Best aquarium substrate according to redditors
We found 77 Reddit comments discussing the best aquarium substrate. We ranked the 37 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 77 Reddit comments discussing the best aquarium substrate. We ranked the 37 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
This would be a good place to start
Assuming you have pockets
Check out some pictures in my profile of the 10 gallon I have set up. Here's what I would do if I were you. Can you start fresh? Here's what to do:
Buy one 15 pound bag of Seachem Flourite substrate. It comes in many colors, I prefer black. It comes in gravel type and sand type. I personally started w/ gravel type but the sand type is more fun, in my opinion. I added sand on top of my gravel afterwards and it will stay only because I already have plants established. But when I move everyone to a 20long or 29 in the near future, I would just use the sand. Just REMEMBER TO WASH IT THOROUGHLY! It is VERY dusty. But this stuff is worth it, I promise. Your plants will grow 10x better than if you used regular gravel or regular sand. This is the only stuff I'll use for planted tanks. It holds onto some nutrients and helps bring it to plant roots. It's inert, so it won't change your ph. And it NEVER breaks down, unlike most of the other good plant substrates, which have to be replaced every 1-3 years. So it's the best choice imo. It is economical, compared to other plant substrates. It will help you achieve success with your plants.
For plants, I recommend a few basic ones to start out with, bulletproof. You should buy as many plants as you can physically fit in your tank, they will do better that way. You can get the following at most pet stores too. Anubias and java fern have what's called a rhizome and you should superglue it to driftwood, rocks, or decorations. Lots of Youtube vids of this for inspiration. And Amazon sword (echinodorus) a root feeder which won't do as good in gravel, but does awesome in Flourite and looks beautiful when it's grown in. Jungle Val (vallisneria) is a long, grassy looking plant which is a great filler plant. Cryptocorne (wendtii and parva are a couple I love) give some nice variation in heigh and texture. And red dwarf lily, which comes as a bulb, is a beautiful red plant with big drapey leaves and it sends lily pads to the surface. All of these are easy growers. Throw a root tab deep under the substrate every few months (i use 2 broken in half, four pieces, as a 10 gallon isn't very big. Api brand or Flourish tabs are p good)
And the other part of the equation for plants to thrive is light. You can go basic for this or fancy, it doesn't really matter. Just find an LED light between $15-50 that has good reviews and fits your tank, it will probably have enough light for the plants I recommended above. Please get a timer to set your light to be consistent. You can set the timer for 5-8 hours at first so algae doesn't have as much a chance to grow, but if you stuff your aquarium with plants, you will have easier time with that. They will outcompete most algae in the right cases.
You will have to cycle the tank, I hope you know about this but if not please research the nitrogen cycle as it is crucial to the health of your tank. Get an API freshwater master test kit and do frequent water changes if you do fish-in cycle.
For fish, a few you can get at pet stores are:
For a centerpiece fish, imo a betta is the best easy and fun option. Only 1 to a tank. My heart belongs to my female betta Serafina, she is amazing, the queen of her 10 gallon. I would get one with short fins, a king betta, or a female, please, because they do better with the bigger space, the ones with long flowing fins are fighting against the weight of them and can have a hard time in a 10. But a plakat or female will be sharky and awesome to watch. Sometimes they are aggressive to tankmates, but if you set the tank up as thickly planted as i suggest, they usually do quite well with the right tank mates. Usually, this means bottom feeders. You have a few options.
Pygmy corydoras, you can start with 4 and have up to 6 or 7 maximum, start with a lower number and add a few more after a couple weeks if you do the fish-in cycle. They are really fun little fish who are quite active when they are in a proper group, easy to keep, and really fun.
You can do otocinclus instead of corydoras. I would suggest not, because they need a well seasoned tank with a good amount of algae and biofilm and can be challenging to keep. Nevertheless, I have 5 of these in my 10gal and they do awesome. 3 females, 2 males. They are fat, peaceful, happy, and mine have some iridescence to them since they grew up nice and healthy. I love them!
