Crushed coral for africans?

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

So I was at a local pet store today and saw a sign for crushed coral saying it was a good substrate for African cichlids now are they just trying to pull me in or is this actually true? It was a good price so I was thinking of picking some up for my 55 gallon build it was a decent substrate for this application.

 

[Malawi Freak]

Yes it's perfectly normal and is a great buffer to keep ph up there. I have about 25lbs in my 125 and that's all I have in my 29

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

You think I could use only that in my 55 gallon

 

[Malawi Freak]

You think I could use only that in my 55 gallon

Of course you can. Some people decide not to only because of cost. You will need about roughly 80lbs of crushed coral.

 

[Malawi Freak]

The first pic is my 29 gallon with just crushed coral. Second is my main with pool filter sand and crushed coral.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Well I found the stuff for about 7 bucks for ten pounds which is cheaper than any other aquarium sand I have found down here but it may be because I live in Florida and the stuff is from here but sounds like that's the way I'm going to go thanks for the pics too

 

[Malawi Freak]

Well I found the stuff for about 7 bucks for ten pounds which is cheaper than any other aquarium sand I have found down here but it may be because I live in Florida and the stuff is from here but sounds like that's the way I'm going to go thanks for the pics too

For a 10lb bag that sounds about right. I think I bought a 40lb bag for about $40 here in jersey. Go to any pool supply store and ask for pool filter sand. Usually $8 for a 50lb bag

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Really that cheap maybe I'll do the mix like you had I kinda like the look it has. This is also my first cichlid build do is there anything I should do with the substrate besides rinse it any input on the actual setup would be appreciated im picking up substrate this week so I'm gonna need the help. Do you think I can start a fishless cycle without decorations meaning only the substrate and then add the stuff in as I go through the cycle?

 

[Malawi Freak]

I don't recommend ever starting with fish. Especially if it is a tank with sand and new filters. Are you able to get any seeded media from a friend or store?

You need to really really wash that sand. You will regret it in the future if you don't. Do you have a stocking list so far and what is your experience with fish keeping?

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

I have four community tanks I can seed with or I can through in a school of barbs or something I was planning in it anyway but could I do that without the "decor" in yet

 

[Malawi Freak]

I have four community tanks I can seed with or I can through in a school of barbs or something I was planning in it anyway but could I do that without the "decor" in yet

Let the tank at least run for a week while being heavily seeded then give it a check before and after a 90% water change. You should be able to add fish but it's still a gamble.

 

[KlcoKN]

Yes you can start cycling without any decor, technically you could start without substrate, it will just go faster if its in there from the beginning because its more surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize.
Adding seeded media from an existing tank is a great idea to speed up cycling...

If you haven't heard/read about the fishless cycling, most people on here highly recomend it. Theres no point shortening the life span of a fish you want to keep by using it in a fish in cycle, plus the daily water changes to keep the toxins from killing the fish outright is alot of work... (And if you were thinking about using "disposable" feeder fish most think its cruel, plus you are risking introducing unknown pathogens)
Altogether, dosing with ammonia to 4ppm daily is easier, cruelty free, safer for your future fish, and you can build a much larger bb colony. Which means you can fully stock once you're cycled which is great because adding in only a couple of fish at a time causes major aggression with cichlids...

Another great and cheap alternative to pfs is black blasting media, $8 from ace hardware for 50 lb bags.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Thanks I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to fishless cycle for sure but what do I use for ammonia and how often should I do a pwc throughout the cycle.

 

[KlcoKN]

Do you have any ace hardware stores in your area? They carry janitorial ammonia, its 10% ammonia and has no additives like surfactants or perfumes. If you can't find janitorial ammonia just read the labels on the ammonia at walmart or wherever, try and get some that has only ammonia/ ammonium hydroxide... if you can only find it with surfactants shake the bottle and if there is no foam it should be ok...
Do you have an API master test kit? If not I highly recommend getting one, 28 ish bucks on amazon is the cheapest I've seen. Test strips can be wildly inaccurate, liquid is the way to go
Water changes are only necessary during a fishless cycle if you ph drops (below 6.5 cycle slows and at 6 stops completely) but if you use the crushed coral for even part of your substrate I don't think you'll have any problem with low ph
Other than a ph crash or if you accidentaly dose ammonia to past 8ppm water changes during a fishless cycle aren't really necessary at all, tho some people still prefer to do them.

 

[Malawi Freak]

Water changes are needed in a fishless cycle also, not as frequent but they are still needed to maintain readable levels of nitrItes and nitrAtes. While you are dosing ammonia you will be increasing both and especially nitrAtes will be way way too high.

The most important step is that 90% water change at the end to verify the tank is cycled.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

Awesome I'm getting my crushed coral today and throwing it in I'm obviously going to clean it first but should I let the water settle before I start my fishless cycle and turn the filter on? Also I work in a seafood restaurant and have access to raw shrimp, I have read that throwing in a raw shrimp may help with the cycle, is that true and do u think it would help?

 

[KlcoKN]

They are an alternative to using ammonia (as they decompose they produce the ammonia) but you have no idea how much they are producing, plus they might get pretty smelly lol. If you plan on heavily stocking from the start I woud try to find ammonia first

 

[Malawi Freak]

What I have always done to seed a tank is when I know about it in advance I'll let a filter get REALLY nasty and then just swish the media around in the new tank so the water looks terrible. Then I put the media back in that filter and run it on the new tank for a couple weeks. By this point I test the water and start performing water changes until the tank is completely cycled. I've been able to complete this in just over 2 weeks once but usually around 3 weeks.

 

[BlaseMrNiceguy]

The seeding seems easy enough but I'm starting a 55 gallon and all I have to seed with is a 20 gallon community and 3 10 gallons all freshwater

 

[Malawi Freak]

The seeding seems easy enough but I'm starting a 55 gallon and all I have to seed with is a 20 gallon community and 3 10 gallons all freshwater

Which tank has your messiest fish. I would start with that just make sure to use dechlorinator when seeding otherwise that fresh water will kill all the BB.