** UPDATE **
I've been doing my reading on the issue of cycling, and it looks like I might have an option to seed a tank. My chiropractor, of all people, keeps a tank in his office as well as several at his home (and a pond). My tentative plan is to grab some gravel (in water) from the office tank and hang it in my tank.
Now for the questions...
1. How much gravel?
2. How long do we leave it in there?
3. How long until we put fish in? Immediately? 24 hours? And what level of bioload, start with a couple, half the fully stocked level, or go with the whole enchilada?
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On to substrate... I want to go with sand as I like the appearance and ease of cleaning. I've read some good things about Estes Marine Sand - any reputable online retailers for this sort of thing? It seems kind of difficult to find a local shop. Also, I've got 25 or 50 lbs of play sand in the garage, as well as some coarse leveling sand for paver patio stones, and crushed rock base left over from some landscaping projects. I've also read that using regular old topsoil is acceptable in a planted tank. My thought is, perhaps a layer of soil or marine plant specific substrate, covered by an inch or so of Estes sand or estes sand/playsand mix (to get the right color). Would it be beneficial for plants to have a "plant-friendly" substrate underneath a layer of sand? I like the "two-tone" effect on the front of the aquarium....