With either betta and corydoras or otocinclus, doesnt matter, you can also have up to 3 mystery snails in your tank if your filtration is really really really good. These guys are a little messy and can get big but they are amazing! Only pick really active ones, if they are all lazy at the store get different ones or wait for another shipment. They have so much character and can get as big as like, a lemon! I have 3 beautiful grey ones in my 10gal, and in my 5.5 gallon amano shrimp and wild female betta tank I have 1 ivory colored and 1 golden colored mysteries. In my Fluval Spec V, I have 1 black mystery snail. They are really really cool and I would be sad to have a tank without them.
And that is a good complete stocking for your tank. I also have red cherry shrimp in my 10, but those can be hard to find. If you want, you can add some of those or amano shrimp.
My 10 gallon is a blast to watch and it's because I set myself up for success from the beginning. I never get bored, it's like a whole ecosystem and there's always something cute or funny going on! My tankmates get along really well, and often hang out together, it is really fascinating.
Aside from thanking everyone who replied, I want to take the time to update on whats going on.
After I posted, I was leaning into purchasing a Fluval Spec V to house Fishy. 170). I started looking for other options such as buying another tank, buying at a LFS or commissioning a tank.
A reputable tank maker quoted me US$45.00 to make a 15 Gallon tank, with the following dimension 16.25''x16.25''x13.25'' (LxWxH) made with .88 mm glass or aprox 1/3''.
In turn, I would have to buy a filter, a heater and light (as well as substrate and plants). Here is what Im leaning towards, advice would be very much appreciated, as its my first tank in about 10 years:
Heater: Eheim 25 watt.
Filter: Aquaclear HOB Power Filter 20.
Light: Finnex Stingray 16'.
An acquaintance suggested I buy this filter instead:
Aquaclear Power Head + Aquaclear Powerhead Attachment.
Even suggested I fit my tank with two of those instead of the HOB filter.
Being a noob, I dont really know much about those types of filters.
For plants Im thinking something like this:
Fluval Anubias 12'.
Fluval Lizard Tail.
Substrate: Im looking forward to adding real plants in the future.
Soil - ADA Africana.
Sand - something along that color.
I already own an APC UPS, similar to this one or even the same one (i dont really remember).
Again, any tips or suggestions are welcome.
https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arag-Alive-20-Pound-Fiji-Pink/dp/B00025YVGC/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=297471WWOE9MK&keywords=aquarium+sand+saltwater&qid=1550532526&s=gateway&sprefix=aquarium+sand&sr=8-2
I had Fiji pink in my tanks and had good luck with it
I’m glass bottom now tho 😎
I got a great deal on the African Cichlid Sahara sand near my house and I think it looks great! It says it raises the pH but it hasn't affected it very much. My water quality is great from what I've tested, and the pH is at 7.4. Just make sure the other inhabitants in your tank are fine with a higher pH.
let me preface this with, i highly recommend you drill your tanks and turn the 10g into a sump. sumps are by far the best filtration for saltwater tanks. i feel like the cost of pumps, plumbing, and the glass/acrylic would come to about $100+ but it really its the best in terms of saltwater filtration. id look up a few guides on like drilling tanks and making sumps and see if its for you.
If not, you could use your aquaclear with sponges and filter floss (no need for biomedia, maybe carbon now and then though) as mechanical filtration.
the heater should be fine but you need a really reliable one. a lot of people like eheim jager or cobalt neotherm as they have good reliability as a temp swing or spike, while would be ok for a lot of freshwater fish and plants, can kill corals easily. yours should be fine if you want to stick with it though.
You are not going to need or want that canister. they have no place in saltwater as they are just nitrate factories.
