can i use sand?

[mtdewlover]

I have a 29 gallon cichlid tank, with three red zebras, two yellow tailed violet cichlids and a huge sucker fish. I want to make this into a planted tank. I currently have regular big chuncked blue gravel from Walmart. For a planted tank I wanted something different. Can I use just regular play sand? Can I or should I mix the sand w/ my current gravel or something else?

Thanks
Alicia

 

[Mad Hero]

Go for it.
I know people who use sand and still grow plants with proper lighting.

One thing though, plecos (if that's what it is) have a tendency to eat plants. And he'll probally outgrow that tank if he hasn't already.

 

[mtdewlover]

So.....if I get rid of the pleco, (which I would be more than happy to do) what could I get in it's place? I have brown algae, well I did before I got the pleco. I don't want the algae to come back. Is there some other algae eating fish I could get in it's place? I know someone who has simaese algae eaters in his tank but do they eat brown algae?

 

[Mad Hero]

Ottos,bristlenose plecos,CAEs,SAEs, flying foxes.
Any of those should work.