a good substrate to switch to for Lake Tanganyika

Subject: a good substrate to switch to for Lake Tanganyika 6/10/2010, 1:29 pm

i am looking at changing out the substrate in my 125 gallon aquarium, its been black gravel for 2 years now, thinking of black sand. anyone have suggestions?

I think sand is a good sub. for all african cichlids. my opinion.

Cichlids LOVE sand! But they will make ditches in it.

Black sand is the way to GOOOOOOOOO

i bunch of tangs with turn almost jet black on black sand. which tangs are going to be in the 125

there are black ink fin calvus's, frontosa's, white ink fin calvus's, red head compressiceps, a gold head compressicps, eventually yellow head calvus's and Eretmodus sp. "blue point south"

i know from experience that the whites will not be white on a black substrate. who knows tho black does look really nice and i am sure you know what you are getting into as you have black gravel currently.

My only beef with black sand is that it's so dang light. I got some for my frontosa tank and when it wasn't staying at the bottom of the tank when I was refilling it was test with the python time, and I couldn't get close enough to it to lift anything from the sand without lifting gobs of the sand itself. Anyone have a tip on heavier black sand than the stuff in the bags at PetSmart?

you just need to turn the force down on your python. all my tanks have really fine sand with half of them having black sand. i love it and actually find it really easy to clean. most of the waste will be swept into your filter intake as it can not set stuck inbetween pebbles like in gravel. you will need to have you intake close to the sand level (~2" away to pick the stuf up tho.)

I use pool sand in all of my other tanks. It's quite a bit heavier than the black stuff. I don't hook the python to the water at all for this tank just drain it out the deck door. Of course I freaked and immediately bought some black gravel to put in there, now I've got some of each and that was a bigger mistake. To get the gravel clean you have to dig. The sand will be gone before long I'm sure!
Love the pool sand. Just hover over it and the waste comes right up.

have you every tried to scoop the sand/ gravel up in the net. most of my sand is so fine it will go through the net but the gravel will not. might be a way for you to seperate it back out.

wow. you must have some really lite sand. do you leave the vac in the sand or kind of jab at it?

I hover over it. I only disturb the sand in the other tanks occasionally to keep algae from growing on it. That's what I love about sand. You don't have to disturb the surface to get it clean.
I can't remember the brand I bought but yes it's so light it's like baby powder.

you do have to be careful tho as toxic gas can build up under the sand if it is not disturbed enough.

I'd not heard that before! Thanks! Maybe I should stir it up more often.

yeah i think it is a nitrogen build up from the bacteria breating down waste. i could be way off but i know gas will build up under the sand and it is not good for them. some things can help to prevent it like some horse head loaches, etc which h dig into the sand.

ps i am sure you know what you are doing and it is all just a trail and air thing.