substrate for rift lake cichlid tanks - Aquarium Advice

tetrin · 07-14-2005, 09:14 PM

do the special substrates do any good other than just buffer the water? do cichlids attain better coloration and spawns with these? or is it just another ploy to extract more money?

i can't find a sand locally that is coarse enough. all of them are extremely fine. so, even if i can prevent it going into the impeller, i am worried about gill-irritation from lighter particles.
so i was thinking of ordering black moon sand from bigals. then this cichlid mix caught my eye. and hence, the question.

[acronym:1cc7ac4a45="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:1cc7ac4a45]

greenmaji · 07-14-2005, 09:19 PM

Are you able to find sand blasting sand/grit or pool filter sand?

tetrin · 07-14-2005, 09:45 PM

none.
well, i didn't look much except at lowe's. couldn't find a home depot anywhere. also, i really hate to wash the sand too much, and still find it clouding the water

(don't have a diatomic filter or access to one).

Menagerie · 07-14-2005, 09:57 PM

I use small gravel in the 80 gallon and sand in two other tanks. Just use something small enough so the cichlids can move it around.

**Fishyfanatic** · 07-14-2005, 10:11 PM

Menagerie- Love the new Avator

Back to the thread: I use pool filter sand. Try a pool supply store. I tried Lowes and Home Depot also for the pool filter sand but they don't carry it. Grab a phone book and see if you can find a supply store in your area. Chances are you can. Or do what I did, I called Information and they gave me a whole list of them within a 60 mile radius.

A little expensive, but I didn't have a phone book yet.

mentallylost · 07-14-2005, 10:17 PM

I use both Aragamax Grand Bahama Sand in my 80 gallon and Carib Sea African Cichlid Mix in my 125 gallon tank. The sand was much more difficult to clean originally, but I think that it was worth it. It looks much more natural, and my fish seem to enjoy playing in it more. The sand is real fine, but if you keep the filter intakes above the substrate by a couple of inches then the risk of the filters sucking it up is minimal. The Carib Sea African Cichlid Mix is much more coarse and not as pleasing to look at. A couple of my species will move the gravel around a bit, but not as much as the sand. I wish that I would have used the sand in both of my tanks.

greenmaji · 07-14-2005, 10:18 PM

Equipment rental places would have sandblasting sand/grit.. where you would rent a sandblaster if you needed one.. again the phone book is you freind.. I call lowes before I go if I have any doubt about weather or not they will have something.. they will go check..

tetrin · 07-14-2005, 10:21 PM

i just couldn't put my finger on what was different about her...so that's it

...(jk)

i have kind of fallen for the black sand

...already have a background where the bottom is very shaded, and i don't want to brighten the area.
and that's the reason i was pretty happy when i didn't find pool sand at lowe's (sorry for the deception)...
i was just wondering if there are any long term benefits of using one of these special mixes with the sand.

[acronym:ee4a4c990a="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:ee4a4c990a] fishy, your tank looks gorgeous with sand.

**Fishyfanatic** · 07-14-2005, 10:30 PM

Thanks Tetrin. I used a mixture of black Este's sand and pool filter sand. For the 55 [acronym:00a672ba16="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:00a672ba16] I'm planning on mixing pool filter sand, black sand, and a dark green Este's sand. That's if the [acronym:00a672ba16="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:00a672ba16] can get it in for me.

I think it will give it a different look and will help blend my plants and decor better. I'm going for the natural look. I really need to upload some new pics since we moved. We've changed around all the tanks. With this new tank I am being selective on what I want in it. So it's going to take me quite a while before it gets completed. Tomorrow I am on the hunt for the sand.

In the meantime, my filter is becoming VERY seeded on the 150 [acronym:00a672ba16="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:00a672ba16].

tetrin · 07-14-2005, 10:33 PM

thanks for the input mentallylost.
is the substrate in the last three pictures in your gallery the cichlid mix? boy, that sure looks coarse...more like gravel. but the photo on bigalsonline shows a finer substrate!!
http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/...675&pcid1=1695

View Poll Results: what do you have currently in your african cichlid tanks?
plain sand	3	33.33%
other special substrates	3	33.33%
african cichlid mix (carib sea)	2	22.22%
gravel	1	11.11%
bare bottom	0	0%
Voters: 9. You may not vote on this poll

07-14-2005, 09:14 PM	#1
tetrin Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: State College, PA Posts: 655 Images: 11	substrate for rift lake cichlid tanks do the special substrates do any good other than just buffer the water? do cichlids attain better coloration and spawns with these? or is it just another ploy to extract more money? i can't find a sand locally that is coarse enough. all of them are extremely fine. so, even if i can prevent it going into the impeller, i am worried about gill-irritation from lighter particles. so i was thinking of ordering black moon sand from bigals. then this cichlid mix caught my eye. and hence, the question. [acronym:1cc7ac4a45="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:1cc7ac4a45] __________________ pisces - be in peace 75g : Malawi 40g breeder: Planted community 29g : SA(change of plans...again) 20g : community ("given" to a friend)

