Freshwater Substrates

[jm1212]

sand isnt expensive if you know where to look. i just got 50 lbs of AquaQuartz pool filter sand for $5.50 at Ace hardware. the sand looks great in my 37 and it sinks pretty fast, even though its pretty fine (.45-.55 mm grain size). it didnt need to be washed for long, and looks great, the corydoras are very fond of it.

also, my corydoras never had any problems with my gravel in my 20 gallon. they seem to like the sand better though...

 

[AsaPW]

I have discovered the best way for rinsing gravel (not fine grained sand). Use a pasta strainer...just put some in, put the hose on it, and rince away. It works great for home depot gravel. I can thoughly rinse a 25 lb bag in 25 minutes.

Yeah, that's exactly what I wanted to do, but I couldn't find one in the house. :wall:

 

[jac8724]

Ive been thinking of going sand...and i want to start setting up my new tank tomorrow and had some questions. Will a pleco do well with sand?

Also just bought a new eheim classic filter and dont want to have to buy a new one for a loooong time. Will the sand mess it up? if so, anything i can do to prevent it?
thanks!

 

[DISCIPLE]

3M COLOR QUARTZ "T" GRADE

is what i use in stead of sand. this a quartz w/ a ceramic coating that wont bleed or stain your water. comes w/ 3yr warranty too. i picked black for color enhancement reasons. this is way easier to clean/maintain then sand or gravel. being heavier than sand i can put my python down into it and it it wont suck up . it goes up a few inches then settle back down letting me get in a good vacuuming. it also comes in a wide variety of colors. 3m will even send you free samples. hope this helps you out.
ps. my plecos and oscars love it.