Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping => General Fishkeeping Chat => Topic started by: Helen on September 22, 2017, 10:54:55 PM
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Not sure if this is the right board, but..
How easy / difficult is it to change substrate? When I first set up my tank years ago, I used gravel. Pretty much ever since I got the tank properly established I've kind of wished I'd used a smaller grained substrate, maybe even sand.
Last weekend I bought my first fish for years and I've suddenly thought that if I was to change the substrate, doing it before I restock fish would be a good idea.
Have I left it too late? I now have a total of 16 fish.
There's almost zero chance that I would be able to get my kuhli loaches out of the tank, so I'd need to be able to somehow do half the tank at a time.
And yes my tank is planted.
Would it be a reasonable suggestion to lower the level of the existing gravel and add sand on top? Would the sand just end up underneath the gravel?
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Sand would just end up underneath the gravel but that doesn't mean you can't do it... Just that it's a bit harder!! ::)
You would have to probably do a third of the tank at a time. I only say this as I would be concerned about the amount of bacteria in the gravel and water parameters changing if you did too much. Other might be able to advise if I'm being too cautious here. You'd have to physically remove the gravel and put sand in its place. Sand is notorious for clouding the water. However, there are a few tricks to avoid this when adding to an existing tank. A) as for any situation wash it, wash it, and wash it again in bucket of running water B) put it into a plastic drinks bottle (bear with me...) and put the bottle in the tank with the opening upwards initially, wait until the air is released from the bottle, turn the bottle so the opening is down and slowly let the sand fall out or encourage it gently by squeezing the bottle. You should see cloudy water forming in the bottle as the sands falls out which you can remove along with the bottle once the sand is in the tank :cheers:
One thing to note though is that plants don't do as well with sand as with gravel there are gaps between the pieces which means fish waste etc can fall through to get to the plant roots to feed them. This is not possible with sand so you would either want to put root tabs under your plants. Or to put another substrate under the sand first with some nutrients. Given what I've already said about gravel eventually rising above sand you would want a powdered plant substrate which would be very difficult in a tank that you are not setting up from scratch because it would just diasolve in the tank too quickly and they release quite a bit of ammonia when first added. So... it's either root tabs with sand or go for gravel with a minimum particle size of 1 to 2 mm. Some so called sands meet this criteria btw so it needent necessarily put you off. What this also means though is that fish waste tends to sit on top of sand which can be unsightly so some. Also bear in mind that sand cannot be siphoned like gravel as it would just go up the siphon tube. You would have more time maintaining the tank therefore. I think you can siphon waste off the surface with an airline tube... I've never gone there as I imagine my arm would drop off before I'd got the tank done!! :yikes:
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I have sand as substrate in my tanks, and Matt is correct when he says that the waste sits on top of the sand. I do use a syphon to remove the waste, but I take the wide part of the end of the syphon, so it's just the tube in the water. Keep the end of the tube a couple of cm above the surface of the sand, and gentle swirl the tube to disturb the water near the substrate. This will move the waste up into the water, and you can then syphon it of with the tube. It can take a while to get used to doing this without sucking up too much sand, but if you are syphoning into a bucket then you can always out the sand back into the tank afterwards.
Whenever I've changed from gravel to sand I've always emptied the tank completely and started from scratch, starting with a growing substrate with a layer of sand on top. I'm lucky to have several spare tanks to keep the fish & equipment in whilst reworking a tank, so I can't offer any advice on changing substrate with fish still in the tank.
If you do decide to change to sand make sure it is smooth enough. I have bought aquarium sand previously which ended up being completely unsuitable as when I rubbed it between my fingers it felt quite sharp. This will not be any good for fish, such as your loaches, at the bottom of the tank because it will be too rough and cause damage.
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Thanks for your comments, they've certainly got me thinking more.
I'm trying to minimise my essential maintenance, so sounds like sand isn't such a good idea.
But I think I will investigate gravel with a small particle size.
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I find sand easier than gravel. Cleaning it is so much easier as you can see where the muck is.
