Kilgore
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hello,
I currently have a 20 gallon tank with half Eco Complete and half Tahitian Moon Sand. I've noticed that a lot of fine particles settle on the bottom and create mini-clouds when the fish stir them up. But whenever I try to do a thorough gravel vac, it seems like I suck up more sand and Eco-dirt than anything else.
So is the Eco-dirt that I am sucking up a big part of what makes it suitable for plants? If so, maybe I should just stick with plain Tahitian Moon sand when I set up my 46? I really prefer the look of the sand, and it's not as cloudy. Plus I think it has some buffers, which is good with my tapwater's ultralow alkalinity. But the plant sticky on substrates says that the sand is better for low light tanks and the Eco is better for higher light tanks. Since my 46 will be medium-bright light, how will my plants fare if I only do the sand?
Also, I have read in the marine forums that sand can have dead pockets and must be stirred frequently to prevent the release of toxic gases. Is this true for freshwater tanks also?
Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
I currently have a 20 gallon tank with half Eco Complete and half Tahitian Moon Sand. I've noticed that a lot of fine particles settle on the bottom and create mini-clouds when the fish stir them up. But whenever I try to do a thorough gravel vac, it seems like I suck up more sand and Eco-dirt than anything else.
So is the Eco-dirt that I am sucking up a big part of what makes it suitable for plants? If so, maybe I should just stick with plain Tahitian Moon sand when I set up my 46? I really prefer the look of the sand, and it's not as cloudy. Plus I think it has some buffers, which is good with my tapwater's ultralow alkalinity. But the plant sticky on substrates says that the sand is better for low light tanks and the Eco is better for higher light tanks. Since my 46 will be medium-bright light, how will my plants fare if I only do the sand?
Also, I have read in the marine forums that sand can have dead pockets and must be stirred frequently to prevent the release of toxic gases. Is this true for freshwater tanks also?
Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!