Changing to sand this weekend.

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Absolutely amazing so proud it worked and happy it look soo great I'm glad I helped in any way I could of so happy for you convict !!
 
I really like it, and the aquascaping looks great!
 
THANKS EVERYONE!! I'm exhausted lol!!

The pictures are kinda crappy. I'm gonna have my wife take pictures with a real camera and not an iPhone camera. The iPhone camera doesn't adjust well to the color bulbs.

I run a 4 T5 HO fixture with ATI bulbs. 1 purple plus, 1 blue plus and for my daylights I run 2 12k aquablue specials. Yeah there saltwater reef bulbs but I feel they make the colors pop on the fish.

I apologize for the crap pics the camera was having a hard time canceling out some of the blue. I'll get better shots. I really want you to see what I see. And stay tune for an awesome YouTube video coming SOON!! Just not tonight lol, I'm shot!
 
Looks amazing bro!!!!!! I never really wanted Africans at all until I saw you and Andrew mcfadden's tanks. I'm not going to do it cause my heart lies with the sa/ca but if I did, I would want my tank to look like yall's!!!!
 
Tank looks sick D, Love it...You may have to adjust your flow some because your FX may push the sand around and cause dunes. I can tell but keep it shallow like 2 inches so you dont get gas build up. Also when your clean your glass on the inside near the sand line be careful you dont pick up a grain and scratch your glass. Also dont put any trumpet snails in like we talked about before. They stir san yes, but I had a mass explosion of the darn things and I do not overfeed. Take looks awesome, I may call tomorrow. Good work Bro
 
Jmedic25 said:
Tank looks sick D, Love it...You may have to adjust your flow some because your FX may push the sand around and cause dunes. I can tell but keep it shallow like 2 inches so you dont get gas build up. Also when your clean your glass on the inside near the sand line be careful you dont pick up a grain and scratch your glass. Also dont put any trumpet snails in like we talked about before. They stir san yes, but I had a mass explosion of the darn things and I do not overfeed. Take looks awesome, I may call tomorrow. Good work Bro
Click to expand...

Thanks brother, yeah I'm around all day so if ya wanna give me a shout. Gas build up?! What's that mean?
 
The way those guys will be digging and playing in the sand, I don't think you will have to worry about. I have been told for your community tanks, it's a good idea to stir the sand every now and to prevent any gas from building up under it. My guys are constantly messing with it. If they don't mess with it, you might want to stir it up some. I use a metal backscratcher to rake it smooth every now and then to smooth out the dunes they create.
 
Gases can build up in sand but it's honestly not the end of the world. The biggest fear is if a gas bubble (and it would need to be a fairly large one) to get trapped underneath something and slowly have a constant flow of water across it causing it to leach out nitrItes. I've never once in my experiences seen it but you also need to think cichlids are constantly moving sand especially when digging holes. If you know of a specific spot that gets no attention from them every couple months just run an object through the sand to release any possible pockets.

Think about it this way. If a pocket builds up and eventually breaks through the surface of the substrate it forms a bubble. That bubble then floats to the top of the tank and pop, all gases are released outside the tank. Not really a big deal.

I know someone is going to say I'm wrong but I've done quite the bit of research on this and have never actually read of someone losing fish to it.


Tank looks the best I think it ever has btw. The black background and black sand plus darker colored rocks really make the colors of the fish pop. Consider me jealous.
 
Also to ease my mind cause you know I'm just like you. That's why I add mts. They live in the substrate and keep in continuously moving around. Now that you went with black I wouldn't recommend them since you will eventually find empty shells scattered about because cichlids WILL eat them.
 
Thanks for the great info! And you jealous?!? Wow! I'm speechless. That's a HUGE compliment, thanks!!
 
Malawi Freak said:
Gases can build up in sand but it's honestly not the end of the world. The biggest fear is if a gas bubble (and it would need to be a fairly large one) to get trapped underneath something and slowly have a constant flow of water across it causing it to leach out nitrItes. I've never once in my experiences seen it but you also need to think cichlids are constantly moving sand especially when digging holes. If you know of a specific spot that gets no attention from them every couple months just run an object through the sand to release any possible pockets.

Think about it this way. If a pocket builds up and eventually breaks through the surface of the substrate it forms a bubble. That bubble then floats to the top of the tank and pop, all gases are released outside the tank. Not really a big deal.

I know someone is going to say I'm wrong but I've done quite the bit of research on this and have never actually read of someone losing fish
Click to expand...

Anaerobic gas pockets are present but they are harmless, as the bacteria start transforming due to the lack of oxygen they start reducing iron and sulfur. One of the by-products of this is hydrogen sulfide which is truly dangerous but when exposed to oxygenated water it's utterly harmless...just another perpetuated myth reguritated on aquarium forums.
 
Last edited:
HUKIT said:
Anaerobic gas pockets are present but they are harmless, as the bacteria start transforming due to the lack of oxygen they start reducing iron and sulfur. One of the by-products of this is hydrogen sulfide which is truly dangerous but when exposed to oxygenated water it's utterly harmless...just another perpetuated myth reguritated on aquarium forums.
Click to expand...

Thanks. The only negative I've ever actually heard of that was proven was the leaching of nitrites causing some issues. Like you said, in oxygenated water, all other involved gases are harmless.
 
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