I want to try a sand substrate tank but have concerns about the sand getting into my impellors. Will foam prefilters keep the sand out of my filters? Can I grow plants in sand? I want it for horsefaced and kuhlie loaches, will I still have to vac the sand & if so, how? Would cories and a pleco be all right with the sand? Thanks
Questions about sand
- Thread starter fishpoor
- Start date
Cories and loaches would love the sand. Plants can do well in sand also. The biggest issue with sand it seems is that it can develop pockets of anaerobic activity particularly the deeper it gets. I would be a good idea to vacuum the sand considering that is one way to keep the anaerobic activity down.
Take a look at the link in my sig to see sand in action with plants and cories. To answer your questions specifically:fishpoor said:
If your filter intake is very very close to the substrate you do run the risk of getting sand in your impeller. A Prefilter can indeed help with that but keep in mind, some sand is very fine and a prefilter can get clogged up quickly. For me the solution is as simple as having a deep tank and my intake tubes only going down about halfway into the tank.
Yes, live plants can do very well in sand. You need a good 2-3 inches for the plants to really stay in place, as sometimes thin, shifting sand is just too loose for the plants to hold firm.
I use a Python as my gravel vac of choice and in my tank, I simply put the vac very close to the sand surface and suck up all the waste. On the ocassion when I do get into the sand (I'm an oaf) most of it is heavy enough to be sucked up, but sort of fall back within the tube. It looks neat, but really serves little purpose. Also, I make sure when I add water back that I stir up the top layer of sand very well so any loose sedimentary waste will get kicked up into the water column where the filter can deal with it. Sand is surprisingly not cloudy and this stirring will not cloud the tank for days on end because wet sand settles pretty rapidly.
As I said, my cories do great and I have not heard of anyone having problems with Pl*cos in sand other than the digging issues of certain fish.
I know you didn't ask, but I recommend Pool Filter Sand that you can find at places like Home Depot and Lowe's. I picked up a 50 pound bag for 5 dollars and change. When I got it home I divided the bag roughly in half into two 5 gallon buckets. Then, I took them out in the yard, grabbed the water hose and started filling up one bucket. I let the water overflow into the yard and saw a lot of dust ans surface scum come out. As the water began to run clear, I put my hand in the bucket and stirred up the sand vigorously while letting the hose continue to carry lighter dust and particles out of the sand. I did this about 7 times per bucket until I was satisfied that all I was left with was the heavier particles and that it was dust free. Then, I simply scooped it into my tank, sort of shaping it how I wanted, added my water and turned on my filters and started my cycle. Any cloudiness I saw after that I can almost surely attribute to bacteria blooms which are common to new tanks. I recommend Pool Filter Sand over Play Sand as it is supposedly less dusty. I've used Play Sand in reptile terrariums forever, but never rinsed it, so I cannot say for sure, but I do know when I pour Play Sand I see a lot of dust and didn't see as much when I simply poured the Pool Filter Sand.
At any rate, sorry for the long post, but I hope it helps you in your decision, one way or another.
thanks everybody- Harlock, that was my next question. So now. after I vac the surface, would turning off the filters for a few minutes and stirrring through the sand. Turning the filters back on after the sand resettled keep it from getting "dead" spots and not hurt anything?
That's how I do it. My filters lose enough power when the water level is low that I cut them off during the siphoning. When I start adding water back, I just use the Python and the force of the stream of water to kick up the sand and any floating kind of debris. Once the water is back to a decent enough level, about 3/4 full in my tank, I turn the filters back on and pour some water back into them to kick start them. After that, the floating debries I stirred up starts getting circulated, pulled and cleaned. Of course, you never get it all, but hey, with plants you don't need to.fishpoor said:
No, I planted heavily and went with BIO-Spira and ended up with a slightly fishy cycle. Of course, the toxins never got really bad and I saw my bio-wheels getting sluggish pretty quick. I don't think it was the BIO-Spira, as I was seeing ammonia present for a bit after it, but it could have helped.
Karnaaj said:
In regards to anaerobic activity, some freshwater clams would help to stir up the sand from underneath to keep it "fresh". Some types of snails also might help, as there are several species that "dig" and aren't a nuisance.
TB