So heres a few basic things youre gonna want:
red sea test kit - $40. the api freshwater actually works for salt if you have it, but red sea is more accurate.
the red sea foundation test kit is good if you want corals and stuff to test your kh, Ca, and Mg. - ~$50 - some people also use salifert test kits. up to you which one you wanna do.
hanna phosphate checker $50- down the line youre gonna want one if you do corals. a lot of people use it. i dont even have mine yet but good to keep an eye on as phosphates are pretty important to monitor in your reef.
rodi system - ~$140. this is super important . you could buy your saltwater premixed from your lfs but that will add up after a while. with this you hook it up under a sink to make rodi water (similar to distilled) and use that to mix your saltwater.
salt $75 for 175gallons of saltwater worth - red sea is seen as the best for corals but you can use the instant ocean sea salt as well. red sea just has better nutrients for coral growth. `
powerheads - honestly like $50 for two koralia 425's to $500+ for high end. id suggest this set of two jebao sw4's. they are wavemakers and you can control the flow and waves. they alternate on and off to make a current which fish and corals really like. this is like $100.
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On to rock and sand, these are your biological filtration and where all the bacteria live. for sand you want probably 1.5-2" of sand unless you plant to do a deep sand bed (look it up for more info) and you want 1-1.5lbs of rock per gallon. all live rock and sand is more expensive than going like mostly dry rock and dry sand and adding a tiny bit of live. doing this will mean that you have to wait for the bacteria on the live rock to spread throughout all the other rock and sand. in larger systems its a LOT cheaper this way but as my tank is small i went all live from the start.
live sand ~$40-50 - you can probably find it cheaper local. amazon marks sand up high cuz of shipping cost. 30lbs will probably give you a good depth. you could also do dry sand for slightly cheapr
live rock- this depends on where you live. around me the stores sell it for $6-7 a lb but if i go on craigslist i can find it for like $3 a lb. id look around tbh and see what you can find.
dry rock on the other hand can be found pretty cheap for like $2-3 a lb. like it said, i think its a bit slower but def cheaper to do dry vs live.
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this next part is dependent on whether or not you plan to do corals, which ill assume you are (cuz who doesnt want corals?!?!)
a light: there are SO much variety for reef lights. you can do t5, led, metal halide, and so much more. the light also depends on what type of corals you want to do and their light requirements.
id probably suggest something like a mars aqua if you want to go cheap. you power the whites and blues on a separate times so you can have em on two timers. id look around for advice on lighting schedules and such like this. the light is $100 and you are gonna want to find a way to hang it btw.
if you want to do high end lights, look into something like the aid prime hd or even a kessil a160.
always check ebay/craigslist cuz you can find some good deals for these on there!
if you dont do corals, honestly whatever light to light the tank up works.
if i missed anything, someone else chime in or ill add it later if i remember
Here let me price out a decent tank for you.
10 dollars for a 10 gallon tank, dollar per gallon sale at petco
20 dollars for a heater, This one will work with a 10 gallon
10 dollars for sand It's only 5 pounds though so you may need two
30 dollars on a filter, This is on the expensive side, there are much cheaper you could do.
45 for a light. This is a plant light, it can grow plants, you can go cheaper if you don't want to grow plants
After that your only cost is your pets. Aquatics is a expensive hobby but with this set up you could easily do a betta. If you want to skip the heater you could do some shrimp or some other subtropical fish. Filter can be downsized too, I personally like to go with a stronger filter. Light could also be fairly cheap, it's a light to see your animals if you don't wish to use it to grow plants. That's my go to when setting up a new tank.
For filters I'd go with two Fluval FX6's or two SunSun HW-304B's. Either of those will give you at least 8x overturn per hour. Or you could drill it and do a sump system.
The cheapest substrate would be sand from a local hardware store. My favorite so far is a pure white sand in 50 lb. white paper bags from Menards. Other people prefer black blasting sand, play sand, or pool sand. All work equally as well. As cichlids require hard water, you could use aragonite sand to help buffer the water, but a tank that size needs around 200 lbs. of sand and would get expensive quickly. There's also contractor's sand that is actually small pebbles. You can always go with the chunky gravel sold in pet stores. Or, if you're planting your tank, you could go with a dirted tank topped with sand or small gravel.
