Too much gravel?

[elmonty]

I'm just starting. I have a 29 gallon tank and I've just filled it with water. I did a pretty cool job of decorating the tank (if I say so myself). I'm using a Penguin 170 Bio-Wheel filter.

Right now I just have two artificial plants, but I may someday add real plants. So the bottom of the tank has plant nutrient and the gravel above it is flourite.

I have several different depths of gravel in the tank to give it a natural look. The gravel is higher toward the back and sides, based on suggestions in a book. I have some rocks situated on a "slope" to look like they are holding the gravel up.

I think it looks cool, but I saw something on the web yesterday that said gravel should not be more than 1/4 inch thick. At the front, mine is almost an inch thick.

Do I have too much gravel?

 

[Guest]

Do I have too much gravel?

No, not at all. Don't know where you read that, but most tanks have at least a couple inches.
When you switch to real plants, you'll really want 3 inches of gravel or more.

So the bottom of the tank has plant nutrient

Explain futher if you would. If you added fertilizer to your gravel, but have no plants to use it, you could very likely get an algae problem.

 

[elmonty]

It's Terralit, a "soil fertilizer". The LFS said it would not be harmful even if I never put in any real plants. They also told me that I shouldn't put in real plants until after the tank is fully cycled and the fish are well established.

 

[malkore]

Yeah, I know the person who says 1/4" is all it takes..and I don't agree. 1/4" is ok at the fish stores, and maybe for goldfish, but for a normal tank 1-2" is desired...for a planted tank 3" is really good, at least in areas where you'll plant heavy root feeders.

as far as adding live plants...if you invested in flourite, you should add live plants. You don't mention how much light you have, but I'm gonna assume it's the 'came with the tank' light hood, which is only enough light for a few low light, hardy plants. these plants won't take advantage of that sweet flourite substrate though...but it certain won't hurt them at all.

As long as this 'fertilizer' is buried until the flourite, it shouldn't leech into the water and cause algae. plus algae needs more light than your little hood is putting out, so I wouldn't worry at this stage.

Lastly, if you did have more light, you could add a bunch of live plants, and they'll actually do half the cycling for you. In this setup, you'd actually add live fish and not use ammonia (as in no fishless cycling with live plants). Plants won't thrive until the water's got some nitrates in it, but they'll certainly soak up ammonia. The fish poo will become gravel fertilizer too, but that can take a few months to really build up...but the fert you added should help that too.

 

[Sati]

I bet you read the 1/4" thing here, right?
http://www.aquariumfish.net/index.html

I remember seeing that all over that site. I'm not buying it either.

 

[elmonty]

I bet you read the 1/4" thing here, right?
http://www.aquariumfish.net/index.html

I remember seeing that all over that site. I'm not buying it either.

Yep, that was it. Guess I'll avoid that site from now on.

 

[Sati]

I still look at that site, but I don't really take their advice to heart most of the time. I've also seen they have a lot of dyed fish, which irks me.

 

[Christmasfish]

Shallow gravel and large gravel is easier for the unmotivated/new fish keeper to clean..
AND UGF filters don't work very well if the gravel is deep...

That is probably what started that rule.

 

[Menagerie]

Elmonty-if you are thinking cichlids and real plants, do your homework! A lot of African cichlids tend to rearrange the tank to their liking! My 80 gal has no plants--fake or otherwise. Those cichilds act like bulldozers!!

 

[elmonty]

Thanks, I'm trying to do my homework. That's why I'm here.

 

[Sati]

Elmonty-if you are thinking cichlids and real plants, do your homework! A lot of African cichlids tend to rearrange the tank to their liking! My 80 gal has no plants--fake or otherwise. Those cichilds act like bulldozers!!

That's exactly what I want. It's so funny to watch them move all the sand around

 

[Menagerie]

Everytime I clean the 80 gal, the white zebra must curse me! By the next day there is gravel piled high around the entrance to his "log". When the socolofi was gravid, she was a little bulldozer and moved tons of gravel. It was funny to watch, but I did not think a fish in her condition should be doing the heavy lifting!

 

[Linsay]

My stinkin' bristlenose pleco is forever pulling my plants out of the gravel!!