I don't like my substrate ...

OK in my haste I got some substrate that I guess, I don't like as much now as I did when I bought it ... haha. See attached pics .. the gravel sux ... definitely too big ...

My question is what can I do to fix this problem ? I don't really want to take it all out and start again .. the fish are already in there and the tank is cycled .. I don't want to stress the fish out too much ...

I definitely want smaller sized substrate ...

Colour wise I am not too sure - should I go lighter or darker substrate for ... brown cat suckers, zebra danios, tiger barbs and glowlight neons ..what would make them stand out more ?

Has anyone done the following and can they tell me if it turned out OK ?

1) mix current substrate with smaller same colour substrate
2) add smaller substrate on TOP of larger substrate, which is kept at the bottom
3) mix diff colour substrate
4) mix diff colour and sized substrate

I currently have 20 kilos of substrate in a 3 foot (30 gal) tank ...

Sorry if I am confusing you .. but any ideas would be appreciated !

 

That looks like the substrate I have in the clown tank! LOL! Do you have an idea what substrate you would like?
Also I'm terribly sorry to tell you some of your plants aren't aquatic plants. Bet you got them at petsmart

couldn't tell if yours had purple on it or not.

Carol

 

I know for my 36 and 28 gallon tanks, I added larger and different colors to the original gravel. It was the gravel I got from the tank when my uncles gave the tanks to me.
Tom

 

That looks like the substrate I have in the clown tank! LOL! Do you have an idea what substrate you would like?
Also I'm terribly sorry to tell you some of your plants aren't aquatic plants. Bet you got them at petsmart

couldn't tell if yours had purple on it or not.

Carol

5hit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in Sydney Australia, so not Petsmart, but obviously, and equivalent dodgy shop AHHA
I will be taking them back and giving them a mouthful.. DAMM ... thanks for finding them for me - I have had absolutely no luck in finding those plants !!

Substrate wise .. I think I will go have a look at a few shops over the weekend .. see if they have a set up I like and will do what I got to do to get that look I guess ...

Man I am peeed about the plants !!

 

is an excellent place to look at plants and get planted tank advice (you'll find me there too ) if you look in the plant guide there is a section called non-aquatic plants. Check those out and watch for them in the store so you won't buy them. Most of the pet stores buy plants in lots then get aquatic and non-aquatic sent to them and they don't know the difference. Then they die in our tanks and we think we did something wrong.
There are also hundreds of aquatic plant profiles there and I drool every time I go through them
Carol

 

I like a darker substrate for my fish. Actually, it is a mix between the colored substrate that you have and black substrate. It really looks pretty nice. If you don't want to start over and move all the original stuff out, then just get a couple bags of black gravel or whatever from the pet store and dump them into the tank, making sure it gets mixed with the original colored gravel.

 

Les, good pictures! A picture does speak a 1000 words, and am so happy butterfly was able to help on the plants. I also have substrate the color of yours mixed with black, it seems to show off the fish that would otherwise get lost in the brown. May I suggest some drift wood, in time you may wish to get a dwarf pleco, to help with algae and tank cleanup, and many of them have to have wood to eat as well. I have a truly awesome Royal pleco that eats the driftwood, several do. The look you already have going on would mix well with wood.

Fish in the Frozen North. -2F & wind

 

Re: I don't like my substrate ... (OR MY PLANTS!)

That sounds like a good idea, adding black gravel to my set up !
Do any of you have a link or can post up a pic of your tanks / substrate combo ?

The driftwood with anubius (yes, I have done my research on THIS particular plant) is in the making

I am thinking 2 small pieces with 10-12cm driftwoods which cost around AUD7 and young anubius AUD9.

I was told it takes up to 1 year for the roots to grow and for the plant to mature into the driftwood - is this true !?

 

There are some of my tnaks in a thread ATM started, and in my gallery (sorry to send you on a treasure hunt ) I have 3 sand tanks, 1 eco-complete (its black) and the rest are pea gravel like you have. Anubias takes just a few monts 9about two) to attach to wood and rocks. Java fern and bolbitis are others tat would attach to your wood also.
Carol

 

I actually prefer something like what you have... I like a bigger, more natural looking gravel to the fine, colored stuff. It's a preference sort of thing naturally, but in my opinion, your tank looks good!

 

les where in australia are you I'm in sydney I can put you onto some awesome fish stores that will be in my death will they are that awesome!!! also be aware that the u.s get ALOT of things we don't get (fish and also plants) we get just about everything they do with a few minor exceptions.... I want a fireworks rasbora (very very rare and almost extinct there is a man who can oblige me in the cronulla area!!!!)as for the substrate if you go black you'll never go back HAHA(I knoe I'm the only one laughing) but a few people here say black substrate enhances the colour of their fish... a re not far away from great advice by belonging to this forum

Dazzler

 

in my 20, i've got black gravel that has neon bits in it, mixed with blue gravel, really shows off my dwarf guarmis

 

les where in australia are you I'm in sydney I can put you onto some awesome fish stores that will be in my death will they are that awesome!!! also be aware that the u.s get ALOT of things we don't get (fish and also plants) we get just about everything they do with a few minor exceptions.... I want a fireworks rasbora (very very rare and almost extinct there is a man who can oblige me in the cronulla area!!!!)as for the substrate if you go black you'll never go back HAHA(I knoe I'm the only one laughing) but a few people here say black substrate enhances the colour of their fish... a re not far away from great advice by belonging to this forum

Dazzler

Hey mate, I am in the Hills District and have been travelling to Blacktown and Seven Hills to do my fishing. I heard that there is a huge shop in St George and I am gonna check it out over the weekend. Where are your secret shop spots ?

I am not really into the flouro / black combo thing ... I have just been looking at the members photos - no offence ! Maybe it is just the type of fish I have ...

Seeing some fine gold/red substrate in the shop aquarium has really got my heart set on that combination ... Looks like I am gonna dig out the old and go n with the new... Into the quarantine tank the lil suckers go !