And a lot of plant people say plants grow better in sand with no special substrate underneath. They just need root tabs, preferably the kind that don't disintegrate (I've seen API root tabs named as the worst offender).
If you do get fish like apistos, sand is better for them, and even more so for rams. But I've never had kribs so I don't know about them. Apistos and rams feed like cories. Their natural way to feed is by taking a mouthful of sand, sifting it for bits of food then expelling the sand through their gills. They can't do this with gravel, but they still try. I had Bolivian rams on fine gravel and the female got a piece of gravel stuck in her throat. This is why I changed to sand.
And sand is the best substrate for kuhli loaches as they like to bury themselves.
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All fair comments from Sue.
You might want to consider part gravel and part sand. This is my plan. I have an 'island' style aquascpe and so my plan is to have larger gravel and rocks in the centre going outwards to finer gravel then sand around the perimeter. Provided you make it look natural e.g. not one half sand one half gravel with a very straight line separating them, I've seen lots of aquascape look very effective like this.
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I was quite inspired by @Aquarius Barbara's aquascape, which seems to be a combination of sand and gravel. It has got me thinking about how I could combine that in my tank.
I've been thinking about my general aquascaping, and how I can improve it. I was reading through my (really old) previous posts and found a conversation I had with Natalia about aquascaping. She suggested a 'path' towards the back to give the tank an impression of depth. I think that would work quite well in sand and would also be easier to get the gravel out and replace with sand.
The only downside is that the kuhlis like the plant cover and a sandy pathway would suggest that there are no / few plants in the sand!
I'll keep thinking...
Any ideas for an easy way to get the gravel out? A tea strainer? A ladel with holes would be perfect - do they exist? Ladels are usually for liquids!
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Fish nets work to get gravel out but it doesn't do them much good. With a tank the size of yours you'd probably destroy 3 or 4 of them.
There are slotted spoons, but the 'head' is in line with the handle so they wouldn't be very good at scooping things like a ladle would.
How big is the gravel? Would it fit up a siphon tube, without the cylinder part as that usually has a narrow valve at the top where the tubing attaches. When I changed from small gravel to sand, I used the tubing to suck it out.
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I'll have to try the vacuum tube. If I'm careful, I should be able to stop it getting clogged. I might try reducing the level of the gravel first, slowly. I should be able to do that with my water changes and minimise disruption to the fish.
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So the vacuum tube sort of worked, but it wasn't very efficient. It took me about 50l of water to suck up about 1 litre of gravel. And unfortunately the gravel that was easiest to suck up was the smallest grained stuff - which is what I'm probably going to want to keep! The gravel that I'd really like to get out kept getting stuck.
I can see a bit of DIY tool making on the horizon!
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Thinking out loud - would garden hose be a bit wider than your siphon meaning the gravel would flow through easier?
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Probably. But would I get a better ratio of gravel: water? I nearly flooded my lounge with the vacuum tube because I was watching the stones more than the water level in my bucket!
I'd also have to buy a new hose, and I'm not sure they come as short as 1m.
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If it's any help you could always have a look in your LFS either for a larger size syphon, or even at the hose they sell for attaching to large pumps.
When I was building the manifold for my river tank I bought hose by the meter from MA to attach it to the pump. They had several sizes available, so you should be able to find something useful.
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Thanks @Littlefish. My lfs is actually a Maidenhead aquatics, so I'll have a look online.
Trips there are quite stressful (for me) these days. It tends to involve a disproportionate amount of "don't bang the glass", "stand back", "hold my hand", "cuddle bear", "put that back where you found it please", "wow, look how big that fish is", "look, that's the same fish Mummy has at home". Not a lot of looking at fish or actually shopping! I go in with a list of potential 'targets' (that I've researched online), find the one that's got the highest priority, pay and leave. In fact, that's why I do as much of my shopping online as possible - for my whole life!! 😮
Sorry, strayed off topic there...
It is great for making me resurrect my tank slowly, though. It'll be at least a month before I buy any more fish. Pretty much everything else can be bought from my sofa!
