What substrate?

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Industrial

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Oct 29, 2009
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Buffalo, NY
So right now I have a 33g long brackish tank with two knight gobies, a dragon goby and a gymnothorax tile (freshwater moray).

I am changing the current substrate with my dragon goby in mind. First I had white gravel which would catch all the frozen food and 95% of the frozen food would be stuck in the gravel and the dragon goby would not get any. So then I switched to playsand. Now I cannot even touch the water without the water becoming opaque. I had to switch to sponge filters and I want to add a powerhead as well.

I have fifty pounds of playsand in the tank currently, and when I do a water change, I have to set a bucket next to the tank above it with new water and siphon out the water from the bucket into the tank so I don't create a huge mess. Just this tank takes me over an hour to water change.

I am also getting black pockets in the sand. I have a lot of lace rock in the tank that the eel hides in and he tends to mistake my hand for food. Not to mention when I do agitate the sand a bit the tank turns super cloudy for a day.

So I would like to switch out the substrate with something else that is dragon goby friendly.

My major dilemmas are:
1. The tank is really shallow, water changes will likely stir up the substrate pretty badly
2. I have a lot of heavy lace rock and I am unsure if a thin layer of thicker sand would prevent the lace rock from scratching up the bottom of the tank really badly. With the lace rock, barebottom is out of the question.
3. The dragon goby cannot get any food if I use gravel.

Does anybody have any ideas on how I can make this work?

I can also switch the 33g with a 40 breeder, but I would rather not since all the fish in here seem to prefer longer tanks than wider tanks.
 

Dr. Awkward

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Jan 11, 2009
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Texas
Could you switch to a courser sand? I use 1.5mm red flint sand in all my tanks and I love it. It is fine enough that I think your dragon goby could still sift for food but not so fine that it gets anerobic pockets or kicks up when I do water changes.
 

Industrial

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Oct 29, 2009
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Buffalo, NY
Could you switch to a courser sand? I use 1.5mm red flint sand in all my tanks and I love it. It is fine enough that I think your dragon goby could still sift for food but not so fine that it gets anerobic pockets or kicks up when I do water changes.
I am thinking that is the way I have to go. I also thought about maybe some sort of clay.

My DG doesn't actually sift through the sand so much as he inhales above the sand sucking up whatever is on it.
 

Dr. Awkward

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Jan 11, 2009
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Soil Master Select might also work. It has bigger particles but they are really lightweight and good for digging. Schulz makes a clay substrate called Aquatic Potting Soil that is also fine and lightweight but I don't care much for the color.
 

Keeshaw

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Jul 3, 2010
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I have the same prob. with playsand in my Goby tank. When i change over to the 55, i'm going to use washed riversand from Home Depot.
 

rainbowcharmer

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Jul 30, 2007
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I had the same issue with play sand. I hated it. Black pockets, lots of issues. Stirred up super easily with the most minor of changes (couldn't put a piece of diftwood in without having a cloudy tank for 2 days). In this new setup I tried pool filter sand and LOVE it. I was really afraid of sand after that first experience, but realized that it's the type of sand. IMO play sand is just not good in a tank. I know some people like it, but it didn't work for me.
 

colleen0309

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Jul 21, 2010
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I just finished cycling my 55 gallon. I expirmented with playsand. This is the first time I used sand instead of gravel. I love it and so do my plants. But then again, I've only used gravel before. I'm sure, with my luck I will have problems down the road, but so far, so good. My water doesn't cloud up after water changes. I don't know why but it looks great.
I had the same issue with play sand. I hated it. Black pockets, lots of issues. Stirred up super easily with the most minor of changes (couldn't put a piece of diftwood in without having a cloudy tank for 2 days). In this new setup I tried pool filter sand and LOVE it. I was really afraid of sand after that first experience, but realized that it's the type of sand. IMO play sand is just not good in a tank. I know some people like it, but it didn't work for me.
 

Pufferpunk

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Mar 22, 2002
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Arqgonite sand is always recommended for BW tanks, to keep the pH steady, around 8.
 

carpenter547

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Aug 11, 2010
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now that would be telling
my violet goby was on argonite when he was in the 10 gallon tank. it was too small for him but he liked it i think. i moved up to a 37 gallon tank and the argonite was way way to expensive so i looked into real sand. the first one sucked you can see on my photo bucket link in my sig. it was industrial sand no good never cleared up. then i got the play sand and it works for me. yes you can see the poop but every thing stays on the top.

my goby digs inceasantly and the water doesn't cloud at all. but then again i really washed all the crap out of the sand. it was about 3 hours to wash out all 50 pounds. it is about 2 - 3 inches deep in there so he has lots of room to dig so far he hasn't hit bottom.

as far as his sifting goes since the food and every thing else just sit on the top he just kinda slurps it up and vents out what ever he doesn't like including small bits of sand.
he eats tropical flakes, peas, shrimp pellets, and algae waifers.

once a month or as soon as his ruts get deep enough i use my scraper to fillin and level out the sand just leaving a shallow bowl to catch the sinking stuff in oneish location.

my inhabitants seem happy in my stalag at least that is what they tell the geniva man when he comes around.
 

wespastor

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Feb 28, 2010
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I use paver leving sand straight from the bag ... no rinsing (Ihave a planted tank). I also have MTS to stir the substrate. My PH is always 7.8. It was a planted tank from the start with MTS and blackworms.

I keep Pangio Kuhli myersi and RCS in that Tank.

Best wishes,
Wes
 
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