RAWRRitsEDWINN
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2012
- Messages
- 11
Would play sand be okay for a malawi cichlid tank? I plan to add the SeaChem buffer to raise the pH of the water.
+1. Nothing wrong with play sand, but it is a pain to wash, and it isn't visually appealing. I would also recommend white pool filter sand. You can get 50 pounds of it for around 10 bucks at the nearest pool store. It's pretty, easy to wash, and IMO is a better option.Play sand is a mess to rinse clean and compacts very tightly, making it more likely to develop anaerobic pockets. Pool filter sand or a very small grade of gravel are better options for aquariums. Pool filter sand is graded to a uniform particle size, and the larger bits make it easier to siphon w/out sucking too much sand out of of the tank.
If you want a black substrate check out Black Diamond blasting grit. It's actually coal slag, not sand, but works just fine for an aquarium substrate. No silica so no diatom bloom after you put it into the tank.