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I've had a quick look on their site and can't find the hose, but both my MA stores, and the independent LFS have a selection of sizes on large rolls, so I know that they stock it.
As for kids in the store, I know that most parents try very hard to keep their children behaving impeccably at the shops, because they care about the welfare of the fish, etc. However, don't let it ruin a visit to the shop for you.
One of the funniest things I have ever seen was at one of the quieter branches of MA, where I've got to know the staff quite well. During the school summer holidays I was chatting to one member of staff at the till, while the area manager was working in the office, and another member of staff was just heading to the office for a break. A fairly regular customer came in with his 4 kids (3 girls and 1 boy, all under 10), and the chap I was talking to went to the fish tanks with him. Within a matter of seconds it was like someone had released the demons of chaos, who scattered to the 4 winds to destroy the universe.
The dad continued his discussion with said member of staff as if nothing was happening. The kids ran riot around the store, picking up items, depositing them elsewhere, running up to the guys and asking questions, then dragging the member of staff around the store by the hand asking "what's this for?". They also asked him his name, then chanted it at the tops of their voices whilst running around. I was leaning against the counter and even I didn't get away without being asked several questions about items that the kids brought to me.
At one point I turned around to see that the boy had got a large net on a pole off the display, and had climbed on top of the pond fish enclosures, and was trying to net fish. I will admit that my response was to get my phone out because if this kid fell in the pictures were going to be hilarious, at which point he climbed down, put the net back and ran off to do something else.
After the longest 10-15 minutes in the life of the poor member of staff, the family left the shop.
The manager and other guy emerged from the office, and were asked why they didn't come out to help. They said that they thought he was doing fine, and it turns out that they were watching the whole thing in the office on the security cameras, and having quite a chuckle about it.
The lesson here is that even if your children cause a bit of mess there is a strong possibility that the staff are either just taking it in their stride as part of working at an aquatics store, or they have all gone to the office to have a good laugh as one member of staff tries to deal with the entire situation on their own. Either way, try not to let it interfere with your shopping, the staff are used to it. :)
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Good grief, Littlefish - the incident you describe sounds horrendous; on so many levels, I'm glad I wasn't present and subject to that! When the behaviour could compromise the safety of other customers as well as the welfare of the fish, it's a step too far. :isay:
Anyway, on the subject of siphons, I've bought my fair share of them and many remain in the cupboard - I'll try to find the name of the one which I think would be best in this situation. I have used (and broken, like Sue says) nets in the past when removing gravel but reckon scooping out gravel in a small plastic container might be easiest, then sifting through it as required. Is your eldest child old enough to be involved in a "game" of sorting out gravel pieces into different sizes, @Helen?
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I was going to say that I'm not too worried about sorting gravel as it's fairly easy to get graded garden sieves.
Then it occurred to me that I might be able to get cheap metal kitchen sieve and use that as a scoop? Maybe a tea strainer?
I'm not sure my 4yo would be a reliable stone sorter. She also has an affinity for stones. I could easily find the large stones removed from the fish tank but distributed around my house!
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@fcmf luckily there were no other customers in the store (apart from me), and the children didn't bang on any tanks.
The pond fish enclosure the boy climbed onto contained only 2 fish, and he didn't get as far as getting the net into the water. If he had I would have said something, or the other staff would have come out of the office. Although I will admit to thinking it would be funny if he fell in and had to go home in wet clothes, they were my 2 favourite pond fish that I feed when I visit, so I'm kind of glad that he didn't (but wish that there had been an enclosure next to it that contained no fish that he could have fallen into instead)
The kids were mainly just quite loud, ran around a lot, and moved some stuff around. Generally not the sort of thing you'd expect to see, but luckily there was no harm done, apart from to the stress levels of one member of staff.
@Helen I have used metal sieves and colanders for sorting various sizes of substrate previously. You'd be amazed at what you can find in the kitchen that is useful.
