heavily planted tanks and cleaning

[jim]

I already have normal graval in my tank...is it ok to fill it up with filter sand??

I also heard that, if you use very fine gravel. You can not get any water movement in the gravel, and so good bacteria won't be able to live in gravel. Is that true??

[Proteus]

axel..... seriously, go to a pool store...

u been ripped

they sell 20kg bags of cleaned filter sand for between $8 - $15 depending on the store

[Proteus]

some sand pics...

[jim]

That's it....I am gong to my local poor store this weekend...

[jim]

Hi Proteus,

How long you have these sand gravel...looks very clean..Hope won't get dark and trap waste as time goes..How do you clean it?...Thanks

[Proteus]

I have got over 260kg of sand in my tanks at the moment (spread over 5-6 big tanks). I have been using the same sand in some for over a year, and they only get a light vac 1-2 times a week max (I have the water flow set so it accumulates in one corner)

Cleaning has never been easier, just hover the vac hose an inch or so above the sand, and the poop vanishes. After a while I do get some sand build up in the bucket, all I do is clean it (rinse in aged water) and put it back in the tank wherever the level may be low from water flow or digging.

In the open areas I occassionally run the tongs through it to move it around a bit and to keep it turned over, but that is just a preference thing. It doesnt compact, yet it is heavy enough not to move too much.

[axelfaz]

thanks proteus i'll have to check it out.

Where are the stones from?

[Proteus]

Flower Power (lucky Stones) $1 each, pick your own... (I usually spend 2 hours down there, go through up to 500 stones to find what I want)

Thanks for the response. Please can you be more specific on location and store name.