oscar tank substrate - Aquarium Advice

cogburn · 07-15-2008, 08:47 AM

so for my 150 gal oscar tank... im thinking tahitian moon sand.... questions... how many pounds do you recommend for 150 gallons? and will this be easier to clean than gravel? i would think it would be... and is there anything i can use to make sure it doesnt get in my filter and ruin it? i will be using 2 cascade 1500 canister filters...

thanks in advance...

Larry

cogburn · 07-15-2008, 02:48 PM

through reading i know the poo and foodstuffs will sit on top of this sand and i can vacuum it out easily... easier than gravel... but will once a week be enough? sounds like it can get pretty bad... anybody with this sand please chime in... or any sand for that matter...

Retaks · 07-15-2008, 03:38 PM

I have sand in my Piranha tank and love it. All the crap dose sit on top and is easily vacuumed off. I do a gravel 2 times a week and do a 15%-20% water change when i do the gravel vac. As for it getting in your filter im assuming you have atleast a 55 gal tank since you have an Oscar and a 55 would be a minimum tank for life. Very little sand get sucked into the filter. The intake for the filter is so high the sand rarely get stirred up enough to make it into the filter. I celan my filter once a month and the most sand ive taken out fo the filter is about 1/32 of a shot glass and that was because i was impatient after i just put the sand in the tank and didnt let it settle properly. There are pics of my tank with natural gravel and sand in my profile on here. The pics with sand are the newer pics of the same tank. Thats tank is a 55 gal.

Retaks · 07-15-2008, 03:38 PM

Oops i should have payed more attention to the first post. Sorry.

cogburn · 07-15-2008, 03:45 PM

hahaha.. no sweat... yeah with the 150 gal being 30" tall i guess i probably wouldnt have to worry too much about sand in the filters... i could always put a sponge or pantyhose on the intake ends if need be... i really like the way your tank looks retaks... that black sand makes a HUGE difference looks great... is the 2x weekly vacuuming totally necessary or just because you like it spotless? i have no problem vacuuming once a week if need be i just dont wanna have to do it twice or more a week... but i think it would be better because the gravel wouldnt collect stuff it would all be on the top which would be nice

Retaks · 07-15-2008, 03:51 PM

Thanks. I like the sand alot better also. I wouldnt worry at all once the sand settles completely. I did use a fine net over my intake to keep the bigger perticles out of the filter when it was first set up. I only did that for about 3 days though and i would turn the filter off every couple hours to let the particles that were stuck settle to the bottom. The 2x a week gravel vac is not necessary i jsut like to keep it clean and having Piranhas they make quite a mess ripping their food apart. Im switching them from shrimp to Cichlid pellets so they dont have to rip the food apart and its less mess. Its just hard to get a wild fish to eat pellets.

haykay · 07-15-2008, 03:56 PM

for the amount.. normally they say 1lb per gallon, but its up to you.. i think more than 4-5 inches deep and you will have to worry about anerobic pockets... I've personally never tried sand as I love shoving my vac deep in the gravel and looking at the yuck, but I'm getting used to not being ablt to do this with my planted tanks...

kimo · 07-15-2008, 06:48 PM

"Im switching them from shrimp to Cichlid pellets so they dont have to rip the food apart and its less mess.

Its just hard to get a wild fish to eat pellets."

Don't feed your fish for about 3 or 4 days. Then throw a few pellets in.

A hungry fish will eat anything. Once they get a taste of the shrimp pellets they will want nothing else.

Retaks · 07-15-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimo

"Im switching them from shrimp to Cichlid pellets so they dont have to rip the food apart and its less mess.

Its just hard to get a wild fish to eat pellets."

Don't feed your fish for about 3 or 4 days. Then throw a few pellets in.

A hungry fish will eat anything. Once they get a taste of the shrimp pellets they will want nothing else.

I tryed that. I got to a week and a half without them eating and gave in and gave them shrimp again. I am hiding pellets in the shrimp and they are eating them that way so i hope thats a start to a just pellet diet.

haykay · 07-15-2008, 11:54 PM

eek no fun not getting them to eat all of what you want.. keep trying though.. eventually kimos theory will win out!

