Can you have to much gravel?

[FishFingers]

Can you have to much gravel?

Is there any reason why half inch is good and 2 inch bad?

I know just a silly question.

But I'll take all kinds of answers

 

[Bubble_B0y]

yes - you CAN have too much gravel !!

1) the deeper the gravel (greater than 2inches) can lead to anaerobic bacteria and deadly gas pockets developing in the deep gravel.
This is because the gravel at the deep bottom doesn't get enough oxygen and is not stirred up.

2) more gravel = less water in the tank
-->
less water = less dilution of nitrate and ammonia.

 

[anythingscales]

Ive had planted tanks with over 6" in gravel, and my tank was fine with the parameters. Never loss a fish or plant to high gravel.

 

[rlebeau]

what about sand? How many inches for a cichlid tank... pool sand that is..

 

[Meredith]

As far as gravel goes, detritus works its way down into it pretty easily. So the deeper it is, the farther down the yuck will get, and the harder it is to effectively vac it out. Personally, if I use gravel, I like it to be a VERY thin layer so I can get the gravel vac all the way down to the floor of the aquarium. It does not look as good as a nice thick layer of gravel which one of the reasons I switched to sand. I like a good 2 or 3 inches of sand and detritus mostly sits on top and its very easy to suck out.

 

[Bubble_B0y]

As far as gravel goes, detritus works its way down into it pretty easily. So the deeper it is, the farther down the yuck will get, and the harder it is to effectively vac it out. Personally, if I use gravel, I like it to be a VERY thin layer so I can get the gravel vac all the way down to the floor of the aquarium. It does not look as good as a nice thick layer of gravel which one of the reasons I switched to sand. I like a good 2 or 3 inches of sand and detritus mostly sits on top and its very easy to suck out.

^^^^^^^^^
Exactly right about the detritus and gravel !!!!!!!
which is why I use sand too

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I use pool filter sand for that reason too, so much easier to maintain.

 

[Bhunsucker]

How to you vac sand? Do you do it the same way as you do gravel? do you loose any sand in the process?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I use pool filter sand and always aquascape the tank using the gravel vac by sucking it into the syphon then moving it around. It is heavier and will drop back out of the tube. Plus it stirs it around for me. But with lighter sands just wave the vac over the sand and it will kick up the debris so you can suck it out.

 

[Bubble_B0y]

always aquascape the tank using the gravel vac by sucking it into the syphon then moving it around.

That's EXACTLY what I do !!!!!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I just wave my gravel vac around to kick up the crud and suck it up. My gravel vac seems too powerful to suck it into the syphon, as if sucks the sand into my bucket. Even the python seems a little too powerful. Could probably try reducing the faucet flow a little.

 

[FishFingers]

cheers folks.

the reason why I asked is I like to keep 1 or 2 plants in the tank and the cichlids are a pain and they keep up rooting the plants.

 

[jrp1588]

yeah, I stick my arms in my cichlid tank enough as it is. I don't need to be replacing plants every day, I avoid them. lol

 

[CGGorman]

use big rocks around the base of the plant to keep them in place. My Pleco is a plant nghtmare, too. That's the only way I can keep plants in place.

 

[fprintf]

My vac must have too much suction because when I put the vac near the sand it starts sucking up sand. I probably lose just a little each water change into the bucket and then down the sink.

Regardless, I *love* my sandy bottom. It is so easy to clean. The only problem now seems to be that the nice white virgin sand has turned a slightly brownish tinge at the front of the tank. I have to move that sand around to let the Cichlids did... and man do they love to dig in sand!

 

[kaz]

but if you have a lawn effect with plants all over the vacum and stiring up the sand doesnt really work right? your not going to remove all the plants to stir the sand so why is this case ok but not in your cases?