Throw in some cichlid stones, driftwood, or rocks to spruce up the decor a bit. Good luck!
this one (btw one bag is barely enough for a 10 gallon)
http://www.amazon.com/Carib-Sea-ACS05821-Tahitian-Aquarium/dp/B003JW54TS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1425220117&sr=8-7&keywords=pool+filter+sand
This is pre-washed and inert. Those are the basic requirements, right?
Id say look into some slate or river rock. You can get it from landscaping supply stores for cheap, it looks pretty good, and apparently, cichlids love it. Id highly recommends Carib sea cichlid black or speckled sand. It looks clean for forever, and it helps keep the parameters right.
Sand: Amazon link for it
What a slate or rock and sand only tank looks like link another example
People also like These things but they are a little pricey
I have this rock https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00IK5TJU4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And this sand https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000YJMYPG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I also bought 2 pieces of Live fiji rock from a local fish store
Here are some pictures from setting up the hardscape, as well as a close up of the plants
And here's some info!
Tank - mr aqua 12g long The back of the tank has been painted with plastidip.
Filter - Eheim 2215
Heater - Hydor 200w inline heater
Light - Current USA Satellite LED+. Have it dimmed to ~60% RGB/White on a memory setting.
Light stand - This off amazon which I had to bend a bit since it's narrower than the Satellite.
Pipes - Chinese lily pipes off ebay. Going to be replacing them with these stainless steel ones
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Sand - Carib sea sand
Gravel substrate - Seachem Flourite
Rocks - Seiryu Stone I bought a few packs and have a good amount extra, just to use interesting pieces. Took a chisel to one rock to get smaller parts to work with.
Wood - 4 Pieces of small / medium spiderwood from my LFS. My LFS had a good selection and they let me configure some pieces to see how they'd work together.
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Plants:
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No fauna yet but I plan on moving my RCS over, and getting some micro crabs and possibly another type of shrimp!
Setup
Item| Description
---|---
Tank | 55 Gallon
Filter|[Marineland Penguin 350] (http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Penguin-Power-Filter-70-Gallon/dp/B0009IMDQM/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1406908824&sr=1-1&keywords=bio-wheel+350&dpPl=1)
Filter | Marineland Penguin 150 filled with Biomax
Heater| Aqueon 200w heater
Substrate | Tahitian Moon Sand
Substrate| CaribSea Eco Complete
Lighting|Marineland Single Bright
I wish I went with a better lighting system as it's very weak, I can only grow low light, easy going plants. Currently looking for something better. I also want to upgrade to a [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Cascade%C2%AE-Canister-Filter-Gallon-Aquariums/dp/B0002DJ9NY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406911455&sr=8-1&keywords=pennplax+canister+filter&dpPl=1). canister filter.
I have in there some platties, had 4 red and 4 yellow but some died and some spawned, I don't know how much platties I have. I also have 2 green cory catfish, and 2 zebra danios (I know I'm supposed to have more, but when I first started out I had about 6 of each with some guppies. Had a bad ich attack and lost everyone except the two corys and two danios)
http://imgur.com/a/Pbs4X
The sand is This stuff I love this sand. It is fine but it seems to be a haven for little bugs, copepods and other live. The snails love it as well!
It appears to look like Mr. Aqua plant soil.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JUC6IU0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519852598&sr=8-1&keywords=mr.+aqua+plant+soil&dpPl=1&dpID=513ALW3Oo1L&ref=plSrch
I had purchased this sand specifically for top dressing. Most granules are like 3 Millimeters. Very course not fine at all. Hope that helps. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JW8YY0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Mine was also black and I ended up switching the eco complete for dirt and pool filter sand. I really liked the look of this sand for a natural look but I'm on an incredibly tight budget. You might try capping the eco complete with a similar grain sized gravel?
