laurie.os

Is it essential to have sand in a Malawi Cichlid tank?? We have a 190L Trigon which is currently cycling and should (fingers crossed!) be ready for fish soon. Any advice is appreciated....

Butterfly

I'm not really sure but look at this cool site I found while researching for you
http://malawicichlids.com/index.htm
But here is the best set-up site I've seen.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/article...lawi_setup.php
carol

laurie.os

Thanks Carol

Slug

Not essential. They can live without it, but i don't see why you wouldn't. Its so much fun to watch them play and dig around in the sand. And spitting it all over the place.

Allie

We use a mix of Size 2 silica sand (which you can a huge bag, like 40kgs at a hardware store for $10) with beach rocks about the size of your thumb nail. It what we use in all of our cichlid tanks. If you want to color it up a bit put some colored gravel in with the silica.
Personally I like the natural tones much better.

laurie.os

Thanks Allie, we have a nice white gravel in there but I was thinking that a bit of sand would be nice. I have to agree about the natural tones

catersun

I HAD gravel, natural rock coloring very lovely, and PITA to clean... and then decided to change the tank over to sand, and it's hilarious how much my fish enjoy the sand. If you ever want to see a ticked off Red Zebra. Fill his hole he has been digging for a week when you clean the tank and watch him dig it back out. Keeps him busy from harrasing the other fish. I definatly perfer the sand now.