Best Cichlid Substrate

[Drip Loop]

I am setting up a new 120g tank and want to upgrade my gravel into something that will be beneficial to the fish I keep. Preferably not sand since I like to python regularly and hopefully nothing sharp so my syndontis cats and clown loach wont be injured poking through the stuff. Any suggestions? Thanks

[Ryuu]

I use natural gravel, and since u posted it in the mawli, im guessing thats what ur keeping, so, most parts of mawli are rock beds, so the cichlids apreacciate it, and there not sharp there normally water worn

[Fishguy2727]

Using a Python with sand is fine, it actually means less cleaning for you and better water quality. The sand keeps everything on top. If you have enough flow it keeps moving until the filters grab it. Not enough flow and it collects in small piles that are easily removed with the Python. I have sand in all my tanks and never vacuum out anything because there is nothing to remove. I know you said not sand, but you asked about the best substrate for cichlids.

Many like to use crushed coral to help harden the water and increase pH, but it is usually pretty course and traps a lot of debris just like gravel.

Lake Malawi actually has a sandy bottom. Peacocks lunge into it after small food items.

[smcurry83]

I read somewhere about needing to stir up the sand every once in a while to keep from getting toxic pockets of gas. Am I right about that?

[sailor]

I use pfs for all of my african cichlid tanks with no problems at all when it comes to using my python. With the mouth brooders this is an egg safe substrate when the female picks up and tumbles the eggs. I stir up my sand a bit maybe once every 2 weeks to release any gas pockets.

[Lady Hobbs]

I stick my python right down in the sand sometimes. The vac picks up a bit of it but it goes right back in the tank.

[Drip Loop]

I hook my python up to my garden hose outside so the suction is pretty intense. I have never tried, I guess I just assumed it will suck the sand right up.

So anyways, what sand do you suggest? Play sand?

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I personally used a medium grade of aragonite sand. It was great. A sandy substrate is actually best for Malawi Cichlids for all the reasons listed by the other members above. In addition to those reasons, you will see mbuna take sand into their mouth and spit it out, however scientists have discovered that not all that sand gets spit out, they actually end up eating some of it. It is not known why they eat some of the sand, but scientists have postulated that it is actually to aid with digestion, gravel substrates do not allow for that. So, if that theory is true, a sandy substrate is actually healthy for your cichlids on a couple of levels.

[Lady Hobbs]

I hook my python up to my garden hose outside so the suction is pretty intense. I have never tried, I guess I just assumed it will suck the sand right up.

So anyways, what sand do you suggest? Play sand?

I do, yes. But as fishguy said, you only vac across the top of the sand. Cichlids like the sand, like to dig in it and throw it around.

[Fishguy2727]

I think toxic gas pockets have more to do with the type of sand. I use Estes' Marine Sand and have not had any issues. I think other types can compact and block off the oxygen, which is what causes those toxic pockets of gas. See the article on my blog on sand in the aquarium for more information on sand use.

Any links or more information on those scientists determining they swallow some? I have heard this before, but never any actual facts to back it up.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Any links or more information on those scientists determining they swallow some? I have heard this before, but never any actual facts to back it up.

No, I think you and I have heard the same things. As I said, it's simply a theory and as of yet I've not seen any hard facts about it. I need to ask some cichlid friends of mine about that.

[A1cntrler]

I know this is a somewhat old post, but I haven't been on for a while and wanted to add my 2 cents into this discussion. I have had my 55g tank up and running for several months now, and went with this stuff for the substrate. I had gone to my LFS to pick up some Tahitian Moon Sand for the tank. As I carried it around the store looking around to see what else they had, I overheard the owner calling a company on the phone about an order they had sent incorrectly. Instead of what he had ordered, they were sent two bags of this: [Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. This sand had water in the bag already too (supposedly to help with tank setup and cycling...scam I think) but anyways I bought both bags from him. Figured I would use them both, but since I had so much rock in my tank, only room for one of the bags to give me about an inch of coverage on the bottom of the tank. Has been running great and fish are very happy with it. They do grab mouthfuls of it and deposit it wherever, but no issues with it being sucked into the Fluval (intake is about 4" off the sand in a corner). I'll snap some pics tomorrow if you want to see it. The fish have even apparently mated already too, as somehow I missed it, but I found two babies in there poking out of the rocks yesterday. I have a pretty good idea which pair the babies are from, as they are quite frequently going through the mating motions on there....

[Fishguy2727]

I am glad to hear reviews of other companies and not just the few good stories of cheapo sand.

I think 1" is plenty, too thick and even when stirred you run a risk of anoxic bacteria.

[kaianuanu]

in my opinion, the florida crushed coral stuff is the best for all fish unless they have other substrate requirements

[Fishguy2727]

Few freshwater fish need high pH and hard water. And crushed coral is like gravel in that it will trap tons of debris which causes a nitrate factory and water quality issues.

The article on sand in my blog explains its benefits over courser substrates like crushed coral and gravel. It is also more natural for almost every fish out there to be on a fine substrate like sand than on a courser substrate.