Yippee! 29 gal tank arrives today; substrate suggestions welcome

[LHotelUmbraQua]

Standard 29 gal Aqueon. After earth and air, there will be closer to 24.5 gal. actual water in the tank.

Q. Does This Look Okay:
I’m leaning towards Seachem Fluorite Back Sand, as it seems to be universally praised. I found smooth crushed polished glass as gravel, in transparent aquatic colors.

Any other suggestions, or strong feelings? Fish will be chosen to be compatible; final choices not made until I’m certain my design and materials are suited for them. But peaceable beginner fish, with different swim areas - top, middle, bottom.

The floor will not be 100% covered with gravel; there will be areas of dirt, and lots of low growing lawn plants. So, rough plan: about 50% colored gravel, 25-30 foliage; 20-25% dirt.

I will design and build the hardscape now, outside the tank, before installing it. Some hardcsape components are on order. When hardscape goes into the tank, so will plants and some water.

SPECS:
Interior floor: 30" x 12.3"; interior height 18". After ~1.5 or 1.75" of substrate, and ~1.5" level below, that’s 15" high of water. Visual L:H aspect ration very close to 2:1.

 

[ColdKoi]

I have the Flourite brown in my 75 and I can’t complain, seems to be good so far but it’s pretty early to say.

Only thing I can say is you’ll probably have to deal with cloudy water for the first day, even after rinsing it and trying not to disturb it while adding water, I still clouded up the tank. If I was going to do it again, I would put a couple inches of water in the tank after the Flourite is in, then make any adjustments, let it sit for a day then carefully add the rest of the water.

Are you planning on any fish? What type? From what I’ve seen a lot of people have had issues with using multiple substrate types. The fish tend to move things around and the substrate gets mixed up eventually. Not the end of the world, just something tho consider

 

[LHotelUmbraQua]

Hi, yes. I plan to have fish, 24 gallons worth.

My main substrate, unless I get a better idea, is the Seachem (which will be thoroughly rinsed). The glass will form a relatively thin layer … I’m not firm on this color or size — and it too will be very well rinsed.

The Seachem, at, say, 1.5", will be interrupted by three clear cylinder “dishes” of the same height, bottom side up. Basically, three portholes through the bottom of the tank, right through the substrate.

Over the portholes will be a the colored transparent glass gravel — and light shining through. So, basically, three rugs that light up.

You’ve given me something to think about:

I will only bother growing the lawn to cover the Seachem. I don’t need a layer of glass on it.

The three portholes (bottom side up) will be ringed with a rim of the glass pieces superglued to them. This will make it harder for the colored glass to migrate into the dirt.

Whaddya think?

I have the Flourite brown in my 75 and I can’t complain, seems to be good so far but it’s pretty early to say.

Only thing I can say is you’ll probably have to deal with cloudy water for the first day, even after rinsing it and trying not to disturb it while adding water, I still clouded up the tank. If I was going to do it again, I would put a couple inches of water in the tank after the Flourite is in, then make any adjustments, let it sit for a day then carefully add the rest of the water.

Are you planning on any fish? What type? From what I’ve seen a lot of people have had issues with using multiple substrate types. The fish tend to move things around and the substrate gets mixed up eventually. Not the end of the world, just something tho consider

 

[ColdKoi]

That definitely sounds like a cool plan

Glueing down the outer row should definitely help keep things in place. The Flourite probably isn’t going to get moved around too badly once it’s all carpeted, but there’s going to be some amount of time there before the carpet is established.

“24g worth of fish” really means nothing. That could be one goldfish or 25 danios lol

 

[LHotelUmbraQua]

What I mean to say is, I'm basing the amount of fish I get on how much actual water will be in my tank, not total tank size.


Jim at Imperial Tropicals gave me a nice starter fish list. I will map it out for temp comoatibility and other factors. I will not be breeding right away, but guppies and a bunch of others are on the list. I'm partial to the color blue, but I want accents, too.


Do you like my suspended Umbra Hotel on my profile page? I knew I'd find a use for it.

That definitely sounds like a cool plan

Glueing down the outer row should definitely help keep things in place. The Flourite probably isn’t going to get moved around too badly once it’s all carpeted, but there’s going to be some amount of time there before the carpet is established.

“24g worth of fish” really means nothing. That could be one goldfish or 25 danios lol

 

[ColdKoi]

It never hurts to do the extra homework on comparability but the aqadvisor is quick and easy and will show you and incompatibilities between fish or water parameters.

I’m on my phone so maybe the profiles don’t show up right. I don’t see anything on the hotel, what did you end up doing with it?

 

[LHotelUmbraQua]

Ha! L’Hotel!

It will be submerged 1.5" and vacuum filled as an above-tank fish hideaway. Extended ~ 1.5"-2.0" through the top windows will be clear poly for waterfalls on both sides.

Tiny black acrylic grand piano suspended from the glass ceiling with a suction cup and fish line. Scales Lounge, two drink minimum.

As hardscape, have my eyes on an octave of white and black piano keys from a Korg keyboard, laid at a slant.

It never hurts to do the extra homework on comparability but the aqadvisor is quick and easy and will show you and incompatibilities between fish or water parameters.

I’m on my phone so maybe the profiles don’t show up right. I don’t see anything on the hotel, what did you end up doing with it?

 

[Autumnsky]

As for the Guppies, consider males only, as a batch of babies form one female can be 20-50 or more and really throw off your water quality, as babies are ideally fed several times a day.

Also male Endlers. Very beautiful.