Cheap basic substrates

[AusPleco]

Okay so right now i am only keeping peppermints in my 4ft tank with about 12 male endlers. The tank is currently barebottom for cleaning purposes however i would really like to add a substrate but i want something that is easy to clean.

I gravel vac the waste out atleast once a day with my eheim gravel vac so would like something that allows me to see the waste easily and will not easily allow the waste to get under the substrate. Ideally i would a sand based substrate however i am a bit put off as previously when i had a sand based substrate in my tropical community tank it eventually ended up going black in some parts and developed a bad smell.

This may however have been due to minimal gravel cleans though so yeah.
I have read that some people use pool filter sand in their substrate however i am not too familiar with it. My other thoughts were to buy a bag of pebbles and clean them and put them in however would be concerned my algae wafers and water not may fall between the stones and the peppermints may not be able to reach the food?



So basically to recap for suggestions,
I am wanting something in which i can still easily identify the waste,
Not expensive
and easy clean
will be in a thin layer as all plants are on wood

thanks in advance

 

[jimmywr]

pool filter sand looks nice cheap:thumbup:
go to a pool shop
just use a small layer

 

[Irene0100]

sand is good. do not have more than 1cm and either disturb it every few weeks (especially if it forms deeper drifts) and/or add MTs snails to bury in sand. the reason it goes black and smells(and will kill fish) is cos its too deep and does not get oxygen in it.

 

[Gem400]

I second Irenes advice, especially regarding the depth of the sand. When I first started out I had it too deep and sadly paid the price
I now tend to use a courser grain sand which desn't tend to suck up so easy when you are cleaning, costs a little more but is worth it and looks good.

 

[AusPleco]

might go for a trip to pool shop tomorrow and see if they got course sand definately wouldnt be more then a centremetre if that thanks for replies

 

[MUTLI]

If you got to a landscapers shop, you can get Mary river sand or white washed sand for a bout $6-$10 p/20kg's. White washed sand is much finer than mary river stuff. plants go off in it as well

 

[AusPleco]

how does it go in regards to water perimeters, any effect?

 

[MUTLI]

Mine has had no effect at all

 

[AusPleco]

well i went to the pool shop and ended up getting zeolite instead of pool sand Must say i am quiet impressed with the look in the tank now and does not affect my eheim gravel vac a great deal.

Also managed to score a gigantic submarine ornament normally over $100 from petbarn for just $26 lol , it not in the tank tho just in the garage.

As soon as i rescaped the tank one of the females went nutters and tried caving with one of the males straight away lol

 

[zeebo]

looks good !, but i did not realize you could use zeolite as a substrate, seems i learn something new everyday here. Oh, how did you adhere the plants to the wood ? looks great.

 

[AusPleco]

with stuff like fishing line that came with one of my daughters craft things lol. Some of them are also attached by their roots.
Couldnt be bothered buying a hole reel of fishing line. I added a really nice big anubias plant today has over 10 leaves which has grown enormously with no light