SAND OR GRAVEL
Why do we need a substrate
Even though a sand or gravel substrate is not a must in a beginner's aquarium, it is good to
have this item in the tank. The sand or gravel not only adds attraction to the tank, but
also can act as an anchor for the roots of some plants. The fish also do not like to see a transparent
bottom or reflective bottom. The gravel would provide fishes a more natural home.
Type of substrates
The best type of sand or gravel is the smooth and round pebbles of 3 to 5 mm diameter.
The type of gravel shall preferably be
from a river bed although other types are also acceptable. Calcium rich rocks should be
avoided as these would change the pH of water very soon and the fishes will have problem
coping with the hard water. The gravel should not be too fine as this would result in
cleaning problems. Very fine grade of sand can cause problems to your under gravel filter
sometimes. If the pebbles have rough and sharp edges then the fishes might get
injured while trying to pick up some food from the bottom. Some fishes love to
burrow into the substrate either for food or for laying eggs or just for resting. In such cases
care should be taken to provide smooth edged gravel. Also some fishes such as gold
fish have the habit of taking the stones into their mouth and then spitting them out later.
If the edges are sharp they may get hurt. The well rounded gravel can be easily bought
from garden accessories shop or shops selling plants and potting material. The gravel
should be washed thoroughly using hot water and then put into the tank. For tanks where
you want to keep hard water species, you can used crushed coral as substrate, which can
help keep your pH/dH high.
If you are using gravel or rocks collected by yourself, check if it will
affect the water hardness. Drop a few droplets of pH down on the rocks. If you see any fizzing or bubbles,
the gravel/rocks are alkaline and will not be safe for your tank. Commercial acid can also be used for
testing but you have to be careful about handling such stuff. pH down is preferable and safe.
Calcitic rocks and gravel can be benficial to some cichlid tanks where water hardness is important.
Sea Chem -Fluorite
| Sea Chem -Sand substrate
| Sea Chem -Fluorite red
|
Some of the commercially available substrate materials are shown above. But
in my opinion you can buy a simple gravel, crushed marble or crused coral at your nearby
shop selling gardening stuff. Make sure you wash as per set up procedure described else where.
Some types of commercial gravel available is shown below. These are not under any brand names
and you can find them in many gardening supplies shop. But remember that for growing plants
simple gravel is not enough for many plants.
Gravel
| White Gravel
| Black gravel
|
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