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I started removing the gravel with my siphon hose. Once I'd got the hang of it, especially avoiding larger stones that block the tube, it has turned out to be quite an efficient way of removing the gravel. I didn't need to get a short length of garden hose!
I got to the point where I was struggling to get more gravel out without catching plant leaves in the tube, so decided to remove plants, gravel and replant a third of the tank at a time.
So I've uprooted all my Vallis from my tank. I decided the end result would look better if I trimmed off the runners, and replant the individual plants. I must have about 100 plants! :o Think it'll take me longer to replant than I'd initially thought.
As well as the number of individual plants, that end of my tank looks extremely bare. It made me realise just how well planted my tank is.
Attached is a photo so far. I'll remove the gravel and replant after the kids have gone to bed tonight. Could be a late night!
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Hope you didn't have too late a night... that sounds sound like quite a task!
I would recommend keeping the substrate layer a bit thinner if you have the opportunity whilst your working on this. Deeper substrate adds risk of anaerobic bacteria forming noxious gas pockets in decaying waste trapped in the gravel. These can also affect water quality too of course. Overall it should make for a tank which requires less maintenance in future and hopefully healthier fish too :cheers:
Personally id say no need for substrate to be more than 2cm /1 inch deep.
Oh and of course... MORE PHOTOS PLEASE!! ;D
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Thanks@Matt, you've premptively answered one of my questions! Turned out to be a much bigger task than I realised. So it didn't get finished last night.
One of my main aims with re-doing the substrate is to significantly reduce the level. I've been concerned since soon after setting up my tank (nearly 8 years ago) that it was too deep.
I stopped tank renovation work last night because I've run out of space to put the substrate that I'm removing! I think I've taken out a few litres of gravel so far. (And about 100l of water!) But it's no where near enough yet (and it is just the end third of the tank so far!). I was looking at it last night trying to decide how much to take the level down. If I go down to about an inch, I've got the same to go again!
I had been thinking about getting a finer gravel, but I have Eco Complete substrate under my gravel, and as expected the finer particles are lower down. So by removing the top layers, I'm actually removing the larger gravel. And the lighter gravel. So another side effect is that my substrate is getting progressively more black. Which is actually quite attractive (imo).
It is interesting seeing how the fish have reacted to the disruption. The rasboras were swimming around as though they
were saying "where's my plants? What have you done to my plants?"
I didn't expect to see the kuhli loaches out in the non planted area, but one of them seemed to like the new dark substrate. And I saw behaviour I've never seen before: it looked like the kuhli was hunting and pouncing. Makes me wonder what was living in the gravel that I disturbed!
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You have taken on quite a task, and are doing really well.
Lots of little creatures that we can't see live in our tanks, so it's great to hear about your khuli loaches hunting for food. Sometimes it's a good thing to disturb areas of a tank and fascinating to see fish finding these natural sources of food. :)
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At first I thought there was something wrong with the kuhli. Then I realised that the sudden movement was actually very controlled and looked like a pounce. What I think of as normal, pootling movement that I guess was stalking, then sudden fast movement that stopped just as suddenly as it started. I'm looking forward to seeing it again. Helps motivate me to do the next lot of renovation!
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I finally managed to get the substrate level down and the valisneria replanted.
I have also planted a new nymphea lotus bulb / plant. Hopefully it'll survive. I'm thinking that I should have put a root tab underneath it. But will try to put one in a bit later, after the tank has had a chance to settle a bit again - when I do the next phase of substrate removal!
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Looks good! That sure is a lot of vallis to plant :yikes:
Bulb plants generally are pretty indestructible, though they can wait around for the right time/conditions. I experimented with mine for a long time before learning what they like... They then finally sent up proper leaves etc - it's quite a nice process.
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Looks great. :cheers:
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It seems that the large (and cooler!) water changes at the weekend have caused my rasboras to start breeding. There are at least 2 espeii that look gravid. I don't think any of the harlies are I have a feeling they might all be males, but I am no good at sexing them.
I don't imagine any eggs will survive - the kuhlis seem to be able to get into the most surprisingly small spaces. And are pretty active hunters.
