Looking for advice on fixing substrate

[Walker Anderson]

Ok, when I started this tank out I just use the plain ole gravel. Dark Blue in color. The more I got into the hobby, I decided to try to remove all plastics and go with live plants and driftwood. I covered the blue gravel with laterite in a pattern like the lines on a football field and then covered with a layer of white sand.

Now, after a few vac's and corys burrowing in for a nap, the gravel is showing throught in parts. My plants have started decent root systems, and my pygmy chain sword has spread from 1 original to 4 tufts in a line.

I am wanting to remove the gravel, and am wondering if there is anything I could do with a possible mixture of sand to darken it, as it is white sand currently and the fish colors, while good now. I have seen too many posts saying a dark substrate is better.

Any sugggestions would be helpful. And, I am not adverse to getting my arms wet and sifting sand slowly in the tank to get the gravel out.

Current stock is 10 neons, 5 black skirt tetra, 4 bronze cories.

Thanks,
Walker.

 

[pwrflpills]

Search the threads for "How do I change substrate?" b/c I asked basically the same question a few weeks ago and the kind people here gave me good methods.

You mentioned sifting sand to get rid of gravel. Not only does that sound like a nightmare, it would be counterproductive for the plants that you have, especially swords. I would recommend just cleaning your tank out and adding plant friendly substrate such as flourite or eco-complete, or simply cleaning out what you have and adding a mix of colors, including gravel, that you now like.

There's no advantage to light or dark, it's personal preference. I do not, however, recommend sand substrate for heavy root feeding plants like swords. If you switched to all sand for plants like this, you might run into problems.

As far as "mixing" goes, just do it. I can't imagine there's tried and true methods for how to mix substrate. Just take some of what you don't want out and carefully add and "mix" what you do want. But again, I would stay away from sand.