I felt like the eco complete had too 'modern' look for a planted aquarium. I think it would look really awesome in a more minimalist goldfish tank with some striped gneiss and some cabomba, but not for anything heavily planted.
Yeah I got it on amazon, but it was a little pricey. Most people just use Equilibrium. You can also increase the hardness in other ways, like by adding crushed coral or limestone to your tank or to the filter.
You can also just add a coral rock to the tank. My local fish store has a big box of rocks like this for like $3 a pound. They slowly leech carbonates and calcium into the water, increasing the hardness.
I personally use Caribsea Aragonite mixed in with my substrate to keep the hardness high.
Keep in mind that increasing the carbonate hardness will cause the pH to buffer around 8.1. This is a good thing for the stability of your tank, but some fish or plants prefer more acidic water. Most fish just like stable water regardless of the pH.
I used this when I set up my last aquarium. I wish I had seen it before using eco-complete on my big tank. I still might see if I can find a slightly darker version that would look nice scattered over the black eco-complete.
Do you cap with sand and this stuff? Or just one or the other?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005QTEO66/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523256629&sr=8-3&keywords=aquarium+sand
Im using a clay based substrate from Aqueon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HGKK59Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1BlUDbHQ20EDH
UP Aqua Shrimp Sand
LFS recommended it, so I grabbed a bag.
Use aquarium sand. Play sand tends to have concrete and other potentially harmful construction dusts.
I'm checking the LFS water right now. Water changes are 25% weekly.
Tank:
https://imgur.com/kEdgMX1
Sand: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018CLX9Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://m.petsmart.com/h5/hub?id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.petsmart.com%2Ffish%2Faquariums%2Ftop-fin-5.5-gal-aquarium-starter-kit-zid36-17829%2Fcat-36-catid-300065%3Fnull
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006JLPG8/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1421727524&sr=1-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003JW8YY0/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?qid=1421727616&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&dpPl=1&dpID=41GG306TQ7L&ref=plSrch
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003U84S3O/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1421727654&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&dpPl=1&dpID=41XQDTcfiPL&ref=plSrch#immersive-view_1421727666581
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003ZW9AU6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1421727698&sr=8-1&dpPl=1&dpID=51bvqaKNWgL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SX200_QL40
Did you add water to your tank gently? I used this sand and I didnt rinse it at all and added water very slowly. Didn't cloud up too much.
Here is the mobile version of your link
How do you rinse live sand? Won't rinsing it basically kill it?
I have about 60 lbs of this and I just ordered 80 more pounds: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00025YVGC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I buy pre-mixed saltwater from my LFS, but I will make sure the temp is right before adding the fish.
Thanks for the link! I spent all day driving around to different stores looking for the right substrate but I couldn't find anything I liked. I ended ordering some online. Carib Sea Peace River Gravel
There are two of them listed on Amazon with a 5 dollar difference, do you know the difference between the two?
Flourite Black for $20.63
Flourite Black Sand for $25.25
This stuff is Mr Aqua soil. They sell small bags of it which is nice. I didn't use the whole bag but I probably should've put more in.
Mr. Aqua Aquarium Soil Substrate 1 Liter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JUC6IU0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Ur3Ezb4CXXJ49
I had picked it up at the lfs and it was cheaper.
The first sand I actually came across was CaribSea black listed as PH neutral. I know my son likes the black bottom which we could then add pops of color with a little bit of colorful gravel(in small amounts here and there I assume that wouldnt be a problem?).
So a 20 Gallon could support 13 fish like yours? Some corys Rasbora and a Betta? If that's the case that might be an easy sell. A lot more fish.
Any recommendations on type or color of sand? Saw [this one] (https://www.amazon.com/ACTIVA-Decor-Sand-28oz-Light/dp/B00A7FWBJ6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1498169377&sr=8-6&keywords=sand) on amazon that looked okay.
