How many lbs. of gravel?

gravel

I think they would rather sand than gravel. Not much deeper than 1" , though.....to inhibit anerobic bacteria from growing in the sand or gravel bed.
 
When I first started the hobby, someone told me 1 pound for every gallon. Now...I think that is a bit much. Actually, I use almost all sand now. But, I think 3/4 to 1 is a better rule. Say 75 pounds of rock for a 100G tank. Hope this helps. It also may depend on if you are using a UGF filter or not. May need a bit more if you want to try to cover up the white uplift tube bases.
 
Very gently and hold the intake end somewhat off the surface to avoid sucking sand.
 
Whatever your mix, estimate your needs by the square inches of tank bottom that will be covered, rather than by tank volume— you'll need a bit more than 10 pounds of substrate mix for every 150 square inches of tank base-- or, by a very rough estimate, each five pounds of a coarse sand like Estes Black Sand will give you an inch depth per square foot.
--cut n pasted from www.skepticalaquarist.com

Do other folks agree with this rough estimate?
 
Vacuum

Originally posted by PredatorFish
I will not be using a UGF.
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Good idea....
Yes you do need to vacuum the sand / substrate. There are different ways to do this. Do you have a "Python"? (if not, it's a good idea to get one...)
 
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Originally posted by Ledslnger
When I first started the hobby, someone ..... It also may depend on if you are using a UGF filter or not.
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Try 'NOT' to..



Look into Canister filters... before opting for the other..:eek:
 
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Don't fall for the "no UGF" propogandists. It is an international conspiracy concocted by the big filter conglomerates to increase sales. Their puppets and stooges will tell you anything to steer you away from UGF's. Now take me. I have a Reverse Flow Under Gravel Filter on only one third of my tank and it gives me excellent biofiltration.

Here are the advantages:
  • absolutely silent
  • cleaning the filter takes less time than other filters
  • very low current flow that most plants and some fish demand
  • low cost, around $50.00 Cdn for the whole setup
  • no unsightly plumbing outside the tank (only one small electrical cord)
  • the water supply tube to the Under Gravel Plate makes a great CO² diffuser

Together, we can overcome this Great Conspiracy!:D
 
I don't have a problem with UGF's, but I saw where he was wanting to keep Malawi Cichilds. UGF's are not a good idea with these fish. I have a 60 gal w/ Malawis. They are diggers. Mine dig deep into the substrate to bottom sometimes.

So if you use a UGF w/ these fish they will dig to the grate for the UGF. Then you won't have the substrate to filter the water. The flow of water will go to where there is least resistance. So in the end it will be useless. So in the end, it will be $50 wasted.
 
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