The Wrong substrate

[Phazeshyft]

I thought i was gonna be slick. "Why pay all that money for fancy substrate" I said to myself. Myself said "yeah, you can go buy granite chunks at Home Depot for like 4 dollars a bag and it would look great."

Well, look great it did, it also left huge gaps for food particles to fall into where the fish couldnt get to it. And actually hide a few...yes..few...dead comet goldies.

Now I gotta get something else and figure what to do with the fish in meantime. Gotta run to petco. be back later.

 

[Aquarium1]

You should try getting Pool Filter Sand (PFS). It is pretty cheap (about $5-$10 for 50 lbs) and its a really, really, really great freshwater substrate lol. It can usually be found cheapest at Meijer, but can also be found at Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot. Also, you told me earlier the comets were to help the cycle. They could have also died from ammonia poisoning. I wouldn't recommend getting anymore fish until you complete your cycle.

 

[mfdrookie516]

i've heard jsoong say that with goldfish, bigger substrate was better because they like to pick at the substrate and sometimes smaller gravel will get caught in their throat. Sand would be A LOT easier to clean though, and imo, would look alot better. I dont think there would be a risk with sand getting caught in their throat either

 

[mgamer20o0]

i used pea gravel before from lowes/home depot $2.50 for 50 pounds.

 

[Phazeshyft]

yeah, i like the looks of the granite. there are pieces from 1/2 to 2 inches in size and I really like the look. Gonna head to lowes after i put the kids to bed. gonna see what i can find.

 

[jsoong]

That must be crazy big granite chunks you are using to hide a comet!!

I use 1/2" river rocks ($2 a cubic foot from landscape/pond place). <1/2" is big enough that goldies can't get into their mouth.> Sand is good too. <I use Schultz aqua soil for areas with plants ... basically coarse sand in look & function but won't pack down .... ~ $8 or so a cu foot.>

 

[Phazeshyft]

Yeah, and i was wrong before they are marble chips, not granite chunks, sam thing if you ask me. But i found some smaller marble chips for $4 for .5 cuft so i am going to add that to the larger marble chips to fill the gaps in. should work a lot better.

 

[IslandHopper]

Why not have a layer of sand for substrate... then a loosely scattered layer of the "chunks" on top of that... you get the "look" you like form the big chunks, but they're really just decor and the sand provides the substrate.

 

[strokinbyeu]

as far a sand getting cought in there thoat most my fish filter the sand out thru there gills its neat watching my bala's they will suck a lil piece of food from the bottom and as they swim away there dribbling sand out from there gills i have a few others that do the same thing a rambow darter and a asian upside down cat fish do it also some times my pictus cat will also