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They have probably bred many times in the tank without you knowing. The chances of any fry surviving with the parents (let alone other fish) around is pretty minimal.
Good indicator they are happy in the tank though despite all the recent activity :)
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Am I mad to be looking for a garden sieve with 2mm mesh to sort all my removed substrate? :o
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Not at all... how about:
http://www.pasthorizonstools.com/Stainless_Steel_Sieve_with_2mm_4mm_7mm_inserts_p/siev247.htm (http://www.pasthorizonstools.com/Stainless_Steel_Sieve_with_2mm_4mm_7mm_inserts_p/siev247.htm)
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This is the one I'd found:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B006HUU3XG/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=AG4YIN65BG0QU&psc=1
I feel slightly less foolish using gardening equipment on my tank than if I was using archeological equipment (I know by they are the same thing with different names!) :isay: :o
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Looks good to me...
Doesn't bother me what someone decided they want to call it... will it work?... Yes!
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I use a metal kitchen sieve, which is now part of my dedicated fish tool kit, so use whatever works for you. :)
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Mid way through replanting phase 2 and having a breather an review.
Am going to have to decide where the small bits of bogwood are going to be, so I can plant crypts around them.
Turns out the bit of aquascaping I'm significantly less good at, is fixing stuff to wood and rocks. It took me ages a few weeks ago and nearly all of it needs redoing. :yikes:
Anyway, here's a pic for those that like to see in progress photos...
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I'm rubbish at attaching plants to wood with thread, so I use the Flourish glue https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seachem-Plant-Flourish-Glue-Tube/dp/B00NG4WO60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511738334&sr=8-1&keywords=flourish+glue
Much easier, as long as you don't glue your fingers to the wood. ;)
You're doing a great job with your tank, well done. :)
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Thanks @Littlefish . I'll look out for the plant glue.
Anyway, here is a pic of the tank after the phase 2 of the substrate removal and the subsequent replanting. I am actually feeling rather pleased with myself, because I managed to get crypts planted nicely amongst the bogwood pieces. Not that you can really see from the photo because most of my crypts are copper or olive coloured. I might have to get some small green crypts at some stage. But it won't be till this is all done and settled.
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Looks good Helen!! :D
Just one more session to go by the looks of it!! :cheers:
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Thanks @Matt . Think I've got more than one session to go! The cupboard under my tank is conveniently in 3 equal sections. And it shows that the last 'third' is a bit more than that. And I'm expecting it I be the most difficult third because I don't think I can get my giant bogwood out of the tank. So I'll have to clear all the crypts, reduce the substrate, move the bogwood into the clear low bit, remove the rest of the substrate and get the bogwood repositioned and at before replanting the crypts.
I also want to take out some more gravel and replace it with sand and the smaller gravel that I'm going to sieve out from what I've removed.
I've spent nearly 8 years wishing I'd put less substrate in. Now I'm doing something about it, I might as well go the whole hog so I don't spend the next 8 years wishing I'd not given up before achieving my plan!
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So I've removed the gravel from the final "third" of the tank. Didn't take me quite as long as expected, largely due to the new 'tool' I got for £2.50 from Amazon. (See attached photo).
But I've run out of steam before re-planting all my crypts.
When I pulled up my anubias, I discovered that it was much bigger than I had realised. I've trimmed the end and the roots and put it back onto the gravel. It's currently being held down by a penguin (the only artificial decoration in my tank. It was given to me by my 2 yr old daughter for mother's Day, so it has to stay in the tank. I hide it in the corner, under the anubias. Where it is at eye level for small children, but hidden from everyone else's view)
I've got the substrate level a bit lower than I want, because I intend to sieve out some of the smaller grains from the substrate I've removed, and put it back into the tank. Will I need to wash the substrate before I put it back in? I have stored it in carrier bags, and some of it has dried out, but otherwise I've not done anything to it since removing it from the tank.
Then the last stage before I can start restocking with fish, is to put the sand area in. This will mean taking out more gravel (but from an area I've already done and deliberately left with less substrate, so hopefully won't take too long) and of course I need to wash the sand.
