Sand & Gravel Substrate?

[CreatureLover]

Hello all, I'm about to set up a new tank for 2 Bristlenose, 1 Asian Stone Cat and a few Angelfish. It will be a live planted tank with aquarium soil at the bottom, small gravel over that and I'd like to make a few smaller areas of sand only for the cats to have as well. If any of you could share some images of your own tanks with mixed substrates, I'd like to see what's worked for you layout wise.

Also open to any tips you have to prevent it all from becoming one big mixed substrate over time and from vacuuming.

Thanks!

[TwoTankAmin]

I have never had any luck with mixed substrate and sand, they eventually get mixed. The fish will usually see the that. That nice big bn is sitting in the sand and you walk up to the tank and startle it. A big cloud of sand goes into the water column as it bolts for cover with a strong swish of its tail. And you end up with sand in the gravel.

I have a 75 gal. with a sand bottom. It has plants on rocks and wood as well as in pots. The pots contain small gravel. This gets knocked out by corys rooting around or plecos doing the same. And then there is the occasional move when working in the tank which tips over a pot and the gravel mixes with the sand. It is not easy to get out.

My advice is to pick one form of the substrate and go with it. For corys it is important to select a small gravel size and one which has smooth edges rather than sharp one.

Just this fish keepers thoughts, as always. I am sure others may disagree

[Bas Pels]

I also never tried a mixed bottom, I have sand in all my tanks (currently 8, once upon a time 40)

[CreatureLover]

I have never had any luck with mixed substrate and sand, they eventually get mixed. The fish will usually see the that. That nice big bn is sitting in the sand and you walk up to the tank and startle it. A big cloud of sand goes into the water column as it bolts for cover with a strong swish of its tail. And you end up with sand in the gravel.

I have a 75 gal. with a sand bottom. It has plants on rocks and wood as well as in pots. The pots contain small gravel. This gets knocked out by corys rooting around or plecos doing the same. And then there is the occasional move when working in the tank which tips over a pot and the gravel mixes with the sand. It is not easy to get out.

My advice is to pick one form of the substrate and go with it. For corys it is important to select a small gravel size and one which has smooth edges rather than sharp one.

Just this fish keepers thoughts, as always. I am sure others may disagree

I appreciate the feedback! The scenario you described is part of what I was worried about too. This particular tank will be a 60 gallon and the thought of having the setup be a big expensive mess...ugh! Our current tanks have the smaller, smooth gravel (aside from our bare bottom Angelfish nursery tank) and our Bristlenose do great with it. I'm getting another young Bristlenose and the Asian Stone cat from someone else and they're used to sand though. You've given me a lot to think about, thank you!

PS: Your zebra is gorgeous!

Creature

[CreatureLover]

I also never tried a mixed bottom, I have sand in all my tanks (currently 8, once upon a time 40)

I'm a little nervous about doing full sand, as we've always done various gravel...but this may end up having to be my first go round. I'd love to be able to successfully figure out how to do a mix though!

40 tanks would be a dream! A very busy dream. ;) We only have 3 going and are working on a 4th and 5th currently.

Creature

[Bas Pels]

I ordered the sand from a raod builder, a cubic meter in total (that's 1000 liters) of sand with a lot of clay. After 15 years of use, the clay has disappeared.

For plants I make pots with sand, clay and sometimes other ingredients such as peat or compost - depending on the intended plants.

One tank, without fishes, has a 50 % clay bottom. Nice for growing Echionodorus plants

[CreatureLover]

Potentially silly question here, but how do you make your pots? I’d love to see a photo if you have any!

Thanks for the feedback!

[Bas Pels]

I don't think there is very much to tell. I use the containers I got food in. Foir instance, I once got a 1 kg (~2 pounds) bucket of coleslaw, which I cleaned after eating, filled with a mixture of 50 % sand 50 % dried clay, and 2 or 3 mm only sand. Than I carefully added water untill fully suberged. This water I gave the time to dry out, somehow fixating the whole.

Than I planted 1 Echionodorus plant

This system has been in use for a long time, but where I used to use 500 ml (1 pint) cxontainers, now I use much, much larger ones, up to 3 kg or more.

Please look after the right shape, the more like a cooking pan - that is around 2/3 as high as the diameter, the better. I eat a lot of sambal (ground Spanish peppers) which I buy in 3 kg buckets. These are perfect.

I'll try to make som pictures later, but these are only illustrating, they don't tell much.

[Bas Pels]

As promised, a picture of the cole slaw plant

and a detail of the sambal plant

I do hope this helps explaining. The tank the plants are now in is 60 cm (2 feet) high, the cole slaw plant has reached the surface, the sambalplant only has leaved above it.

I expect to put them in a pond in a fortnight for the summer, depending on how the wether develops. Said pond is also around 60 cm deep.