07-15-2008, 08:47 AM	#1
cogburn Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: bangor, pa Posts: 302	oscar tank substrate so for my 150 gal oscar tank... im thinking tahitian moon sand.... questions... how many pounds do you recommend for 150 gallons? and will this be easier to clean than gravel? i would think it would be... and is there anything i can use to make sure it doesnt get in my filter and ruin it? i will be using 2 cascade 1500 canister filters... thanks in advance... Larry Last edited by cogburn; 07-15-2008 at 08:56 AM.

07-15-2008, 03:56 PM	#7
haykay Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Washington State Posts: 182	for the amount.. normally they say 1lb per gallon, but its up to you.. i think more than 4-5 inches deep and you will have to worry about anerobic pockets... I've personally never tried sand as I love shoving my vac deep in the gravel and looking at the yuck, but I'm getting used to not being ablt to do this with my planted tanks... __________________ Proud sister to a USMC Devil Dog! 7 freshwater tanks and counting!!

07-15-2008, 11:54 PM	#10
haykay Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Washington State Posts: 182	eek no fun not getting them to eat all of what you want.. keep trying though.. eventually kimos theory will win out! __________________ Proud sister to a USMC Devil Dog! 7 freshwater tanks and counting!!

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07-15-2008, 02:48 PM	#2
cogburn Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: bangor, pa Posts: 302	through reading i know the poo and foodstuffs will sit on top of this sand and i can vacuum it out easily... easier than gravel... but will once a week be enough? sounds like it can get pretty bad... anybody with this sand please chime in... or any sand for that matter...

07-15-2008, 03:38 PM	#3
Retaks Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: May 2008 Location: SEPA Posts: 74	I have sand in my Piranha tank and love it. All the crap dose sit on top and is easily vacuumed off. I do a gravel 2 times a week and do a 15%-20% water change when i do the gravel vac. As for it getting in your filter im assuming you have atleast a 55 gal tank since you have an Oscar and a 55 would be a minimum tank for life. Very little sand get sucked into the filter. The intake for the filter is so high the sand rarely get stirred up enough to make it into the filter. I celan my filter once a month and the most sand ive taken out fo the filter is about 1/32 of a shot glass and that was because i was impatient after i just put the sand in the tank and didnt let it settle properly. There are pics of my tank with natural gravel and sand in my profile on here. The pics with sand are the newer pics of the same tank. Thats tank is a 55 gal.

07-15-2008, 03:45 PM	#5
cogburn Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: bangor, pa Posts: 302	hahaha.. no sweat... yeah with the 150 gal being 30" tall i guess i probably wouldnt have to worry too much about sand in the filters... i could always put a sponge or pantyhose on the intake ends if need be... i really like the way your tank looks retaks... that black sand makes a HUGE difference looks great... is the 2x weekly vacuuming totally necessary or just because you like it spotless? i have no problem vacuuming once a week if need be i just dont wanna have to do it twice or more a week... but i think it would be better because the gravel wouldnt collect stuff it would all be on the top which would be nice

07-15-2008, 03:51 PM	#6
Retaks Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: May 2008 Location: SEPA Posts: 74	Thanks. I like the sand alot better also. I wouldnt worry at all once the sand settles completely. I did use a fine net over my intake to keep the bigger perticles out of the filter when it was first set up. I only did that for about 3 days though and i would turn the filter off every couple hours to let the particles that were stuck settle to the bottom. The 2x a week gravel vac is not necessary i jsut like to keep it clean and having Piranhas they make quite a mess ripping their food apart. Im switching them from shrimp to Cichlid pellets so they dont have to rip the food apart and its less mess. Its just hard to get a wild fish to eat pellets.

07-15-2008, 06:48 PM	#8
kimo Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Arlington TX Posts: 221	"Im switching them from shrimp to Cichlid pellets so they dont have to rip the food apart and its less mess. Its just hard to get a wild fish to eat pellets." Don't feed your fish for about 3 or 4 days. Then throw a few pellets in. A hungry fish will eat anything. Once they get a taste of the shrimp pellets they will want nothing else.