Is this sans ok

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Hi every one
I have to rescape my tank this week end and I was wondering if this sand is not too find for using it at is own for my substrate

Thanks guys
Cheers

 

[Alastair]

looks similar to silver sand etc we have over here. will be fine but personally i would try to keep some malaysian trumpet snails to turn over the sand to prevent anaerobic patches

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Hi Alastair
Thanks for answering. So it ok ? Unfortunately I don't know if I can find trumpet snail here lol. But it ok if every two month I steer a part of the substrate. I plan also tu put some "natural balls" of laterite on the under layer. It will help for water flow down there.
So do you think it's ok this sand is not to fine

 

[Alastair]

i dont think that balls of laterite will help in terms of water flow through the sand as its a very fine grade which is why it needs to be turned often as there would be no water flow through. it doesnt look too fine to me

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Hi ok si i leave the laterite away.
Let me take another close up shot.
Do you think that even with a 10 cm layer of this sand at the back of the tank will be okay or I will have problem ?
I know I am a bit annoying with that but I don't want to rescape the tank after 3 month because I have anaerobic problems lol

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Hi ok si i leave the laterite away.
Let me take another close up shot.
Do you think that even with a 10 cm layer of this sand at the back of the tank will be okay or I will have problem ?
I know I am a bit annoying with that but I don't want to rescape the tank after 3 month because I have anaerobic problems lol

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

Here is a better shot where you can clearly see the size of the grain.

Sorry for my ugly finger but I needed some thing for the scale ahahha
Cheers

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

So guys what do you think of this size of grain for the whole substrate ?

cheers

 

[Alastair]

I think its down to personal choice. I found it annoying after a while as it just flattens down really quick and in a tank as big as yours if you didnt like it aftee youd set it up it would be very messy to get out.

 

[zanguli-ya-zamba]

It's for my 90 L tank. I have been thinking the whole day about it lol. Maybe I should explain you why I want to change for sand. In this tank I have put 9 L of aquasoil Amazonia that I bring back from Thailand. But one bag is not enough when I plant stem at the back they uproot very easily. If I only touch them when I clean the tank they uproot. Second problem I find that the grain is a bit big for plants like HC or glosso. With their small roots they don't want to settle in it. Maybe this is happening only in my tank.

So I was thinking maybe I can push all the aquasoil from front to back and from sides to center, to have a nice big layer of aquasoil at the back and at the center.
On the front and the sides I will put the sand of the pictures.
On side and front I will put HC and Glosso. And center to back mainly crypts and some stems plants.

I will use plastic to separate sand and AS. there is no problem having a long barrier of plastic ? This will not cut the flow down there ?

Thanks

Cheers