# Alternative Substrate



## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

I have a 20 gallon long aquarium which houses Mollies & Platties Ive used black gravel for substrate in the past and with a black background the colors of the fish really stand out and look great, however it is a pain in the @ss to keep clean. Even with syphoning their is still tons of dirt mixed in. I dont want sand because i hear it causes problems with the impellar on HOB filters.
After looking online what others use i heard 3M sell a quartz black sand which was good but they have discontinued that now ! So im stuck as what to use, my tank has been bare bottom for 2 months now .
I enjoy aquascaping my tanks but they just dont look right without a substrate. 

Anybody have any recommendations ?


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## Tapil (Aug 24, 2010)

Sand only tears up propellers if your pump sucks up sand - ive been using sand for about a year now and still have the same pumps i had when i first started.

Just remeber when you cleaning to shut you pump off

Anyways,

If you wana keep the gravel why not try reducing the amount of gravel you got in there? When i had gravel I only used JUST the amount needed to keep decor from floating away 

( no deeper than my finger is wide )

That made it stay cleaner easier


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

im just scared of using sand and spending more time cleaning and playing around with it than actually appreciating the tank.
I know this might sound stupid but i have seen DIY rock backgrounds using styrofoam and concrete. . . . could i not do the same for the bottom of the tank ? That way i could create holes, caves , arches etc etc


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## Tapil (Aug 24, 2010)

stevenjohn21 said:


> im just scared of using sand and spending more time cleaning and playing around with it than actually appreciating the tank.
> I know this might sound stupid but i have seen DIY rock backgrounds using styrofoam and concrete. . . . could i not do the same for the bottom of the tank ? That way i could create holes, caves , arches etc etc


Sand aquariums stay cleaner than gravel because the crud and dirt and poop does not settle down inbetween the sand - it just stays on top

>Unlike your gravel inwhich it finds its way all the way down to the bottom of the gravel


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

But how do you guys clean the dirt on the surface without stirring the sand up and making a huge sand cloud ?


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## Tapil (Aug 24, 2010)

You dont...

You shut off your pump while your cleaning reguardless.

With sand substrate you *dont* need to stick the vacume *IN* the sand the same way you would your gravel.

Just vaccume above the surface of the sand...

Or watch these videos til you understand xD

YouTube - how to clean sand aqurium


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

Ok so after a few google searches on substrate i have found this company which sells sandblasting sand that is almost identical to the 3M quartz sand. Has anybody had any experience with this stuff ?

ATI - Black Diamond


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

Freshwater Substrate - Aqua Terra - Black Sand - 5 lb. | Natural Freshwater Gravel | Gravel & Substrate | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com

Thats what i use, its not real sand. Its ultra fine gravel, ~1mm thick, it floats a little when u first put it in because its so small bubbles stick to it but after a while it will sink. Doesnt compact like sand, and heavier than sand so it wont get sucked up easily.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Back to the initial post--when you say dirt mixed in do you mean out of sight down in the gravel (you wouldn't know it is there except when disturbing the substrate), or are you actually meaning sitting visibly on the surface?

Byron.


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

I mean the dirt mixed in. When i upgraded my 10 gallon tank to the 20 gallon the amount of dirt in their was really bad, even though i syphon 2-3 gallons everyday i couldnt believe how much poop and waste food was in their. Now that i have a 20 gallon i dont want it to be the same , for the last few months i have enjoyed easy cleaning a bare bottom tank


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

stevenjohn21 said:


> I mean the dirt mixed in. When i upgraded my 10 gallon tank to the 20 gallon the amount of dirt in their was really bad, even though i syphon 2-3 gallons everyday i couldnt believe how much poop and waste food was in their. Now that i have a 20 gallon i dont want it to be the same , for the last few months i have enjoyed easy cleaning a bare bottom tank


A "dirty" substrate is natural, and should be healthier. It is essential for plants, and given the incredible benefit from live plants, this is well worth considering. Your livebearers would thank you for some live plants, they come from waters thick with plants; mollies love spending their day nibbling the algae from plant leaves. Vallisneria is excellent in livebearer tanks as this plant loves harder water.

