Plan for decorating the tank, things to avoid and what to do

[ThaddeusW]

Hello again!

Now that I have some of the basics of aquarium maintenance down my next step is to make the tank look beautiful and plan ahead for the future (EG figuring out what to do with the Pacu's). The tank has very little gravel, so little that there isn't enough to cover the bottom! How thick should the layer of gravel be?

So as usual here are some questions:

- What is the ideal gravel layer thickness?

- What kind of in tank decorations are compatible with my fish?

(see this post for more info on my fish ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.]))

- Are aquatic plants easy to plant and maintain or do they disrupt/alter the cycle?

- Are there any decorative doo-dads to avoid (certain rocks, plastics etc.)?

Thanks!

[bushwhacker]

gravel is up to you . doesnt matter how thick it is those fish are going to dig holes down to the glass.. your better off with rocks and driftwood, maybe some plastic plants as any live will be shredded and eaten by your stock

[ThaddeusW]

gravel is up to you . doesnt matter how thick it is those fish are going to dig holes down to the glass.. your better off with rocks and driftwood, maybe some plastic plants as any live will be shredded and eaten by your stock

When you say rocks do you mean gravel with a larger stone size? I could get gravel from a quarry or home center but I don't know if certain stone could contain compounds that might react with the water or become poisonous. Maybe I can sift through some dirt and collect the

You have a good point, when those Pacu's zip around the bottom they kick the gravel up quite a bit. A little plastic plant that was in there was torn up a bit. Maybe I can stick with short stubby plastic plants and use large rocks or rock like decorations for the fish to hide in.

[Oscar_freak12321]

No. He means like some rocks that you could hold in both hands. Larger gravel would just be larger gravel. You can buy rocks from places like Home Depot and come home and wash them off in warm water. Driftwood would be good for your setup IMO, because not only can you use it for a lot of cool setups, the pacu will ignore it, as well as the other fish. Plants do not work well at all with oscars, or any of those fish for that matter.

[kerouac]

I agree...gravel thickness doesn't really matter, sand would be ideal but at the moment I don't think you want to go through the somewhat trying task of replacing substrate with all those large fish. ;) Some people even go without any substrate in tanks like yours. Stick with some rocks and driftwood...be sure they are aquarium safe (and when cleaning make sure to use no soap, etc.) IMO I would not add a whole lot of decor at present, seeing as it's already basically stuffed over capacity.

Live plants are actually beneficial to your tank, and there are some varieties that are very low maintenance, but with the animals you have in there live plants will not last long. You can find some nice-looking fake ones in pet stores or your local fish store (lfs). I would reccomend that you go the fake plant route at present. :)

Also kudos for taking on this tank, I can't believe someone would leave them like that. Good luck finding homes for the ones who need it. You might want to try [Only Registered Users Can See Links.], I know it's not in your area you might be able to contact them and ask if they know of anybody/anyplace near you that would be willing to take the Pacus (and whatever else) off your hands. It's worth a shot. :)

[Oscar_freak12321]

Speaking of which, let me get MonsterFishRescue to take a look at this thread. He might be able to help. :22:

[kerouac]

Ah that's awesome I didn't know he was here. :19:

[ThaddeusW]

Speaking of which, let me get MonsterFishRescue to take a look at this thread. He might be able to help. :22:

That would be great! Thanks. I see you have a Pacu in your avatar, do you currently have any?

I like the Pacu's, they are beautiful fish. But again I just don't have the resources or space for such a huge tank at the moment:scry:. I wish I did otherwise I would give them a nice new home thumbs2:.

I suppose I will have to give them away :scry:

[Lab_Rat]

Your substrate can be as deep as you want it, as long as you're not going to plant rooted plants. I recommend putting down the plastic eggcrate (found in the lighting area of home depot or lowes) if you plan on adding large decorative rocks. It will help prevent pressure points.

With your large cichlids, live plants don't stand much of a chance. I've got an EBJD myself and his tank only has artificial plants in it for that reason. I may try anubias or java fern but he may shred those.

Driftwood is a great decorator. Most will leach tannins, turning your water a tea color temporarily. To help reduce that you can soak/boil the wood before hand. The malaysian driftwood and mopani driftwood both sink well in an aquarium.

Here's a site that gives a good run down of aquarium safe rocks.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

For substrate, if you are on a budget you can use the gravel from home depot, just rinse it very well. Some fish stores will have bulk substrates you can buy too.