The end is in sight...
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I would wash the old substrate, just to get the muck out of it. This won't take nearly as many rinses as washing new substrate :)
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Reworking a tank without completely stripping it down is a complicated task. You're doing well so keep up the good work. As you say, the end is in sight, and it will be worth it when it is complete.
I'm impressed with your new tool. It's amazing what you can find to re-purpose for tank maintenance. ;)
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Turns out that a 2mm sieve doesn't let much through! And my substrate is bigger diameter than I realised. :vcross:
This stage is going to take a bit longer than expected.
It will be pretty though, as it is nearly all black.
Thank you @Littlefish for your encouragement. It is much needed at this moment. :o
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Coincidentally, a lot of adverts for gravel scoops have been appearing seemingly randomly on my screen over the past fortnight - not sure what the diameter of the holes are, though. Do a quick 'google' search for them and you might find something better suited than what you already have. The ones I'm noticing are all under £3.
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Thanks @fcmf , the scoop I had actually worked really well. I didn't mind that I scooped up some water (as i removed less water than when I was using the suction tube).
I had a relatively productive day yesterday, as far as the tank goes. I sieved a decent amount of the gravel and had enough to get the substrate up to the level I want it. And replanted all my crypts. Because they had spent 24hrs floating at the top of the tank, the leaves had all flattened out. Which didn't make planting them terribly easy. But after a day in the substrate, with the light in the right place, they've all perked up and are more upright.
Because I'd missed your comment about washing the gravel @Sue , the water was pretty cloudy. So I did a 35l water change once all the plants were in, concentrating on vaccuuming as much as possible.
For those that like to see photos, here is the tank just before it's final phase (sandy "path").
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It's looking great. :cheers:
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Very impressive!
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Looking good! :afro
Can't wait to see the sandy path phase ;D
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I have a spare anubias floating around that I haven't decided what to do with yet. Otherwise, all aquascaping is done. ;D
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Congratulations, it looks great. :cheers:
I hope that your fish are enjoying the revamp. :)
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Thank you. The kuhli loaches definitely like the finer gravel under the crypts. I've seen at least one (I can't tell the difference between the two) out a lot more and it seemed a lot less skittish. I've not seen them venture into the sand yet,but it is still early days.
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Nice 8)
You should be really chuffed after all your hard work. :cheers:
I remember in another thread you mentioned that you wanted more height in the tank... Could the anubias go on top of the bogwood somehow to achieve this? It might look silly 'on its own up there' these thing are so hard to imagine without being able to play with the in real life! Another option might be to move some of the taller pieces of the plant in the centre rear over to the left side or even behind the bogwood... Just to be clear, these are just ideas and not suggestions in any way, the tank looks great!!
Do you have any further plans for the tank or simply to enjoy the new aquascape? Do you want to increase the stocking of harlies, or add any other fish?
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Great to hear that your khuli loaches are still enjoying the new layout. I have a massive soft spot for them, they are so cute.
It's amazing to see how a change in a tank can change the dynamics of the inhabitants, making them more comfortable with their surroundings and allowing them to show their natural behaviour. Well done.
I've recently seen a similar change in my replanted axolotl tank. The most timid axolotl (Mr Pringles), who used to spend the majority of his time in the corner cave, is now pretty much spending all of his time out at the front of the tank with the others. I'm chuffed to bits. :)
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Definitely more plans @Matt !! Now I have the aquascaping sorted, I can restock with fish. ;D
This is the thread with all my restocking thoughts.
https://forums.thinkfish.co.uk/fish-community-creator/restocking-a-slightly-acidic-softer-water-planted-tank/msg36711/#new
Don't think anything has changed. Except, when I get to the end, I will also be considering red cherry shrimps. Though I've got more research to do to confirm whether they will be ok.
