changeing gravel to sand?

[tomjohnson]

hi guys, i have a 55 gallon aquarium with african and south american cichlids and i'd like to switch the gravel with some sand. any suggestions on how to do this?
thanks


tom

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

well, first off, i can't condone south americans in the same tank with africans, their water requirements are too different.....perhaps you should do a some research on aquarium water chemistry before you attempt to change it out, and decide which fish you have better conditions for....sand isn't recommended for either fish to the best of my knowledge and definately not for south americans......

[sunsplash76]

I have to agree with crazy. mixing south american and african is a big difference. The requirements are very different. You aren't even supposed to mix mbunas with haps because some are veggie eaters and some are meat eaters. I did that sad to say, but I have to be extra careful with what I feed them now, make sure one is not getting to much protein and what not.
Instead of sand, try crushed coral instead. Africans would appreciate the coral more than sand. It buffers the PH to a more pleasant level for them. I have been thinking about layering my gravel with it. Good luck either way though. Think of whats best for the fishes and their environment.
~Melissa~

[tomjohnson]

thanks for the feed back guys, my south americans and my africans get along well. i keep the ph at 7.8 and no one seems to mind. i put the sand in the tank and everyone has been have a good time it looks like. they play in it and eat it and spit it out and dig in it.



tom

[sunsplash76]

Tom~
I'm happy it is working out for you. As long as your fish are happy and healthy, then do what you think is best. Sometimes recommendations are just that; recommendations. If you are having success, then that is wonderful. Caring for the fish and trying to make them comfy is what really matters. Any pics of your tank we can see Good luck Tom!
~Melissa~

[tomjohnson]

i havent finished the tank yet, i still have to move some of the rocks around to different places to give them some more swimming space. also i need to borrow a digital camera to take some pics but i plan to have some soon -=o)


tom

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

if you have any diggers you may want to keep a watch on their gills, as sand tends to scratch and be an irritant--the concern with africans and southies isn't in their temperament and their getting along, although they probably misunderstand each others body language quite frequently , it is in their ideal water conditions---south americans come from generally acidic soft water, and africans come from generally hard alkaline water---