View Full Version : black or white sand is the question
so in my above thread ill be getting a 150 gallon tank right now i have carribean sea gravel blueish green mix and a black background looks okay .. but ive learned alot and found out what i really want by having my 80 gallon and i want to go sand but am stuck on what color the white or black its gonna be a bright blue background like u see painted on tanks in like a petco or petsmart is one of the colors easier to clean ? etc ? any experiences with the black sand ? and is it safe with hob and canister filters ? im leaning towards the Caribsea Brand sand
Oscar_freak12321
11-13-2009, 01:31 AM
I personally haven't used sand before, but I do know some info on it. So you're using a light blue background? What fish are going in this tank again?
its gonna be my 11 cichlids from my current 80 gallon
Oscar_freak12321
11-13-2009, 01:34 AM
Which are...?
i have 6 africans and 5 central americans and one of those africans is a big digger in my current gravel
Oscar_freak12321
11-13-2009, 01:39 AM
Hmm....well I'm trying to figure out which sand would show off your fish the best...so I don't mean to be nosey, but which species specifically?
hope this helps too
1 male kenyi digger
2 purpleish blue african dont know what they are
2 convicts 1 pink one regular
1 peacock
2 firemouths
1 jewel
1 Nimbochromis venustus girrafe hap
1 Tilapia buttikoferi
and its okay not nosey thanks for helping me
Oscar_freak12321
11-13-2009, 01:47 AM
Hmmm....I'm leaning more towards black, as firemouths bleach out over white sand a lot more than expected...peacocks would stand out well with white, but also with black...convicts would look good with black...the blue cichlids you're talking about would also look best with black sand, as well as the others. White could also work well, but the fish' colors may not look as good.
Oscar_freak12321
11-13-2009, 01:47 AM
Hope this helps. :22:
thanks .. i was too leaning towards the black but wasn't sure thought id ask here . Luckily i have some pretty colorful fish and pretty good lighting
Lab_Rat
11-13-2009, 01:52 AM
Black...but I would separate the Africans from the CAs because keeping those fish together is not good fishkeeping.
Oscar_freak12321
11-13-2009, 01:53 AM
^^ True true. If they work together ok, it should be fine, but remember the ph differences.
Black...but I would separate the Africans from the CAs because keeping those fish together is not good fishkeeping.
not good fishkeeping ? how so ? ... could you explain dont mean to sound rude but based off of what ? just because im not keeping only one specific lake species . i know alot of purists are against that but to me thats there opinion ...
no fish are being hurt ,there not in little tank ,i have plenty of filtration .. any of those areas to me if they werent up to par ,and would be bad fish keeping to me . and to be honest if i could get rid of a few i would but ive put my kenyi up for free and no one would take him the local petstores here dont take fish either
i think ill go with the black sand. thanks oscar freak for the help :)
Lab_Rat
11-13-2009, 02:04 AM
Different water parameters among those fish, different feeding requirements, different body language...since you're getting another tank what is the problem with separating them? You'll have two tanks and that way you can better provide for the fish.
Different water parameters among those fish, different feeding requirements, different body language...since you're getting another tank what is the problem with separating them? You'll have two tanks and that way you can better provide for the fish.
i am selling the 80 when i set up the 150 its meant to be a upgrade tank i couldnt afford another 2 or 3 filters plus another heater and lights to buy for my 150 if i kept the 80 running.
If i could give my ca's another home i would and just keep the africans but like i said ive put them on craigslist for trades and for free no one emails me ...so in the tank they will stay sorry if that offends anyone at least there being cared for.....
Aeonflame
11-13-2009, 02:25 AM
I agree with labrat. Any reputable aquarist would say the same.
And as for them "being cared for at least" I had a neighbor who kept a dog on a chain from the day he got it as a pup to the day it died 10 years or so later. Sure, he fed it every day, and thought he was caring for it.. and it was alive right?
We try to give the animals under our care the best quality of life that we can. Sometimes that means admitting we are making a mistake, based on the advice of people who are experienced in the matter. Its up to us to take that advice or not.
tetra
11-13-2009, 02:41 AM
Becarefull with sand, i had it in a 20 gallon and some fish kept stiring up the sand causing it to get sucked up in the filter running it.
I agree with labrat. Any reputable aquarist would say the same.
And as for them "being cared for at least" I had a neighbor who kept a dog on a chain from the day he got it as a pup to the day it died 10 years or so later. Sure, he fed it every day, and thought he was caring for it.. and it was alive right?
We try to give the animals under our care the best quality of life that we can. Sometimes that means admitting we are making a mistake, based on the advice of people who are experienced in the matter. Its up to us to take that advice or not.
wow ok dude so according to you i should take the ca cichlids out right now and let them die huh ... yea thats what is sounds like your suggesting because there is no where for them no one will take them fishstores wont take them so thats what i meant by at least there being taken care of . i will admit if i made a mistake so aeonflame what should i do then bud ??? if there is no where to give them to .. im done goodnight thanks
domjd05
11-13-2009, 02:54 AM
ugh, as much as I hate to agree with labrat and aeon, they are right, I wouldn't keep CA's and africans together.
However I have seen it done successfully... and they WERE "reputable" aquarists also...lmao.
Lab_Rat
11-13-2009, 03:12 AM
ugh, as much as I hate to agree with labrat and aeon, they are right, I wouldn't keep CA's and africans together.
Not sure how to take that...why would you hate to agree with aeon or me?
robflanker
11-13-2009, 04:10 AM
ugh, as much as I hate to agree with labrat and aeon,
Not sure what this means but its bordering on offensive
jaysee
11-13-2009, 04:37 AM
Here's a pic of my 29 tiger barb tank. The white sand shows EVERY piece of waste. I do really like the contrast of the white with the black background.
I'm redoing one of my 10's as an island theme, and will be doing white sand with the blue background. Here's the twist - I'm gonna paint clouds across the top and a sun :19: It's gonna look soooo cool thumbs2: Not sure about stock....
Scrup
11-13-2009, 04:58 AM
Look no one needs to be butt-hurt about this.
Honestly here is a fact for you. If those convicts spawn, you will lose a lot of fish. May not at first, but if your LFS doesn't take fish like you say, you will end up with lots of babies. And those babies will make babies. And when convicts spawn, they attack everything with about a foot, including you (trust me on this one).
They are right about the parameters. It is your tank however. If you want to try it, try it.
Lab_rat and Aeon and..as much as I hate to agree with domjd05 (sorry I had to) are just suggesting what would be BEST. It may sound critical, but they just want to make sure you know what you are doing.
You can always try posting on the Fresno craigslist to rehome, or other towns nearby, or for that matter, browsing them for fish tanks. (I assume you are in Merced CA...).
Scrup
11-13-2009, 05:00 AM
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One thing to remember is check it frequently and reply as fast as you can. Cheap fish stuff goes FAST on craigslist.
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