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In case you can't find my proposed stocking list in the long thread:
More kuhli loaches
Dwarf rainbow fish
Five band barbs
A pair of Kribensis
More rasboras if stocking and maintenance regime allow
I'm considering setting up CO2 injection on a temporary basis to give my plants a boost / kick start until I've got more fish. I'm hoping that will help to fill in some of the gaps. For example, I actually have Microsorum pteropus windolev on top of the large bogwood, it's just not looking it's best at the moment! And I'd quite like the Vallis to have more height.
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Hmm. Is this overnight aquascaping due to the inhabitants of the tank, or the water flows?
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Hmmm, is there much flow in that area? That's a lot of sand for a few khuli coaches to move, and besides they just bury in it dont't they rather than actively move it around... Could it be your kids if not the flow? Strange...
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Kids are too small - they can't reach the top of the tank, let alone the substrate!
I agree it seems unlikely that it was 2 kuhli loaches.
So it must be water flows, even though the shape doesn't make sense to me. I've tweaked the water outlets and will just have to keep an eye on it.
A side affect of sand that I'd not considered!
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Let me know if your tweaks work... ill have to bear this in mind for my tank!
Have you tried the kids in the tank yet instead of an expensive trip to the local swimming pool?? See the YouTube video of Joey Mullen do it in his tank if you haven't yet!...
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@Matt does Joey let his kids use a tank...I'm so going to have to look for that.
I'm quite short, and had problems setting up the river tank. On more than one occasion I considered actually getting in, but was worried I wouldn't be able to get back out again.
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There is no way my kids are getting in my tank!! I've have spent way too long getting it beautiful - I don't want monkeys messing it up!! :yikes:
Though I'm sure they'd love to. I'm typing this at the pool watching my eldest have a swimming lesson. :fishy1:
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Sometimes the internet can be a bit strange.
Whilst searching for the clip @Matt mentioned I accidentally came across a forum which included some fan fiction involving JM and a red arowana. It was funny and disturbing in equal measure. :rotfl: :sick:
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I suspect the water flow washed down the front of the tank and moved the sand that way. But the shape of the piled up sand doesn't quite make sense for that. So I wonder if it could have been the flow from the additional pump crashing into the flow washing the front of the tank.
I have a tank with a drilled bottom, so don't have any flexibility when it comes to moving the pipes. All I can do is adjust the height and angle of the outlet. I also have a small pump at the other end of the tank, so I've increased the height of that.
I'll have to keep an eye on things and expect that I'll have to make more tweaks before I get it right.
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The most timid axolotl (Mr Pringles), who used to spend the majority of his time in the corner cave, is now pretty much spending all of his time out at the front of the tank with the others. I'm chuffed to bits. :)
:cheers:
I will also be considering red cherry shrimps. Though I've got more research to do to confirm whether they will be ok.
Can't remember whether I mentioned this already, and apologies if I have, but I do recall reading about your concern re red cherry shrimps and I meant to mention reading on here about the benefits of beta glucans; you may also find that you can address your concerns through some of the products on here https://www.pro-shrimp.co.uk/13-shrimp-food
Hmm. Is this overnight aquascaping due to the inhabitants of the tank, or the water flows?
I have a "waterfall" type filter ie water cascades downwards and it leaves an ever-increasing sized hole where the sand should be, sending the sand out to the side and uprooting any plants or plant pots in that area. It is possible to mitigate the effects of this by putting a catappa leaf, a plant which can tolerate being buffeted about or another piece of decor immediately below it (a moss ball just gets swept away) but, even then, the actual location and shape of the hole can vary.
I'm quite short, and had problems setting up the river tank. On more than one occasion I considered actually getting in, but was worried I wouldn't be able to get back out again.
:rotfl:
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Thanks @fcmf . I do remember reading that link that you posted somewhere else (I can't remember where!). It is one of the things that got me seriously considering shrimp. I'm not interested in adjusting my water parameters, as I'm trying to minimise the maintenance on my tank. I'd rather chose stock that is happy in the water I have. But if I could get shrimp that would be happy in the water, then I'm happy to give them a food supplement.
