I have a thread going in the hardware section but I figured I'd make a separate post here about some questions I had regarding which substrate to go with and possibly some plant questions.
I'm planning either a 29 gallon (if it works) or a 40 gallon breeder (I would like this but I don't have much room and it would cost $$$) with about the following load as the goal:
Now, the tank includes cory catfish which I've had in the past, but I had small-mediumish black gravel that was probably too big for them. From everything I'm reading they absolutely love sand, and I like happy fish.
My question is, how hard is sand to clean? Before when I'd do water changed I'd just shove the water vacuum hose into the gravel and mix it up, sucking up things that came out. I'm concerned that with sand, being as particulate as it is, that it'd get kicked up all over the aquarium making a huge mess and also getting sucked into the vacuum. Or do people clean sand a different way?
I don't plan on using planted plants, just really easy low light plants that hopefully won't need much fertilization and no CO2 injection like java moss.
I'm planning either a 29 gallon (if it works) or a 40 gallon breeder (I would like this but I don't have much room and it would cost $$$) with about the following load as the goal:
Now, the tank includes cory catfish which I've had in the past, but I had small-mediumish black gravel that was probably too big for them. From everything I'm reading they absolutely love sand, and I like happy fish.
My question is, how hard is sand to clean? Before when I'd do water changed I'd just shove the water vacuum hose into the gravel and mix it up, sucking up things that came out. I'm concerned that with sand, being as particulate as it is, that it'd get kicked up all over the aquarium making a huge mess and also getting sucked into the vacuum. Or do people clean sand a different way?
I don't plan on using planted plants, just really easy low light plants that hopefully won't need much fertilization and no CO2 injection like java moss.