can a sand substrate be too fine for a FW setup?

[xyyz]

hello all.

i'm planning on moving two angelfish to their own 20 gallon tank. i wanted to get a shallow layer of sand as the substrate, but i don't know the rules/recommendations on the size of the sand grains.

petsmart had this white sand, that's pretty fine. it's about the same consistency as beach sand if not a little more fine.

is this alright for the tank? will it cause any problems when the angelfish peck food from the bottom of the tank?

 

[gheitman]

Sand can work very well as a substrate but there are some things you should be aware of. First, don't put your filter intake too near the bottom otherwise sand could be accidentally sucked into your filter and damage it. Second, sand can become compacted and trap waste eventually causing pockets of gas from anaerobic bacteria. This can be easily avoided by stirring the sand regularly when you do maintenance and/or by getting Malaysian trumpet snails (aka MTS) which will dig through the sand looking for food and hiding during the day. You might want to consider getting some bottom feeders like cories to eat any food that sinks to the bottom. They should be fed sinking food just for them in addition to any food that isn't consumed by your other fish.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I would go with a higher weight of sand like pool filter sand. It's not so mcuh of an issue for the Angel as it is for your filter.

 

[xyyz]

the water intake will be clear of the sand bed, so on the filter front, i think things are okay.

as for the bottom feeders. any corries you recommend?

 

[gheitman]

There are no bad cories in my experience so it is really up to your taste. I would recommend getting a half dozen or so because they are happier in a school.

 

[xyyz]

i'll pick up 3 more tomorrow. i purchased 3 this evening.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The intake can be several inches from the sandbed and still have sand in the filter. Lighter sands can get kicked up by the fish (especially Cories) and get sucked into the filter.

For a 20 gal tank I'd try to stick to a dwarf variety of cories. You can add quite a few more than a larger variety.