Bearing in mind that I have rasboras that will eat all food that is out (even sinking pellets forge bottom feeders) (and I don't yet know how future fish purchases will behave), could you recommend a shrimp food? Or even a type? There seems so much choice, I wouldn't know where to start.
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Tweaking the water flows seems to have worked. No big holes in the sand this morning. ;)
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So I've discovered the cause of the substrate redistrution. Not the water flows, nor the kuhli loaches, but Bertie (my BN Plec).
I tidied up all the holes I could find, yesterday and it occurred to me that they are all near his favourite hangouts (not just in the sand, but also the finer gravel had been re-arranged.)
This afternoon I noticed that the sand under the newest cave had been shifted (it had been fine 10 minutes earlier!). Effectively enlarging the cave. And inside the cave, filling the space quite nicely was a BN!
I've just watched him in the hole at the front of the tank and he was swishing his large tail and I could seen sand flying about.
Hmm, I'll have to have a think about how to solve this problem. One of the caves I can make bigger, another I will just have to leave at the size Bertie makes it and smooth out the pile of gravel that he's moved out of the way.
I'm at a bit of a loss a to what do with the excavation at the front of the tank - other than keep filling it in. Or even just leave the divot and smooth out the excavated sand. I wasn't thinking of doing the latter until I just saw a kuhli feeding at the bottom of the hole - there must be something tasty down there!
At least I know the fish are enjoying the new set up. :rotfl:
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Some fish do love to rearrange the tank to suit them. In my tank it's the stiphodons as they like to tunnel under things. And for a few weeks I had a strange hollow in the sand which turned out to be the two male peacock gudgeons going round each other in circles sizing each other up. So I'm not surprised to find that Bertie has been excavating you tank. It may look perfect to you but BNs obviously have a different concept of perfect ;D
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:rotfl:
At least you have found the culprit.
That's the things with live animals, however much hard work you put in to creating a beautiful environment for them, they will still make their own minor adjustments.
My male BN also likes to rearrange areas around his main cave, and the gobies enjoy burrowing, but my mudskippers are the worst offenders. Their rearrangements in the tank are numerous, and have made it look more natural.
I think that Sue has a very valid point about the fish having a different concept of perfect when it comes to their environments. Unless it's going to cause a major problem in the tank, I'd be tempted to leave the rearrangements as they are, otherwise it may become a constant battle between you and Bertie.
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Ive got an vision of a pissed of Bertie sat staring at you as you walk away from the tank after putting it back to your version of perfect, or readig a little magazine looking for a new owner perhaps... :rotfl:
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Bertie leaning over to the other fish in the tank "look what she's done, just when I'd just got it perfect, she's gone and put it all back". :rotfl:
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If being able to rearrange the tank means my fish are more happy with their environment, i think it's a good thing.
The excavations I'm most worried about are the ones under decoration, in case it destabilises them. The one under the bogwood is probably ok - the wood is more likely to tip in the other direction, and if by some chance Bertie does manage to enlarge his cave enough to make the wood tip onto it, the wood would rest against the back of the tank before it squashed him.
However, I was worried about the rock cave, which is a flat stone resting on a oval stone - both with bolbitus attached to them. They used to be siliconed together, but the silicone wasn't strong enough to hold the stones together when I repeatedly moved them, recently. And now I can't leave the plants out of the water long enough to re apply the silicon. I've tried gluing the stones with the seachem flourish glue, but it didn't work (I now just have white patches on the stones).
So I'd pushed the stones into the sand to increase their stability. But this clearly means the cave is too small for Bertie's taste! I'll have to find a compromise with Bertie that means he has the space he wants without me constantly worrying that he's going to get squashed!
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I should add that all your comments about what Bertie is saying had me laughing out loud. :rotfl: :rotfl:
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One of the larger fish (can't remember which) at an LFS made a lot of changes to the tank, especially around the cave she liked. Steve said that when he pushed the substrate back she would peck at his hand and try to push him away. He said that at least it gave her something to do to keep her occupied, bearing in mind that tanks in shops don't often have as much decor in them for the fish to explore. Fair point.