07-14-2005, 09:45 PM	#3
tetrin Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: State College, PA Posts: 655 Images: 11	none. well, i didn't look much except at lowe's. couldn't find a home depot anywhere. also, i really hate to wash the sand too much, and still find it clouding the water (don't have a diatomic filter or access to one). __________________ pisces - be in peace 75g : Malawi 40g breeder: Planted community 29g : SA(change of plans...again) 20g : community ("given" to a friend)

07-14-2005, 09:57 PM	#4
Menagerie Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 11,266 Images: 77	I use small gravel in the 80 gallon and sand in two other tanks. Just use something small enough so the cichlids can move it around. __________________

07-14-2005, 10:11 PM	#5
Fishyfanatic Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 10,303 Images: 15	Menagerie- Love the new Avator Back to the thread: I use pool filter sand. Try a pool supply store. I tried Lowes and Home Depot also for the pool filter sand but they don't carry it. Grab a phone book and see if you can find a supply store in your area. Chances are you can. Or do what I did, I called Information and they gave me a whole list of them within a 60 mile radius. A little expensive, but I didn't have a phone book yet. __________________ Vote for Aquarium Advice 10 Gallon Lake Malawi Cichlid Fry 29 Gallon Community 55 Gallon Community 55 Gallon Lake Malawi Cichlid Fry 150 Gallon Lake Malawi Cichlid

07-14-2005, 09:19 PM	#2
greenmaji Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 5,937	Are you able to find sand blasting sand/grit or pool filter sand?

07-14-2005, 10:17 PM	#6
mentallylost Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: May 2005 Location: Olympia, Washington Posts: 289 Images: 6	I use both Aragamax Grand Bahama Sand in my 80 gallon and Carib Sea African Cichlid Mix in my 125 gallon tank. The sand was much more difficult to clean originally, but I think that it was worth it. It looks much more natural, and my fish seem to enjoy playing in it more. The sand is real fine, but if you keep the filter intakes above the substrate by a couple of inches then the risk of the filters sucking it up is minimal. The Carib Sea African Cichlid Mix is much more coarse and not as pleasing to look at. A couple of my species will move the gravel around a bit, but not as much as the sand. I wish that I would have used the sand in both of my tanks.

07-14-2005, 10:18 PM	#7
greenmaji Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 5,937	Equipment rental places would have sandblasting sand/grit.. where you would rent a sandblaster if you needed one.. again the phone book is you freind.. I call lowes before I go if I have any doubt about weather or not they will have something.. they will go check..

07-14-2005, 10:21 PM	#8
tetrin Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: State College, PA Posts: 655 Images: 11	i just couldn't put my finger on what was different about her...so that's it ...(jk) i have kind of fallen for the black sand ...already have a background where the bottom is very shaded, and i don't want to brighten the area. and that's the reason i was pretty happy when i didn't find pool sand at lowe's (sorry for the deception)... i was just wondering if there are any long term benefits of using one of these special mixes with the sand. [acronym:ee4a4c990a="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:ee4a4c990a] fishy, your tank looks gorgeous with sand. __________________ pisces - be in peace 75g : Malawi 40g breeder: Planted community 29g : SA(change of plans...again) 20g : community ("given" to a friend)

07-14-2005, 10:30 PM	#9
Fishyfanatic Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 10,303 Images: 15	Thanks Tetrin. I used a mixture of black Este's sand and pool filter sand. For the 55 [acronym:00a672ba16="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:00a672ba16] I'm planning on mixing pool filter sand, black sand, and a dark green Este's sand. That's if the [acronym:00a672ba16="Local Fish Store"]lfs[/acronym:00a672ba16] can get it in for me. I think it will give it a different look and will help blend my plants and decor better. I'm going for the natural look. I really need to upload some new pics since we moved. We've changed around all the tanks. With this new tank I am being selective on what I want in it. So it's going to take me quite a while before it gets completed. Tomorrow I am on the hunt for the sand. In the meantime, my filter is becoming VERY seeded on the 150 [acronym:00a672ba16="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:00a672ba16]. __________________ Vote for Aquarium Advice 10 Gallon Lake Malawi Cichlid Fry 29 Gallon Community 55 Gallon Community 55 Gallon Lake Malawi Cichlid Fry 150 Gallon Lake Malawi Cichlid

07-14-2005, 10:33 PM	#10
tetrin Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: State College, PA Posts: 655 Images: 11	thanks for the input mentallylost. is the substrate in the last three pictures in your gallery the cichlid mix? boy, that sure looks coarse...more like gravel. but the photo on bigalsonline shows a finer substrate!! http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/...675&pcid1=1695 __________________ pisces - be in peace 75g : Malawi 40g breeder: Planted community 29g : SA(change of plans...again) 20g : community ("given" to a friend)

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
help with cichlid substrate..	SOLAS750	Cichlid Discussion	6	12-18-2007 08:17 PM
Planted Rift Lake Tank	scottseattle	Freshwater & Brackish - Planted Tanks	5	10-06-2006 05:01 PM
What substrate to use for a Cichlid and planted tank?	newbynooberton	Cichlid Discussion	13	08-03-2006 10:34 AM
my new 55 rift lake pics	sirfishmaster	Members Freshwater Tanks Showcase	6	10-08-2005 03:26 PM
African Cichlid Substrate Question	Fishalicious	Cichlid Discussion	10	11-12-2004 04:21 AM