just a few misc. questions...

[CatFud4]

hi,

i have a 55 gallon tank, and currently i have gravel on the bottom. I'm interested in using sand for at least a portion of the tank. (about 1/5 of the bottom surface)
i got a "freshwater flounder" yesterday, and am thinking it might enjoy an area of sand to hide in. I don't know if it would appreciate the smaller area, or if it would continue to mostly hang on the sides. Has anyone ever had one of these before? I can't really find much info online about them.
I've been scouring the net using every different combination of search terms i can think of, and haven't found anything really informative at all.
I did come across a few people's posts on various message boards that talk about the use of both sand and gravel (not for the purpose of a flounder, but for other creatures that like to play in sand), but they weren't really clear about how to do it.
would i need to sink a dish/tray or something to contain the sand?
(i ask that because of the whole turning over the sand, to release gas build up issue)
I'd like the look of not having a tray, but will use one if necessary.
I don't have any plants in there... and i'm not sure if i plan to even try to grow live plants. I read on one page that the flounder will get stressed trying to blend in with gravel, and will eventually die. But i don't know if it would seek out a sandy area if there was one, or if it would just continue on like it is, sticking to the sides pretty much 100% of the time.

So i guess basically my questions are...
has anyone ever had a "freshwater flounder"? if so, tell me all you can please.
and as far as using both sand and gravel, how do i do it? and what sand is recommended?

other than the flounder, there's one silver tipped tetra, one long fin white tetra, two glow lights, an "algae eater", an african dwarf frog, and some ghost shrimp.

by the way... i did find one site that says the flounder will get to be 6" when fully mature.
that will be an issue once it gets to be that size, but, for now i'm mainly concerned with trying to keep it healthy.
I'm looking into finding another relatively large tank for misfits such as the flounder. (checking local paper, and garage sales and such)

thanks!
-Justin

 

[Hebdizzle]

I didn't think there were any freshwater flounders, only brackish and salt. Take a look through here if you want some info.

http://www.fishbase.org/ComNames/CommonNameSearchList.cfm

 

[Sum-X]

There is a particular kind of Pleco that looks almost exactly like a Flounder... That may be what hes talking about.

 

[Dapple2]

A google search revealved several freshwater flounders, this site has a few of them http://www.tcp-ip.or.jp/~y-miura/fws/Esyurui.html

I've never kept any of them, but I have had nice results using silica sand as a substrate. Just stir it gently with your fingers to prevent gas build-up. It works best used by itself, if mixed with the gravel it just seems to sift into the spaces between the gravel and get compacted.

 

[Hebdizzle]

dapple.... those are most definately stingrays, not flounders.

Aaron

 

[Dapple2]

D'oh! I really oughtta stop multitasking...

Plugging freshwater flounder into google instead of stingray resulted in a bunch more sites, mostly about a cute little fella called Achirus lineatus. Look like your guy? http://www.concerningpets.com/fishes/species/fh032.htm or http://ichtyonb1.mnhn.fr/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Achirus&speciesname=lineatus

The brackish conditions that they prefer would most likely not sit well with your tetras, frog or CAE....

Dig, dig, dig... This site lists a few more species you could google http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwflounders.htm

 

[damion]

I just got a 3.5" freshwater flounder to go with the two other 1.5" flounders I have. So far so good with freshwater and not brackish water. Hopefully, they will thrive just like my Columbian sharks now 6"

 

[carpguy]

On the sand issue…

Personally I think the gas issue is a little overstated. I think gas sometimes gets used as a catchall explanation for unexplained deaths. Yes, it can be an issue but there's quite a bit to it and a sandy tank is a very workable option.

I have a planted 30g that's been up and running for almost a year ( ). I used sand up to about 2.5" deep (shallower in some areas) mixed with laterite (for plants) and topped with a bit of pebbly small gravel. I used desert sand from the garden center (lots of folks use play sand, sand-blasting sand etc.) No troubles so far.

Smaller particles will tend to settle over time, so the sand will get under and around the gravel. Mixing gravel in isn't going to do all that much to improve circulation in the substrate. Maybe near the surface, but not so much where it counts. You can mix it together or just lay a bit on top for texture, but I think its mostly an aesthetic thing.

Depth is an issue. The bacteria that produce the really dangerous gasses require a completely oxygen free enviroment. Its not all that likely to happen unless you're fairly deep. Plants can help keep the soil oxygenated in their root zone, but require deeper soil than you might use otherwise. Burrowers, like your very cool fish as well as some loaches and cats, can also help keep the soil loose.

I interpreted some comments the WetMan made to mean that the harmful bacteria needed food, and that by depriving them of it we could avoid them. That is, that one potential consequence of the deep gravel cleaning technique was burying decaying waste at the bottom of the substrate. Partially because of the plants, but also for this reason, I just hoover up whatever loose debris is sitting on top and don't root around in the sand.

RTR has written now and again about freshwater plenums which also may help. (I think I accidentally built one of sorts).

Sounds like a very cool fish, hope it goes well…

HTH, and welcome to AqC …