Hey Everyone,
I have a 20 gal. community tank right now with Fancy Guppies, Mollies, Kuhli Loaches, Neon Tetras, Green Corydora Catfish, and Ghost Shrimp. I have Najas Grass with blue & orange color gravel (my sons wanted color gravel).
I was going to purchase a Aqueon 17770 Deluxe Kit Aquarium 55. I was planning on setting one side of the tank with rocks, and the other side with my Najas Grass. I was thinking about getting sand, but a friend of mine told me that gravel is a better substrate. I like the look of sand, but I heard a lot of negatives when it comes to planted tanks. Any suggestions about substrate, or how to set up the tank to make it better for fish? Thank you.
Need Advice, Purchasing New Tank
4 posts
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djsnowman06 - Posts: 33
- Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm
Re: Need Advice, Purchasing New Tank
dont have much in the way of substrate. but i always try to set up a sump/auto top off. it doesnt have to be fancy , in simplest form a bucket, pond pump and HOB overflow. it adds capacity to the tank, which means more fish(to an extent) and reduces water change frequency. you can also hide some of ur equipment down there.
gotta tell you tho if you put your heater down there put it near the water coming from the tank, not the pump. more accurate temp control.
also when doing water changes, medicating or dosing, putting chemicals in the sump rather than the tank is a good buffer.
gotta tell you tho if you put your heater down there put it near the water coming from the tank, not the pump. more accurate temp control.
also when doing water changes, medicating or dosing, putting chemicals in the sump rather than the tank is a good buffer.
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djsnowman06 - Posts: 33
- Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:29 pm
Re: Need Advice, Purchasing New Tank
i forgot, even though you can run a bare bones sump its still a good idea to have a float switch for safety. shuts off the pump in case overflow fails. cause ya know even as little as 5 gal of water on the floor is a pain in the rump.
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nos3toy - Posts: 5
- Joined: Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:28 pm
Re: Need Advice, Purchasing New Tank
Hello. I've got a 35G planted community tank set up for over 5 years with half sand n half gravel. I've never had a problem with sand. Also I never clean the gravel or the sand. Who cleans the gravel or sand in nature? Between plants, fish, and snails I think I got a good natural balance for keeping the bottom clean. But remember, for every hobbyist, for every tank, for every situation there are different methods for getting the job done correctly.