So is pool filter sand merely adequate or a good choice?

[Finatic]

The reason i ask this question is that I am putting together a 75gal Cichlid tank and planning my setup now.

I am going to go with 2 Emporer 400's, a mix of river stone, flat rock, and drift wood.

I am trying to decide on a substrate now, and I see references to pool filter sand. Is this a good substarte to choose for Cichlids? Will I be limited in any that rub on the sand b/c it is too sharp?

Thanks for the help.

 

[bs6749]

It is not too sharp for cichlids. What type do you plan to have in the tank? Arficans will prefer a higher pH so you may want a substate other than pfs that will help to keep it at a higher level. Do you plan on having any live plants?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

PFS is an excellent form of substrate. I use it in all of my tanks. My Africans love it since it is easier for them to aquascape with. You will not be limited since pfs isn't that sharp.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

PFS is an excellent choice. My loaches and fire eel love it.

 

[Finatic]

Thanks for the help so far. I am planning an African Cichlid tank, leaning towards Malawi, but that could change after some more research.

If I go with the PFS, is there a way to make sure my system is buffered at the higher pH? I understand, the desired pH is around 8.0. The river stone and flat rock, which I can find for free around here from a swift flowing river, won't do much to buffer that high.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

What is your current pH? If it is already high and you have a good buffer already in the water there is no need to add anything to the tank.

 

[Zagz]

I agree that PFS is an excellent choice for cichlids and all fish IMO. I have a 125 gal malawi cichlid tank with 150lbs of PFS.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Personally, I'm not a fan of PFS in my tanks. The grains seem to be very small and seem to get disturbed with even the slightest bit of current. I've also read that some pool and play sand can have high quantities of silicates, which can lead to algae issues. Not to mention it has zero buffering capacity.

I use sand made for African species (I believe Carib Sea makes it). I've also used marine sand (sand, not crushed coral) as well. Granted, this may be a more expensive option when setting up a tank, but that's just part of it, IMO.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Substrate does not need buffering capacity as long as your tap water does.

We used Este's sand for our 29 gal tank (big mistake) and it is very light and easily disturbed. The PFS that we use is a lot heavier and does not disturb easily at all. It probably depends on which brand of PFS that you use.

 

[CHBGator]

I used a mixture of PFS and Aragonite in my 55G Malawi tank and its great. the Fish love to move it around and its keeping my PH at 8.0 for the past 4 months.

 

[maxwell1295]

I started out with PFS in all of my tanks but have switched all but a few of them over to 3M ColorQuartz sand. IMO, it looks a lot nicer and really show off the colors of my fish. I do have 3 tanks with PFS, but our plans are to switch them over to the 3M stuff as soon as we can find the time to do it.