20 replies to this topic

[MattyB]

Hey guys, got my 8x3x2.5ft tank running, I have never been keen on bare bottom, yes it would be easier to maintain but I don't mind the extra work and it looks 1000 times better. now I have always had white play sand in my tank busters tank, but im thinking I want something a little more corse so it doesn't blow around as much, and I like the light colour as im going to go black background. any suggestions? what do other people that have tank busters have in there tank? cheers

[malawiman85]

I find it impossible to keep nitrates down with any substrate when keeping big messy fish. Bare bottom and more regular smaller waste removals is the only way I could keep nitrates where I wanted them.
River sand is courser and still gives the light colour you are after at a low price.
I guess you have some more expensive options like crushed stone such as marble or whatever but I guess you dont want your pH elevated either (assuming this is for your bass).

[Leichardti]

+1 I have river sand in my tank and it doesn't blow around from the power head I have in there, and you can even siphon it.

[MattyB]

im not worried about nitrates, handling them fine with white sand with my bass in old tank, just got annoying that one whip of his tail and the sand is everywhere. hmm river sand sounds like a great idea, cheappest place to buy it? also how much would be recommended ? 8x3 base

[Mattymak]

Yeah river sand dude, I get it from soil world in malaga & it's quite cheap you can even grab a trailer load haha

[Leichardti]

Drive to soils ain't soils joondalup and ask for a bag of river sand. I got about 25 kilos for 8 dollars. Here's my tank with it as substrate.
 

Edited by Leichardti, 30 December 2015 - 12:06 AM.

[Jules]

garnet sand...... that's what I use and I love it, my bass are far better looking on it. ill get a pic tonight for yous

everyone uses river sand, I use the garnet and its ray safe and has a lovely browny pink colouration.

if you go river sand, mix it with the gilbert sand from vebas, looks good IMO.

[MattyB]

Jules, how much and where you get from?

[MattyB]

just found a soils aint soils in port kennedy 10 mins away from me

[Jules]

garnet sands I was buying from CIM minerals I think, its a sand blasting sand so make sure you get the finer grit, but not too fine.

they use to sell garnet sand in stores, now they don't and you have to buy it from the supplier direct. Think its about $30 a bag.

 

heres my tank with the garnet sand.

yes looks a little dirty atm, and I need to move the sand around (my rays dig it all out).

also in the process of getting some blue T5 tubes to make the tank look 'less yellow'

Attached Files

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[Riggers]

You can use glacier zeolite as well, I ran it in my Geo tanks, small enough for them to pick up in their mouths and has a nice brown/rusty red look to it. A 20kg bag will set you back $39 at poolmart

http://www.glacierfi...om/zeolite.html

The river sand I use is gingin river sand, wangara sands and soils sell it for $8 a bag for 30kg comes in 2 grades so you can get one with more "grit" in it

[Leichardti]

Yeah, it's gin gin quartz apparently.

[MattyB]

nice, I do like the red colour

[Peckoltia]

I know you said you don't like bare bottom. 

 

But, it can look great if you have the ability to paint the bottom panel of glass black. 

 

Tiling the bottom of the tank can also look great, and you will still have the benefit of a bare bottom aquarium.

[malawiman85]

Matty would you consider making a 3d polystyrene substrate? Wouldnt be too hard to give a tank a pretty sweet rocky bottom look...
I know its not really what you were asking about but another idea that will help keep the tank clean.

[MattyB]

just rang up soils aint soils and they sell river sand but its mixed with gin gin quartz, is it aquarium safe?

[Kleinz]

Yes. That's the stuff. It has grains of varying size.

[Leichardti]

I see you got the gin gun quarts. Good choice. Have a good time cleaning 150kgs lol.

[litigator666]

garnet on my tank.

[kassysimon]

Hey, how many bags did you buy for your tank mate? I need to do a 10 footer and might use Gin Gin river sand too.

Thanks.


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Hey, how many bags did you buy for your tank mate? I need to do a 10 footer and might use Gin Gin river sand too.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk