 

http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/super_nat.html

 

I used the Tahitian Moon and I'm very happy with it.  I also put a layer of fluorite between that and the dirt.  Like that as well.

 

Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by slownas1 on August 11, 2011 at 4:09pm

Yeah I'm doing Eco complete between my dirt and the top layer.

What about those competing issues and the substrate not getting oxygen, that I always read about with using sand in a planted tank?

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