23 replies to this topic

[Buccal]

Tightly keyed in sand and fine substrates, don't let much crap under,,,, but when it does, there's bugger all water flow.
Coarse substrates don't key in as well and allows crap to lodge and settle into, but water has a better chance of slightly moving through.
It's a catch 22 both ways.
My reccomendations with substrate has always been fine substrate or sand at a maximum of 10mm thick.
Nothing wrong with substrates,,, I just see majority of people use it wrongly.

[Poncho]

No doubt - there's less room for error going that way but it also limits your options with plants, aquascaping and allowing your fish to construct breeding pits. you can get past that by providing decor that is cave like, but I like watching a pair of cichlids reshape a tank by digging pits everywhere and transferring their brood from one to the other like they would in a river or lake. I'm Watching a pair of orange chromides do this at the moment and it's fascinating to watch their behaviour.

Not directed at previous people replying on this thread but to add to the discussion for anyone reading which hopefully includes the OP:

One of the other things touched on here previously is the need to clean filters and/or gravel. If you get the balance right in your tank and have it cycled and nitrifying well then nitrogen waste is converted to nitrate which is soluble and part of the water column (do water changes to avoid high levels or grow plants in the tank).

However, there's going to be some sludge or non soluble waste left behind that collects in your filters and gravel. This is one of the best filter media you can get as it has a huge surface area for nitrifying bacteria to colonise. Most people try to remove all this instantly and regularly and they usually have problems with the maturity of their tank. Google activated sludge for more info - it's what they rely on in wastewater treatment plants for treating our sewerage. Plus the sludge/mulm and debris is a fantastic food source for fry from fish that start off really small - typically non mouth brooding cichlids (edit - sorry I usually don't consider catfish in my comments). Some see it as unsightly but a good layer of it does make a tank environment look more natural and when I "clean" my tanks, I take care not to suck up all of this stuff from the bottom of the tank.

[Delapool]

Mostly I've gone with a coarser substrate. I've never seen bubbles (although used ugf's in the old days) so I assume there is some slight water flow. Typically I'll see something like bury root tabs at base of gravel and you will be fine, however I have noticed spikes in elements after water tests so that would I guess match the idea of some water movement as well. From memory I tested one API root tab in 20 litres (no substrate, just a bucket test) and that lifted ammonia by 0.25 (checked back against tap water as base line).

Edited by Delapool, 25 May 2016 - 07:30 AM.

[Buccal]

I've usually found with the thinner layer of fine to medium, majority of cichlids will pick it up and carry it over to the build,,, it's either that or just dig and form it up with thicker substrate.

With my larger display tank, the whole surface area around the base except for a few inches in around the outer edges, I covered with a green coppery color toodyay stone,, and a touch sparkly.
This stone was very flat and fell easily into sheaths.
I topped over with fine and medium grade aragonite.
By coming in on the edges and not covering with stone allows the substrate to appear as very thick and deep.
When fish dig, it is a constant changing landscape as some males every nown again reign dominance.
It becomes a very interesting ever changing landscape and it always looks like it's meant to be.

In saying all this,, if the aquarist has a certain level of knowledge or study up, there are various and many varieties that turn deeply deeply into the depths of the substrate,,, this mixes oxygen down there and gives layer rotations,,,, classic. (Earth eaters).
Then all that bad bacteria issues are well gone and substrate stays looking moderately fresh.

This discussion became merely the logistics of substrate and its levels of contribution to biological filtration.
The actual sharing, for understanding of the science, and talking about it here on forums,,,, just because one talks for or against the pro's and con's it doesn't mean he or she actually does it or even implying to do it,,,,,,,, it's merely subjective talk.
I'm only saying this because on many forums around oz, I see some people take things pretty strangely as far as general communication goes,,,, not that who's right or wrong crap when there's many ways. Lol.