Reinterested in the hobby again

[Stidham]

I'm getting ready to get back into the aquarium game after about a 5 year hiatus. I have a few questions as it appears things have changed some.

I'm from the old school of UG and HOB filters. It looks like a lot of people don't do UG anymore. If I don't do UG can I use sand as a substrate for my tank? And what kind of sand should I use?

I want to stock the tank with community tropical fish, which ones wouldn't be good with a sand bottom? I was thinking for a Cory Cat and a pleco for scanvengers.

Thanks
Dave

 

[TrickyD119]

Sand is perfectly fine with HOB filters, but if you ever think you might be interested in going all out with a heavily planted tank, it might be in your best interest to consider doing at least 50% of your substrate in fluorite now so as to provide more nutrients to your plants (real pain to change later). I've seen some really good looking sand/fluorite combinations in pictures around the web.

If you know you'll never go that route, I think pool filter sand is often regarded as the cleanest of the available sands, but you can get a real cheap kind from Home Depot that'll do a nice job too. Just use the search function on the forum to find out more and be sure to clean it real good.

Cory are definitely good with the sand, they kick it up and help prevent gas pockets and the sand is also easier on their mouths than larger rock based gravels.

Another catfish for you to consider along with plecos are the Otocinclus. They stay small if you are planning on a smaller aquarium and they are very active and do a nice job.

 

[Harlock]

I use Pool Filter Sand and have plants. I use ferts in the water cloumn only. My root plants still manage to do okay and in fact, thrive. Cories, as Tricky said, love sand. It's easy on their barbels and they do an excellent job of leaving little mouthprints in the sand that you can see when the overhead light is turned off. Small tropicals should all do fine with sand. If you choose to go planted, the Pleco may be a bad choice as they get largish (commons do anyway) and can be a terror on your plants and lighter decorations because of their power and size.

 

[Swimfins]

I started out my first aquarium with sand, and the care of it takes some getting used to. After it has settled, held down with the help of the nitrifying bacteria its alot better. It is easily picked up by the intake of the filter until the tank establishes, you have to keep the intake a bit higher off the surface. It does tend to clog the impeller of the filter that you'll have to poke at once in awhile to dislodge the grains. Other than that its pleasing and the bottom dwellers like it. My little clown pleco used to swish up a sandstorm with his tail every so often. It was neat. The sand is easy to rearrange in drifts by pouring water from different angles, you can sculpt it.

If you plan on plants, you can add a layer of laterite underneath, mixed with an inch or so of sand before finishing to add the rest. I'd say go for it.