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Re: Sand Bottom Tank!

David Ramsey wrote:
> 
> > Hey everybody one question...
> > I know the pros and cons about having a sand bottom for tropical fish
> > aquariums but am curious to see what killies you people out there think do
> > great with sand bottom tanks! Please let me know much appreciated as
> always,
> 
> I put really small gravel on the bottom of all tanks. Just a 1/2" layer or
> less. It is hard to come by and the local petshop gets a laugh when I go in
> and start rearranging their 20 lb bags of gravel. They get some from a place
> in Alabama that bags it up. Their quality control as far as size is
> nonexistent. Some bags have big gravel, some average, and every now and then
> a bag that is not much bigger than course sand. That is the bag I jump on.
> When I don't have enough of that I mix it with some playsand. I find more
> eggs in the gravel/sand than in the mops.
> Here sand is more or less frowned upon, while in Britain it is very common
> substrate. My corys particularly like a sand or sandy mix bottom.
> Something on the bottom of the tank seems to keep the fish a little calmer.
> They don't get reflections off the bottom.

I'll second that, David.

Sometimes I will use fine sand with an under-gravel filter. I buy some
baby-quilt batting from Walmart and make a cover for the filter plate, so
the sand won't fall throught the cracks. It makes a wonderful substrate for
catfish and darters. You may need to watch for compaction, if it has a lot
of organic debris and is too thick. I have also used the woven glass mat
(used for fiberglassing your boat) for the same purpose as the polyester
batting. Either work but the latter has more bioactive surface area, I
think.

Wright

-- 
Wright Huntley, Fremont CA, USA, 510 494-8679  huntley1 at home_com

        "Congress has not unlimited powers to provide
for the general welfare but only those specifically enumerated."
                                      --Thomas Jefferson

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