Size of rock to use in tank

[Cribbinator]

Hello,

Just had a general question. What determines the size of gravel you can use in a tank. Right now I am using very very small crushed rock but I really like the look of the pebble "river rock" which is slightly larger, smooth, and oval in shape. Currently I use artificial plants but plan to use live plants once my move is complete. My worry is that the larger pebbles will not anchor the plants properly ? Any help or info would be appreciated.

Thanks,

James

 

[FisheyLisa]

I made the change you did, sort of. I added the pebble stuff to the chrushed stuff when increasing the size of my tank. My plants are fine. I usually use large rock (like those in trendy home fountains- the smooth ones ) about and inch round to anchor roots that have already formed (I suck at rooting them the other way. Then push the root into the gravel/pebble mix, and sometimes I have trouble with it escaping because I grab the plant accidentally or I didn't submerge it well enough.

You'd want to consider your bottom feeders as well, and how they'd be with it (some prefer smaller rocks or sand, but I own them, and they seem fine with the pebbles). The fish jam their mouths in between the rocks if food goes there, but there doesn't seem to be any damage.

 

[OrionGirl]

A couple of things to consider with substrate. First--what fish are you putting in the tank? Some fish prefer smaller rocks, some prefer larger, some need sand, some don't care. Since you're going to a planted tank, there are some additional considerations--large rocks are not great for plants in many ways, but primarily, larger rocks fail to provide the needed nutrition for plants--there mulm is slow to form, and supplements tend to make their way into the water colum instead of sticking by the roots.

A better option, especially for a planted tank, would be to put down 2-3 inches of a good planting soil, then cover it with the desired rock on top. This would help hold the planting soil in place, give you a good bed for plants, and allow the mulm to work it's way down under the rock on top.

 

[Cribbinator]

Good point Orion Girl (oops almost called you OnionGirl, sorry).

I'm not planning on putting large rock into the aqarium just larger than the very small crushed rock that is in there. The current rock is alittle jagged and the color is too light for the look I want to achieve. I like the look of the mix river rock but I like the small version of these rock (my guess about 1/4" per rock on the average). Since I am moving I will be putting new fish in there so I'll have to investigate the fish to rock requirement.

That brings up another question, what fish would you recommend for a 26 Gallon tank ? I really like Gouramis and Loaches but I will need to look through my books to see what other fish I like. One of my favorites are Red Tail Sharks but I don't think 26 Gallons is enough for them, I'll have to wait till I get my 50 Gallon tank. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks,

James

 

[OrionGirl]

Sounds like that rock will work fine, though adding some 'good' soil underneath, like laterite, will really help the plants to do well.

For fish--Set on a redtail? Rainbows are similar colored, but typically less aggressive. A pair of gouramies, a rainbow, and a pair of small loaches, like yo-yo's, or a group fo kuhli's, would do well together. The shark will need a cave, as will the loaches, but should be okay with the loaches (either kind). My rainbow shares his cave with the kuhli loaches happily, though any other fish are chased away. The tank would be close to max, but with healthy, happy plants and regular maintenance, shouldn't cause you any problems. An attractive mix, since the gouramies will use the middle and top, the shark the middle and bottom, and the loaches the bottom of the tank.

 

[Cribbinator]

Thanks OrionGirl,

That sounds like a good assortment of fish. Close to what I had before .... I had 2 Yoyo loaches which really liked the layout at the time.

As for the soil, what kind of soil can I use ? Could I use sand mixed in as well ? How do you create your caves ? Before I had a large lava rock that had 2 small caves but they were not large enough to cover the whole Red Tail so I think he might have been a bit aggressive since he didn't feel completely covered.

Also, a quick question about the laying down of the gravel rock. I really like the layout in LFS where they have the gravel really high in the back and at different parts of the tank to give it a unique and natural look. I was told and read that you shouldn't have gravel layered thicker than 3" but most of the tanks that I see at my LFS are about 1 - 2" in the front and then slope up the sides to about 4 - 5" ... it gives it a really nice look but will alot of waste settle down below all of that ?