After a little help

[nellyb1991]

I'm setting up a 5ft (455L) Malawi tank but need a bottom feeder or fish that can turn over the sand for me without me getting my arm in there on a daily basis (I get paranoid so over do it) to stir it up, any help would be great


Thanks

 

[V227]

Synodontis mulipunctatus, the cockoo catfish. They are native to the African rift lakes and get along great with malawi' s. I have 2 in my 120 gal. Mixed cichlid tank. They are very active and long lived. One of mine is 12 y.o. they don't get very big, 4"-5"". You might need 5 or 6 of them to stir up the sand significantly.

 

[dalto]

How deep is the sand?

Also, why are you stirring it up?

 

[nellyb1991]

I don't want build up of toxins or ammonia under is as everywhere I'm reading says that can happen

 

[nellyb1991]

Sand is about 1-2inch deep

 

[nellyb1991]

Synodontis mulipunctatus, the cockoo catfish. They are native to the African rift lakes and get along great with malawi' s. I have 2 in my 120 gal. Mixed cichlid tank. They are very active and long lived. One of mine is 12 y.o. they don't get very big, 4"-5"". You might need 5 or 6 of them to stir up the sand significantly.

Thanks will look into them

 

[dalto]

I don't want build up of toxins or ammonia under is as everywhere I'm reading says that can happen

Sand is about 1-2inch deep

Your sand is not deep enough for that to be much of an issue. Even if it was deeper, there is no evidence that those "anaerobic pockets" that can form in stagnant sand are harmful to the fish.

I usually file this one away under "long held fish-keeping myths"

Synos have never stirred the sand all that much my wife's tanks. They spend most of their time in the rocks.

 

[V227]

The multipunctatus aren't diggers and won't open up rotten pockets imbedded in the sand. They are hyperactive swimmers and extraordinarily tough. African cichlids will pulverize most readily available aquarium catfish, but not these guys. The m. Punctatus will actually chase mbuna around the tank. Any sand stirring would be limited to the very top level.

 

[nellyb1991]

Iv been told it's only a possibility that I'll get these pockets in the tank but rather safe than sorry

 

[V227]

Are you totally set on using sand?. There are other fine grained white substrate, like dolomite that would look good and be compatable with your africans. There is even white quartz. My display tank is mixed cichlid and I use swimming pool filter gravel mixed with small grained white quartz and it looks good. No worries about rotten pockets or impeller blockages.

 

[nellyb1991]

I was using fine gravel before and they didn't really seem to like it so I tried sand and their loving it, also do t wanna have to go buy more substrate when I got some that'll work

 

[V227]

I've never used sand before so i' m no expert. I have seen tanks with sand substrate and liked the way it looked. I'm sure everything will be fine. Keep us updated.

 

[nellyb1991]

Yer will do thanks for the input seems to be going down really well

 

[Toad]

Get Malaysian trumpet snails. They dig through the sand, won't take up stocking room and are kinda cool. I do agree that with only one or two inches you shouldn't have a problem, heck I even vacumn my sand because my pleco craps so much and it's around the same depth. Most people I've seen that had gas bubbles had sand over 3 inches deep and left it unmoved for a long time

 

[nellyb1991]

Oh ok thanks toad,

 

[dalto]

Just a fair warning that Malaysian Trumpet Snails are basically pest snails. They will stir your sand but they are virtually impossible to get out of your tank once they come in.

 

[nellyb1991]

Clown loaches can help keep the numbers down their great for that

 

[V227]

I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. "Tiger Botias". They will surely bury themselves in the sand, are mean as snakes as to be cichlid proof. Their mouths are too small to cause much damage. Cool looking fish. Used them several years ago to rid a tank of a snail infestation. Had to practically dig them out of the gravel to re-home them. They easily tolorated my hard water. The Tigers get big but not near as big as clown loaches.