sand substrate and rocks for pleasure

by **kelbri** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 3:24 pm

Hey everyone. I have read a couple of threads on here regarding sand substrates. It is definitly something I want to look into doing. More work? Yes. Looks better? In my opinion, yes. My question is does it work for all types of fish (fw)? What is the best way to clean it? I know dizz talked about a couple cups in a bowl, stir untill clear, but he mentioned a hose and bucket routine. Can anybody shed a little light on the best/easiest way to prep sand?

Also, for those who have larger REAL rocks, where do they come from? Do you pick them up at your lfs, or the empty lot down the street? I want to set up a cichlid tank, Malawi style, and love the look of a lot of tanks here. I know that some tanks use the coral looking rocks that I can buy at PetSmart, but what about the slates and other generally smooth rocks?

Here are a couple of the tanks that I am really liking...
dizzcat - http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/photo-main.php/21590
RMcArdle - http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/photo-main.php/24708
cboubou - http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/photo-main.php/24100
meandthekids - http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/photo-main.php/24276

by **vwfan79** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:02 pm

Sand is not that much more work.....it just takes a little more time and getting used to when vacuuming.....the rocks in picture 1,3, and 4 can be gotten at landscape supply store or as you say at the empty lot down the street, just make sure you scrub them good before adding to the tank.....the rocks in picture 2 are texas holy rock, those you get from the lfs and they are not cheap usually between 3 and 5 dollars a pound.....i've spent over $300 just on holy rock, i also have flagstone in my tank that i got from my brother who does landscaping.....look around you can find rocks for cave building in other places then the lfs and for alot cheaper too.

by **miami754** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:45 pm

Yeah, I bought my lace rock from a local fish store. It was $1.30 per pound and I have about 120 pounds in my tank. I would stop in and buy pieces that I thought looked neat. Over time I built up my whole collection. You can also find rocks at rock yards and such (usually the cheaper method), but they often call rocks by different names than they are called in the fish hobby. My LFS has Texas Holy Rock for around $2.50/lb. as well.

by **jweb** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:05 pm

To clean the sand, just get a 5 gallon bucket or the like, and fill about 1/4 full of sand. Then just use a hose and fill with water in a motion that stirs the sand up. The first time you pour the bucket out it will be very cloudy, just keep doing that until it gets less cloudy. It is nearly impossible to get it completely clean. It might be possible but would take about a week of rinsing every hour of the day, haha. So when you put it into the tank the tank will be slightly cloudy, which is normal. It takes about a full week to settle and clear completely. Make sure you run filtration with activated carbon during this time, as it will aid in clearing it up.

by **Snowboss4492** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:36 pm

serial32 set up a fresh water tank here when he lived with us and we were doing a job excavating for a basement, we hit a shale ledge and had to break it all up {long hard week} but anyway, he scavenged some of that shale and scrubbed the hell out of it and put it in there .....looks awsome, he also went to lowes and bought two 50 lb bags of playground sand {like 8 bucks a bag} cleaned it all goo and put it in there as well..........come tank cleanin time he just gently blows the sand suface off with a turkey baster and sucks the big chunks out with a syphon and lets the filter get the rest then services the filter ......beautiful set up

Boss

by **kelbri** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:05 pm

This is awesome news. For the sand, I have a 29 gallon tank, so would one 20 kg (45 lbs) bag work for that? Is it the same ratio as rock substrate?

Now I just have to find some nice looking rocks that will work. I don't wanna spend a tonne at the lfs, but perhaps the local landscape store would fit my needs. Thanks for the info everyone.

by **Burgerking7679** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:23 pm

That will be plenty of sand, too much actually. I used that much in my 75g tank and have a decent depth but want it to be a bit deeper. Keep the rest though, you can use it in other tanks or replace sand that is vaccumed out accidently.

Here is the link that helped me rinse sand.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/videos/rinsing_sand.php

by **kelbri** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:31 pm

Ha! That's awesome. It's the exact same bag as I was looking at from the Home Depot online. And the best part, is I can tell the guy's Canadian, since there is english and french on the bag. I'm sold :)

by **LeviNHeidi4480** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:33 pm

I found my slate rock at a lfs tucked away out of sight, but during the summer, my fiance and I have taken a 4 wheeler out to rockpiles on farmland. I live in North Dakota, so there is a lot of farmland to roam.

by **kelbri** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:44 pm

Regina Saskatchewan here, so there is plenty of farmland, but not much for places to find good rockpiles. Maybe I'll wait till I head up north this summer for my annual northern pike fishing trip and find some nice pieces then.

sand substrate and rocks for pleasure

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