Jam4lyf
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I have only been at this hobby a couple years and have learned a lot from you all, thanks
My beautiful Oranda has horribly outgrown his 10 gallon aquarium and I'm preparing to move him into a 45 gallon Hex. My biggest question is this, what are the pro's and con's of using gravel v's sand on the bottom? I have always used gravel in the past, but love the look of sand. His wen is huge and I'm also thinking the soft sand would be better for him.
My problem is cleaning/syphoning...how do you keep sand from getting sucked up/out? He is a pretty dirty guy, and I am careful to syphon the bottom (currently gravel) every other night when I do 50% water changes. I have to change it that often to keep his water balanced. It amazes me in a couple days how much stuff comes up from the gravel. I'm careful not to over feed him, but like I said, he is a big and dirty guy who is too big for his current tank
Also, is it a problem to go from a 10 to a 45? I will have it set up and cycled and will use some of his current water and filter media to get it up and running. Someone told me, though, it could stress him out too much and that I should divide the tank somehow before letting him swim around the whole thing. He is actually a very unique fish...I think he was a dog in another life lol! He loves to be petted and touched, and to hang out in my hand when I'm changing his tank. He is very alert when we walk in the room and swims all over the front of the tank (like a dog barking and wagging!) to greet us. He has never shyed away at all and I guess that's why I'm thinking he would make the transition to a new tank pretty easily.
All opinions and tips are appreciated!! in advance for your expert assistance
My beautiful Oranda has horribly outgrown his 10 gallon aquarium and I'm preparing to move him into a 45 gallon Hex. My biggest question is this, what are the pro's and con's of using gravel v's sand on the bottom? I have always used gravel in the past, but love the look of sand. His wen is huge and I'm also thinking the soft sand would be better for him.
My problem is cleaning/syphoning...how do you keep sand from getting sucked up/out? He is a pretty dirty guy, and I am careful to syphon the bottom (currently gravel) every other night when I do 50% water changes. I have to change it that often to keep his water balanced. It amazes me in a couple days how much stuff comes up from the gravel. I'm careful not to over feed him, but like I said, he is a big and dirty guy who is too big for his current tank
Also, is it a problem to go from a 10 to a 45? I will have it set up and cycled and will use some of his current water and filter media to get it up and running. Someone told me, though, it could stress him out too much and that I should divide the tank somehow before letting him swim around the whole thing. He is actually a very unique fish...I think he was a dog in another life lol! He loves to be petted and touched, and to hang out in my hand when I'm changing his tank. He is very alert when we walk in the room and swims all over the front of the tank (like a dog barking and wagging!) to greet us. He has never shyed away at all and I guess that's why I'm thinking he would make the transition to a new tank pretty easily.
All opinions and tips are appreciated!! in advance for your expert assistance