I have a 55 gallon community tank with lots of plants and a gravel substrate. I am getting a 75 gallon 18in wide tank tomorrow or sometime soon. I was hoping someone could give me a good rundown or direct toward a good guide on substrates. I have always liked black sand but not sure how they would look with a lighter wood and plants. I am not sure I would want to use any sort of peat/soil substrate due to the ph swings and added effort. Curious how sand or soil would affect the cleanliness and chemistry of my water. Also, I read that sand at the store may be treated for saltwater. Is there a certain type for freshwater and how expensive might it be for a 75.
I've got at least 10 types of plants and I have cory catfish, a twig cat, rainbows, neon and rummynose tetras, SAEs, rainbow sharks, roseline sharks, hatchet fish, rasbora hets, clown and kuhli loaches, and cherry and bamboo shrimp. I think that is it. I also run pressurized CO2 and 2 powerheads in the tank. I try to do weekly 50% water changes but with school its more like 2 weeks.
Oh, and one last concern is cleaning. I don't really clean my gravel aside from water changes. Is cleaning sand much more difficult?
I've got at least 10 types of plants and I have cory catfish, a twig cat, rainbows, neon and rummynose tetras, SAEs, rainbow sharks, roseline sharks, hatchet fish, rasbora hets, clown and kuhli loaches, and cherry and bamboo shrimp. I think that is it. I also run pressurized CO2 and 2 powerheads in the tank. I try to do weekly 50% water changes but with school its more like 2 weeks.
Oh, and one last concern is cleaning. I don't really clean my gravel aside from water changes. Is cleaning sand much more difficult?