Loaches Online Forum

I would like to get some opinions about using sand rather than using gravel for a freshwater tank. I plan to keep mostly botias. The tank will be either a planted 55 gallon or a planted 75 gallon.

Thank you for any help or suggestions.

Pool filter sand or blasting sand is better in a less planted tank. The particles are a uniform size so they will not pack down. Play sand has a mix of particle sizes that packs down over time and can create anaerobic areas deep in the substrate. Bacteria can grow there that produce toxins.

Plants will grow in either. Neither has any nutrients. I would add fertilizer tablets to the area around the plants.

Specialty planting substrates can hold the fertilizer better, and are easier for the plants to grow in. I use several different ones, and the Loaches are quite willing to play in them, too. I have some peacock eels that will totally bury themselves in these substrates.

Gravel is the worst of substrates for plants, and burrowing/digging fish. I did have one Clown Loach that would dig the gravel, one piece at a time, and toss it aside until he had a hole about an inch or so deep. Then the hole would collapse, because he was not tossing the pebbles aside far enough.

To try to get the best of both worlds, I'm setting up a new tank using eco-complete in the back and pool filter sand in the front, with a rock wall separating the two (Diana's suggestion - thank you!). It's still early days, but so far I'm very excited. I'm not sure i would have gone to the trouble for botias - they seem to do fine on eco-complete - but I wanted to give kuhlis a place to burrow.

Can you post a picture of your wall (and tank)?

Thank you,
Rayburn

what type of filter are you using? I would like to see a picture, too. I am curious as to how it looks.

Yes, I'll try to post some pictures this evening I have a couple of just the rockwall and substrate with no plants, so you can get a good idea of what I did.

It's still a work in progress, and not too beautiful at the moment - the driftwood is fuzzed over and the newly planted crypts are melting. So they'll be progress pictures

no fish yet, just a few cherry shrimp.

Filter is an eheim classic cannister. When I bring the fish over from their current tank, I'll be adding an established Aquaclear hang-on-back.

Hi bookpage, I just created my own thread about my tank in progress, with the pictures you asked about. I'd been meaning to post it anyway, and didn't want to be redundant

http://forums.loaches.com/viewtopic.php?t=13575