substrate

[Franky099]

Hi Gang,

My oscar lives in a 55 gallon aquarium, which was previously a planted tank....and has flourite as a substrate. As you can imagine, its a mess when he decides he wants to dig himself a hole to lay in.

In the spring, we are moving. My plan is to buy a new 55 gallon set up, prepare it for him, then move the fish. I was wondering if I could use sand in his tank? He likes to dig.....but I dont like the mess it makes! Would Sand be ok? Or any other suggestions are welcome also.

Thanks!

Amy and Os

 

[Avalon]

If you thought Flourite was bad, try sand! Sand is the messiest substrate you can use, aside from soil. You might want to just rinse the Flourite well when before you put it back in. If it's been in use for about a year or more, it's probably full of mulm.

It may be possible to use a larger grain sand, something like sandblasting sand. I'm not sure how large the grains get, but check out a hardware store and they could tell you more about it. It's also pretty cheap!

 

[Franky099]

??? I used to have a saltwater tank......the sand was never a mess. Maybe we are talking about different types of sand?

Amy