There is a host of aerobic and some anaerobic bacteria living in a healthy gravel substrate. They convert "crud" to organics for the plant roots. Those of us with planted tanks never touch the substrate, it manages on its own. In plant-less tanks, weekly vacuuming of the substrate works fine.

In a bare-bottom tank, there is no place for the bacteria to live, so it takes much more regular cleaning to keep things healthy.


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

Ok that makes sense. 
I bought some black sand blasting sand today $8.00 for 50lb ! Its already been washed prior to it being bagged so i rinsed it a couple of times and the water is clear. I have set up a 10 gallon tank and placed one of my platies to make sure its "aquarium safe". If i still have a happy platty by the morning then i will put the sand in my 20 gallon and post pics.

Thanks again for your rapid responses and help


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

ok i have put the black sand in my 20 gallon and the water is cloudy, do i wait for it to settle now or can i add my filter to speed up the settling ?


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

if sand gets in your filter it can kill your impeller and motor.


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## Seanmiller09 (Dec 8, 2010)

Please let us know how it turns out. I am currently trying to figure out what substrate I want in my new 58g. Also, where did you get it?


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

Ok i have set the tank up, although its not how i want it but i didnt have time to scape it the way i wanted it. You can see the black sand really brings the color of the fish out.

I got the sand from a store called Northern Tool Supplies. The product was called Black Diamond which is black sand blasting sand $8.00 for 50lb.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

That is a nice substrate. As for the cloudiness, if it was clear at first and became cloudy after a day or more, it is not the substrate but probably a bacterial bloom in which case changing the water will make it worse and prolong it. It is not harmful, though unsightly, and will clear on its own. But keep an eye on the fish, if they show signs of stress or gasping, change half the water (using a good conditioner).


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

Hi, No the cloudiness happened when i poured the sand in to the water that was in the tank. I just raised my inlet so sand wouldntmess the impellar. It took about 20 mins and the water cleared up.


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## Seanmiller09 (Dec 8, 2010)

Just picked up a bag. A whole lot cheaper than fish store. Thanks for the idea.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

I had more time today to scape the tank with its new substrate, i know its not holding expensive fish but i enjoy scaping so hopefully the fish enjoy it as much as i do. The sun was shining through so the picture isnt brilliant but you can see the change.


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

Nice.

I used "reef sand". Looks like it was about the same size, and deep matte black. More expensive though.
It was about $4 for 5 pounds...


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## Seanmiller09 (Dec 8, 2010)

looks good. planning on adding any more plants?


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

yes i want some foreground plants but i can only have low light plants due to my lighting. Any suggestions what will grow in the substrate i have ?


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

Why don't you tell use exactly how much light you have? 


Low light can mean anything from 1wpg to .2 wpg...


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## stevenjohn21 (Dec 4, 2010)

i dont know about lighting and "wpg" which is why i didnt LOL
I do know that my light is 24" 20 watt and the light output is 750

i like dwarf hairgrass, will that grow in those light conditions ?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

stevenjohn21 said:


> i dont know about lighting and "wpg" which is why i didnt LOL
> I do know that my light is 24" 20 watt and the light output is 750
> 
> i like dwarf hairgrass, will that grow in those light conditions ?


Over a 20g, I consider that moderate light. What type of fluorescent (T5 HO, or regular T8) and do you know the kelvin rating of the tube (number followed by a K, like 5500K or 6500K)?

On the hairgrass, possibly but probably not.

Byron.


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## sooreak (Jan 22, 2011)

*My fish aren't eating anything*

hi,

i found some fish from sorrento beach in australia and i took them home, and now they aren't eating anything 2 of them already died...... plz help me ps: there really small


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## SinCrisis (Aug 7, 2008)

if they're from a beach, they're probably saltwater? and your posting in the freshwater part of the forums, so im guessing your waters just wrong? Also, you should be making a new thread as this is off topic.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

sooreak said:


> hi,
> 
> i found some fish from sorrento beach in australia and i took them home, and now they aren't eating anything 2 of them already died...... plz help me ps: there really small


I or another moderator can move this to a new thread, but is this salt or fresh?


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