TimB Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Hiya guys,I'm planning on setting up a haplochromine tank in the near future and I'm wondering what substrate is best for the fish and looks good at the same time.Fine gravel?Sand? If so, what typeMarble chip?I know they like to dig....Cheers in advance,Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael's africans Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Sydney Sand and crush coral mix looks good and is cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimB Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 Where can it be purchased from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0oks Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Bunnings for the sand. There eight bucks for a twenty kg bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimB Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 cheers mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael's africans Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I picked up some crushed coral from this forum and mixed it with the Sydney sand. It makes it stretch further and partly mimics rift lake conditions. Finish your tank off with some flat rock and holey rock for mbuna and your there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimB Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fierce Deity Link Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Bunnings for the sand. There eight bucks for a twenty kg bag.Does this sand need to be washed much before you put it in the tank? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firthy13 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 oh you better believe it does!! its filthy. takes quiet a while for the water to run clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fierce Deity Link Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 is it worth it in the end? what size grains are they roughly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firthy13 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 your going to have to wash all substrate you buy to some degree. unless you buy that live marine substrate you need to get a personal loan from a bank to afford. it does look nice and is a nice light natural looking colour. i found some pool filter sands to be to brown. they do hide the waste well but the fish dont look as nice on it in my opinion. grain size is really good. small enough sandsifters can easily put it through their gills but still large enough not to cause a sandstorm when you have your pumps running. its only about $8-9 so if you dont like it after its in the tank, syphon it out and poor it on the garden and go with something else. its not like your loosing a great deal of cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fierce Deity Link Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 yeah for that kind of cash it's not about the money, was just wondering what the stuff is like to work with, more scared it would kill my filters then anything else... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimB Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 would the sand get sucked into a canister filter?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 would the sand get sucked into a canister filter??It is always a possibility.But there are options available to minimise risk.ie.. cover your filter intakes with a sponge filter, or cut the intake pipe so it is closer to 50% tank height than the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattrox Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I am loving using pool filter sand. The stuff I get doesn't need too much rinsing, about on par with gravel bought from the Aquarium Shop. Mine doesn't get sucked up by filters and can be syphoned with care without losing too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fierce Deity Link Posted June 9, 2012 Share Posted June 9, 2012 ANy chance you can Post up some pics Mattrox? I'd love to see how it turned out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.