to substrate or to not substrate...

[RyanH]

I am considering converting my show tank to a thin sand substrate and I am wondering if anybody has had any experience with sand. I want to do this for three reasons:

1. I hate the way a bare bottom tank looks. and I have always really
liked the look of aqauriums with sand substrates
2. I am researching freshwater stingrays with the interest of possibly
adding a couple of them to my discus showtank.
3. In my exerience, Discus have always seemed to be more at
ease when there is something covering the bottom of the tank.

I would love some feedback if anybody has any thoughts...

[Jason]

thin layer of quartze or silica sand, and some driftwould could be nice, and easy to keep clean

[RyanH]

that is what I'm thinking. I've done water changes on tanks with sand and it usually is too heavy to be siphoned off so waste is sucked up but not the sand. and it looks much nicer.

[Jason]

make yourself a hose-end attachment out of a 2l coke bottle or one of those nice big water bottles, should create enough suction to swirl the sand around, but not enough to suck it up.

and if a few grains get past you, a 20kg bag of sand is fairly cheap

[RyanH]

I picked up a couple of 50 lb bags of playsand from Wal-Mart yesterday that is already washed and sterilized. Not bad for 2.50 ea! That's not to say that I won't wash it again before I expose my beloved Discus to it.

btw Jason, where is Thunder Bay? My wife and I are going to Italy next year to take some classes in Rome for a couple of months.

[Jason]

sovereign state on the mountainous border between Italy and Austria.

you need clearance from the embassy or my army of super-ninja trained supermodels will escort you too the jail house

j/k! I live in Thunder Bay ontario canada, no other members of Italian descent use the flag, so I gotta represent!