Ruth Ann
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
- Messages
- 8
Well I just signed up since I couldn't really find any threads about this. Maybe I'm just that new at this, that it has been over discussed? I went totally DIY with this tank. I bought a 55 gallon on craigslist with fish included for 50 bucks. After utilizing the dirty bright blue and pink gravel to get my new water cycled, I threw it out and added some sand. This stuff is from my backyard. I have sandy soil, so I rinsed it about a thousand times until I had pure sand. It's super fine, much like play sand, probably. I assumed it would be a big deal to comb the sand, realizing that it can build up toxic gasses if unattended for too long. I comb it every week or so now, but every time I do, there are little bubbles that come up all over the place! Is this the dreaded toxic gas in the sand???
And, after planting a few things and arranging some driftwood, I am finding it quite a pain to comb underneath this stuff. What do people do? Surely people don't undo the setup just to agitate the gravel. I looked into getting some trumpet snails, but the people at the pet store are saying they don't burrow?? I thought they were useful for sand. Anyone have experience with sand? Or should I just bite the bullet and pay for a few bags of eco complete? I don't want to go with fluorite. I have two 8 inch plecos and I hear that stuff is sharp.
And, after planting a few things and arranging some driftwood, I am finding it quite a pain to comb underneath this stuff. What do people do? Surely people don't undo the setup just to agitate the gravel. I looked into getting some trumpet snails, but the people at the pet store are saying they don't burrow?? I thought they were useful for sand. Anyone have experience with sand? Or should I just bite the bullet and pay for a few bags of eco complete? I don't want to go with fluorite. I have two 8 inch plecos and I hear that stuff is sharp.