removed gravel and put in sand

[bluemoon]

http://home.comcast.net/~jazztown/wsb/media/311002/site1026.jpg
Live plants arriving next week

[bluemoon]

http://home.comcast.net/~jazztown/wsb/media/311002/site1027.jpg

[SHAWN WARDLE]

How do you clean the sand? WHAT FILTERS DO YOU USE? I'AM ASKING THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I WANT TO DO THE SAME THING. ALSO WHAT KIND OF SAND DO YOU USE?

[bluemoon]

I just siphon above sand enough to not pull up sand everything else will get sucked up,everything stays on top of sand so it's pretty easy to clean.Using 2 aquaclears 110's and azoo 10 sponge filter may put an Eheim 2028 on that i have i don't know yet.I don't like the looks of wilds in bare bottom tanks my other wild disus tank is bare bottom will put sand in that one as well when they get a little bigger.The sand is pool sand size 2/16 i been using the same kind of sand in an angel tank for around five years now,the discus seem less shy with the sand in plus their colors look nicer and more intense because they seem more calm.
Bill

[tpl*co]

What depth of sand do you use?

[Mike_T]

i use silica sand. it's very clean stuff. you can get it from a body or paint shop. it costs about $7 around here for 100 lb bag...that's right, 100 lbs. it's nice because the food and debri sits on top of the sand instead of getting down underneath. every few weeks i'd just add some sand, because for $7, who cares? use it up...a trick i learned from dave clubine's website a few years back. nice fish btw.

-miket

[tpl*co]

I've heard that you have to worry about sand and anarobic pockets poisoning fish. here's a link to another discussion about it:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=769&page=1&pp=15&highlight=anarobic+sand

It recommended less than an inch and to stir it around a bit to keep toxic gas from forming in the sand.

So what is the verdict of the best source for sand to use?

[SHAWN WARDLE]

DOES ANYBODY PUT ANYTHING UNDER THE SAND?

[bluemoon]

The sand is only acouple of inches it's not going to be a heavy planted tank just a few easy to keep plants.I have never had any problem in my angels tank of over five years with a sand bed.I don't go by alot of stuff said on the internet i go by my own experience if i went by everything said on the internet than i would be changing things in my tank everyday.If you think you would be worried about having a sand bed than don't put one in it would not be worth it.
Bill

[tpl*co]

I'm not trying to critize, I just want to learn how you do it since I'm getting tired of stuff getting stuck in the gravel I have. I was curious if you stir it around or how you clean it since I've heard some people have troubles with anarobic pockets forming.

[bluemoon]

I'm not trying to critize, I just want to learn how you do it since I'm getting tired of stuff getting stuck in the gravel I have. I was curious if you stir it around or how you clean it since I've heard some people have troubles with anarobic pockets forming.

I didn't take it that way i was just saying if it makes you uneasy i wouldn't put in a sand bed because it's alot of work removing it.After i siphon water out i empty siphon tube and stir the sand a little bit.If you do decide to put in a sand bed look into getting sand sold for pools and spas i get it at a rock place for $6.80 for a hundred pound bag and it's very clean also it's lighter in color than silica sand and looks much nicer.
Bill

[Mike_T]

just poke around in it once in a while while your tank is cycling. the look of the sand is a matter of personal preference. i think i'm going with black sand for my next showtank, it makes the colors stand out much more than the white sand, and looks a little more natural. just my personal preference.

-mike

[dpt8]

Mike, I have honey colored really fine sand in my DD angelfish tank. Man, do they look awesome with that and a green aluminum background. Very easy to clean as they say. Be careful with black sand with discus remember. It looks so awesome but it will make the discus dark colored and especially show and draw out the peppering if the have any pigeon blood in them.

GUYS, by the way, what does sand do to the nitrate count on your discus tank?? Does good bacteria in the sand take care of that?? I never checked my angel tank, but they did spawn.

[blaze]

a friend of mine has 3 tanks with river sand , I was shocked at first... but he told me that he 'washes the sand with boiling water' before putting it in the tanks.

[roclement]

coming in late for the thread,

I use pool filter sand in my tank with the arowanas, stingrays and a redtail catfish, no problems at all, the sand is heavy enough that I can syphon the dirt right from the top with no problems. Fish seem to love it!

It cost me about $7 per 50Lb bag, it is clean, almost pure white and not to coarse, works for me.

Rodrigo

[sufu_Louie]

Can you let me know what brand and where you purchased this sand? I've been looking around home depot, lowes, etc... and haven't found anything that I would like to use. I'm looking for the really white sand for my setup, it's currently a bare bottom setup with some anubus barteri attached to rocks and driftwood.

[jesse]

Hello Bluemoon,

these are wonderful wild Discus you have here.
Nice colors! The sand may have to do something with that!..

Here is the theory I would like to verify:
And with a sand bed, we have anaerobic bateria which live in it. These bacteria normally transform nitrate into nitrogen and close the nitrogen cycle.

What I would like to know is:
1- how often do you make water changes ?
2- Have you a very low nitrate level in your tank even after 1 week or more without changing the water ? How much nitrate do you have ?

thanks,
Jess