Substrate Question

[TayHudson]

When I get my new tank (55 gallon) this week, which Substrate would you recommend and why?? I've been doing my homework and found lots of different ideas. What works best for you??

Any help is always welcome and appreciated. I'm new at this (with the Loaches) and any advice I can get is awesome.

[starsplitter7]

What kind of fish do you want to keep in the tank (Name them all)? What is your budget? Do you have live plants? Those answers will help answer the question.

[arny]

for 10 years i had rounded stone type gravel (different shades of brown in colour). it was good for the fish, loaches in particular as it had no sharp edges but also a bit bad for them as they couldn't get the smaller particles of food that dropped down. personally i didn't like the look either it was a bit too bland but it was very easy to clean with the siphon.
so when i upgraded to my 57G tank 7 weeks ago i chose black sand for a cleaner look. unfortuanatly i thought just the one colour was a bit boring so i bought a small bag of green/blue rounded stones to lay on top.
the look of the new tank substrate is so much better and the loaches can really dig deep but theres is one problem the sand cant be cleaned with the siphon as it gets sucked up so im worried about the waste polluting the water but as i have a big external filter im told theres nothing to worry about there.

and with my water quality being perfect i guess i was worrying for nothing

hope this helps and keep us posted on what substrate you go for.

[starsplitter7]

Pool filter sand is also a cheap alternative for substrate. You just have to rinse it really well. And be careful the sand doesn't get in the impellers in the filters. I have one pretty badly ground down from sand. Absolutely my fault. All my fish like digging in the sand. Some sleep under the sand.

[Gary Mck]

Sand seems to be the popular choice, just one tip, make sure it is a medium to coarse size. The really really fine sand is a pain. I accidently put 2 kilos of fine sand in my tank and it look liked it was snowing in there. Having said that my tank has a lot of water movement which compunded the problem.

One nice thing with sand is that you can position variuos pumps to create just enough current to keep the bottom nice and clean. I don't really need to vacuum anymore, apart from maybe 2 small dead spots floor is relatively clean. When changing water I just stir the dead spots up a bit and filters do the rest. much easier than before.

Most people, from what I have read, do not deep vacuum sand. As it is packed not much debri gets down into the substrate.

[TayHudson]

Thanks for all the responses guys! It's all really helpful. I'll keep all of that advice in mind and keep doing my daily and mostly nightly research

I will definitely keep everyone updated on what I choose.

[starsplitter7]

Just so you know, you can buy pool filter sand at a pool supply store for about $8 for a 50 pound bag. The fish love it and it is probably the cheapest substrate out there.

[TayHudson]

Is it good to add semi medium - large rocks?? Very smooth kind. I know the Loaches are bottom dwellers, and probably won't stir up the sand too much.

[starsplitter7]

As long as the roocks don't leach anything into the water. Most people put natural rocks with their loaches. Really smooth river rocks. Not rocks with limestone.

THe loaches do kick up sand in their boisterousness and digging, and they dig up and eat plants too. They will move things around the tank as they get bigger.

[TayHudson]

I have fake plants not planted ones. I wish I had the time, knowledge and money to do that.

[starsplitter7]

I find water sprite and java moss grow like crazy and are easy to keep. I am not a plant person. But plastic plants are fine for now. No reason to stress over something like this. Real plants help keep the water clean.

This is awhere I buy my plants. Best prices I have ever seen.
http://aquaticplantdepot.com/

[TayHudson]

Do you have any photos of your tanks by any chance??

[millsn]

" I know the Loaches are bottom dwellers, and probably won't stir up the sand too much."

Don't you believe it. Mine dig around near my filter intakes and push sand into the filter becasue of it. I have to ensure that only rocks are nearby the intake to avoid this.

[Gary Mck]

I find that my loaches stir up the bottom nicely, kick most rubbish up into the filters, they are great at keeping the bottom clean. Of course can't have the filter intake too low. Mine are about half way up, just to avoid the sand.

[TayHudson]

How would the sand do in a 55 gallon?? I have been looking up info on all kinds of substrate.