# Sand vs. Gravel for Cichlids



## Kalypso426 (Nov 8, 2012)

Im hoping I can get some opinions here. I currently have a 55 gallon assorted african cichlid tank and I am always looking for new things to do with this tank or for future tanks I might aquire. What are the benefits/disadvantages to having sand as opposed to gravel at the bottom of an african cichlid tank? I look forward to some feedback!


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## LTruex (Nov 8, 2012)

At the risk of starting my first response with a contraversial subject...it is my opinon and prefernce to cap substrate soil with either playground or pool filter sand (the later is cleaner). It offers an easier to clean bottom where missed food decays. It looks natural to both the view and the fish, and provides some support for plants footing. I know there are others that may not agree so please understand this is just my opion and preference not intended to start a flame war. Larry


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## edisto (Nov 4, 2012)

You should look up your species' habits and decide from there. I keep South American cichlids, and mostly the gravel works better because it is harder for them to rearrange the tank. 

On the flip side, I had a rock-eater for awhile, and I had to keep adding sand to the tank to keep him happy, because he liked to sift through it.


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## Kalypso426 (Nov 8, 2012)

is there much risk of getting my fish sick with your method Larry? and i dont have live plants in my cichlid tank cause i dont want the plants to get destroyed


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## Kalypso426 (Nov 8, 2012)

a rock eater? and these are africans...and they still rearrange the tank around with the gravel lol so it really dont make a difference with that. There arent any fresh water sifter fish are there?


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## edisto (Nov 4, 2012)

Kalypso426 said:


> a rock eater? and these are africans...and they still rearrange the tank around with the gravel lol so it really dont make a difference with that. There arent any fresh water sifter fish are there?


They sold him as _Geophagus_, but I'm pretty sure it was a species of _Satanoperca_.

They like to scoop up a mouthful and blow it out their opercula. If he started to run out of sand, he'd get a little neurotic.

Unfortunately, they are very sensitive to nitrogen levels, and he got sick during a brief period of tank neglect, and never did recover. I went a little overboard on the filtration after that...


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## Kalypso426 (Nov 8, 2012)

edisto said:


> They sold him as _Geophagus_, but I'm pretty sure it was a species of _Satanoperca_.
> 
> They like to scoop up a mouthful and blow it out their opercula. If he started to run out of sand, he'd get a little neurotic.
> 
> Unfortunately, they are very sensitive to nitrogen levels, and he got sick during a brief period of tank neglect, and never did recover. I went a little overboard on the filtration after that...


Would the cichlids pick on it? Or would the fish just be kind of out of the way?


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## edisto (Nov 4, 2012)

Kalypso426 said:


> Would the cichlids pick on it? Or would the fish just be kind of out of the way?


He was the largest fish of the group when I first got him. The Jack Dempsey left him alone, but my firemouth kept after him. I think it was the similar morphology. he stood up for himself though, until he got sick and went to QT. Even when the Jack got big, he didn't bother him.

The firemouth learned his lesson when I replaced the rockeater with a green terror. He went after him at first, but eventually got put in his place.


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## Kalypso426 (Nov 8, 2012)

how big do these fish normally get?


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## edisto (Nov 4, 2012)

Kalypso426 said:


> how big do these fish normally get?


The rockeater was about 7-8 inches when I got him. The firemouth is about 6", and the Dempsey is now getting close to 10.

The rockeaters are supposed to be a good community fish. The guy I bought him from said that they do well in an aggressive tank because the others will leave him alone. Apart from the firemouth being a jerk, that seemed to be the case.


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## Kalypso426 (Nov 8, 2012)

edisto said:


> The rockeater was about 7-8 inches when I got him. The firemouth is about 6", and the Dempsey is now getting close to 10.
> 
> The rockeaters are supposed to be a good community fish. The guy I bought him from said that they do well in an aggressive tank because the others will leave him alone. Apart from the firemouth being a jerk, that seemed to be the case.


What kind of sand do you use for your tank? would it be good for the africans?


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## edisto (Nov 4, 2012)

Kalypso426 said:


> What kind of sand do you use for your tank? would it be good for the africans?


I just used play sand, and spent a lot of time washing it. It's pretty much inert, so I can't see how it would be harmful, but I've never had African cichlids, so I don't know a thing about keeping them.

I will say that I have read that the fish will be more shy if you have a light substrate, and my fish do seem more reclusive with the light substrate I have (it is light gravel) than in other tanks I have had with darker substrate,


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## Kalypso426 (Nov 8, 2012)

edisto said:


> I just used play sand, and spent a lot of time washing it. It's pretty much inert, so I can't see how it would be harmful, but I've never had African cichlids, so I don't know a thing about keeping them.
> 
> I will say that I have read that the fish will be more shy if you have a light substrate, and my fish do seem more reclusive with the light substrate I have (it is light gravel) than in other tanks I have had with darker substrate,


oh ok. this has all helped!! thank you


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## Vickwutitdo (Nov 10, 2012)

I started out with black gravel then I opted with light colored sand, now I'm back to black gravel. I noticed that the darker the substrate is the more colorful the fish will look. After I put the sand it it changed the look of the whole tank. The fish looked very dull. After getting the black gravel in again the color on the fish just popped again.


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## LTruex (Nov 8, 2012)

Kalypso426, even if they were sand sifters and made it down to the substrate if it's the type I have and will be using on my next setup in progress, which is florite (must be washed thoughly many times to use) I have never heard of a fish becoming ill on the suggested sandy bottoms or substrate I would never offer a suggestion that even hints a known risk of illness to our beloveid fishes, and I did forget to consider diggers (Oscars which I had two larger mated pair and they tear the bottoms up) hope that is not the cichilds you have or my suggestion is not good. Larry


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## LTruex (Nov 8, 2012)

Hi vickwutitdo, and your right the light color of the sand does change the look, and to that end I will put an all black background to both hide plumbing and help the pop look. I use to use the black background even with dark soil and it looks great...you can put sand cap only in some places which you will feed and cleanup is made esier...still your right it changes the look, some will like and others won't. Larry


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## LTruex (Nov 8, 2012)

Edisto, I don't know your fish, but when they are reclusive something may be a stress...if light sand color is cause, consider or entertain the idea we often run high lamp wattage (bright lights) and often for too many hours (we like to look at our tank and fish) but it could be hurting his eyes (even to the point of blindness) you can have the sand but dim the lights sometimes try putting folded up paper towels between lamps and top cover see if he comes out. Larry


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