Marineland portrait: 52$ https://www.walmart.com/ip/Marineland-5-Gallon-Portrait-Glass-LED-Aquarium-Kit/40231748
5lbs Marco Rock from a LFS: 15$
Filter floss: 13.99 https://www.amazon.com/inTank-Aquarium-Pond-Value-600-square-inches/dp/B00B50UPE0
Live Sand: 12.54 https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Ocean-Bio-Activ-Aragonite-Aquarium/dp/B0018CLX9Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=live+sand+for+saltwater+aquarium&qid=1564404014&s=gateway&sprefix=Live+sand&sr=8-3
5 gallons RO water from LFS: 7$
Aaaand there you go. Just a little under a hundred. It won't be optimal, but it's something. However, like everyone said, you're better off waiting and saving up money so you can start up proper.
Try this substrate: www.amazon.com/dp/B003JW54TS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_m85uxbDFFVP8A
Edit: That glue stuff was just an example. No need to add any glue if you're just going to layer the bottom with it.
It's CaribSea Super Naturals Crystal River Sand. Bought it from Amazon, of all places: http://www.amazon.com/Carib-Sea-ACS05840-Naturals-Aquarium/dp/B003JVU03O/ref=sr_1_23?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1395181403&sr=1-23&keywords=caribsea
I also overslept which resulted in a weird random dream about me skateboarding. I don't even know how to skateboard. But yeah I hate oversleeping I had a crappy day too. Hope your week gets better! Also, you are awesome for doing this.
If i do win i'd like some black aquarium sand for my 10 gallon fish tank. Right now it has some white gravel. (with sand i'd be able to add pgymy corydoras and the black would make the fish's color pop out more).
Karma, quick!
Eco COmplete - red course
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+27696+10742+9087&pcatid=9087
Seachem Flourite (red):http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+27696+10742+4870&pcatid=4870
and slightly questionable:
http://www.amazon.com/Worldwide-Imports-AWW80055-Terra-5-Pound/dp/B00176E8P4/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1464038103&sr=8-23&keywords=red+aquarium+substrate
Snails will be fine with your shrimp and your plants. Personally I like Nerite snails because they are really neat looking, come in a variety of patterns, and won't breed in freshwater so you dont have to worry about them overtaking your tank.
If you think youre going to want to add live plants later, you might want to go with a substrate specifically for planted aquariums. Flourite, eco complete, ada amazonia, whatever.. or you could go for something specifically for shrimp like fluval shrimp stratum or this stuff which I not ever personally used... but is much cheaper. The reviews indicate that its really light weight tho, so you will have to weight any plants you stick in it.. it looks like the only real difference between the special "shrimp" type is just the size and shape of the granules though. They will do fine in either, Personally I am using [Eco complete](CaribSea Eco-Complete 20) for my crystal red shrimp planted tank and everything is doing fine in there.
If you don't want to shell out the money, use whatever you think looks good, sand, gravel,glass beads, legos, whatever... doesn't matter too much. Just personal preference, but I think Cherry red shrimp look really nice against a solid black or solid white sand or fine gravel. (you can also get a good quality plant substrate and just cap it with sand or gravel, but you have to be a little more careful about adjusting plants so you dont mix them all up if the color differs.
Easy beginner plants are things like Java ferns, several types of crypts, amazon sword... These things shouldntrequire Co2 dosing or too much light. Java Moss is super easy as well and makes a great hiding spot for baby shrimp or fish fry, and can look nice tied onto a piece of driftwood or a rock.. or even on the top of a cichlid stone or small terra cotta pot laid on it's side like a cute little shrimp house.
Cherry shrimp are pretty easy to keep, not too expensive, and breed like crazy. You should get a water testing kit so you can monitor your PH, nitrates/nitrites, ammonia, etc levels.
And you will want some kind of guard on the intake of your aquarium filter so babies can't get sucked in. You can get stainless steel or sponge covers off amazon or ebay, or you can just tie a piece of pantyhose or something over it if you're not too concerned about the appearance.
If you are COMPLETELY new to fishkeeping, you could also consider getting some simple beginner community fish like mollies, guppies, danios... Your local petstore probably has a section labeled as "beginner fish"
They come in a million colors and patterns and you would have to try pretty hard to kill them.
Corydoras do best on sand substrate. Caribsea Crystal River sand is a very fine, natural looking substrate. Gravel is not recommended for Corydoras. If you're determined to use gravel, you may want to reconsider you stocking choices. The peppered corys will be fine with your 15 gallon, but the panda and emerald corys need a larger aquarium (20+ gallons and 30+ gallons respectively).
I know BRS has live rock but I’m worried with how I’d set up my aquascape if I can’t pick out the pieces. Do I need a 20 pound or 10 pound bag of sand because I’m looking at the live sand for my 10 gallon.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7FWBJ6
At least $50 USD to fill a 45g, I would say 3 bags for a nice thick layer of sand though.
Thanks for the response. Do you know if dry aragonite or the live "arag-alive" would be better?
I'm looking at these two:
https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arag-Alive-Special-Grade-20-Pound/dp/B0002DH0YO
https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Aragonite-Special-Grade-Reef/dp/B0002APLCU
The polymer coated silica sand is for aquariums, and it was recommended by the local aquarium shop. They had a few types of shrimp there but I'm not sure how knowledgeable they are.
I'll try to find a glass lid, I bought this tank used and unfortunately it did not have one.
I have a few gallons of distilled water, is that alright in place of RO?
I used to buy this:
Hamster Bathing Sand,Gerbil Powder Grooming Sand for Tiny Friends Farm Chinchilla Dust Bath Potty Litter Sand (2LB) (hamster sand) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077VLCBV2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_m2y6CbQR782SW
However it is expensive when my gerbils use it as a litter box that I need to change every other day.
I now let them use that sand once a week for about an hour a couple times a week. I keep sandbox sand (bought rediculously cheep at home depot about $5 for 5 gallons worth) in their tank for litter. I do sterilize the sand in the oven by baking it for 45 min at 300 degrees. I also sift it because it is a little less fine than I like. But that is preference.
Edit to add: you can wash and sterilize dirty sand as well.
I don’t give any sort of nutrients to the plants. Aside from this substrate I bought off amazon. Only beta food that the few ghost shrimp and beta eat. Aside from all that, that’s really all I feed the tank.
Edit: no idea why the hyper link won’t work.
Thanks! It’s this one here...
Carib Sea ACS05840 Super Naturals... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JVU03O?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Just a really thin layer for them to sift through, this is a 55 gallon and I have about 1/2” layer from 2 bags. You’d probably only need 1 if you were interested.
Amazon (Canada) Seachem Flourite Black
Is this an appropriate substrate for a planted tank? Can anyone recommend anything better?
I was told I should use a dark top layer as well for CPD's. Once you have a substrate picked out does the top layer matter (Whether sand or gravel) beyond its colour/roughness?
If you want to keep it simple, you could run a fluval Evo 13.5 gallon.
https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-10531A1-SEA-Aquarium-13-5/dp/B01M2WI6PT
It includes a light that will grow most soft corals and a few easy lps. Comes with a return pump and some filter media.
That would be about $160
You should easily be able to find about 15 lbs of base rock or cured live rock for a decent price. $50
If you want substrate, Caribsea fiji pink will work. A 20lb bag is dirt cheap on Amazon. 20
Here's a Reef 2 Reef thread with people showing off their Evo 13.5s to give you an idea of what they look like. There are also some fancier ones that I've seen on instragram that will blow your mind.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/show-your-fluval-evo-13-5.292874/
Heater. 20
https://www.amazon.com/CaribSea-Arag-Alive-20-Pound-Fiji-Pink/dp/B00025YVGC
That puts you at around $230. Clowns are about $20 at your lfs, so let's say $40
$290 total. You can do it for cheaper or much much more if you choose. I used to own this tank and I loved it. You can modify it quite a bit if you want. I added a protein skimmer, media basket, media filter, and a new light to mine.