Pea Puffer Substrate

[Katie993]

I'm new to puffers and, when I first set the tank up, I used white play sand. It's terrible. Shows everything and I never can get it to look nice. It's a pain to try to gravel vac also. I'm tired of the tank looking awful so I'm going today to find some new substrate. The tank is somewhat planted but, they're not doing well. That could be due to the crappy light (shouldn't have trusted the petco guy) but, the sand is probably playing a part in that also. Any suggestions? Can I get a small gravel or is that a problem for the puffers?

 

[DoraCory]

They prefer sand. Part of dwarf puffer keeping is accepting that your substrate is going to end up being a snail shell graveyard. Try some root tabs for your root feeding plants.

I have black sand in my puffer tank and the plants are growing so well they have to be trimmed regularly.

 

[kallililly1973]

In our 8.8 pea tank it is a mix of natural color gravel That it started out with for a couple bettas but I have since added some PFS it’s an off white tannish color and matches up nice. Only downfall that I see is he eats ramshorn snails on occasion and their shells turn a similar color as the substrate so a lot of shells get missed during weekly WC’s.

 

[Katie993]

In our 8.8 pea tank it is a mix of natural color gravel That it started out with for a couple bettas but I have since added some PFS it’s an off white tannish color and matches up nice. Only downfall that I see is he eats ramshorn snails on occasion and their shells turn a similar color as the substrate so a lot of shells get missed during weekly WC’s.

How does the PFS do with a gravel vac?

 

[Katie993]

They prefer sand. Part of dwarf puffer keeping is accepting that your substrate is going to end up being a snail shell graveyard. Try some root tabs for your root feeding plants.

I have black sand in my puffer tank and the plants are growing so well they have to be trimmed regularly.

Mine actually dont eat the snails much but they're still really young. I don't mind the shells. It's the sand that I have the issue with lol I have a lot of root tabs in the sand right now and dose, probably not as often as I should, with liquid ferts

 

[kallililly1973]

How does the PFS do with a gravel vac?

I find the PFS to be a bit heavier so none really ever gets sucked up. But I never dig into i just hover over it n swirl it around or sometimes I congregate everything wit a turkey baster into one area n let it flow into the gravel vac.

 

[Katie993]

I find the PFS to be a bit heavier so none really ever gets sucked up. But I never dig into i just hover over it n swirl it around or sometimes I congregate everything wit a turkey baster into one area n let it flow into the gravel vac.

I may try it then. I don't mind vacuuming the sand but the play sand is just so light that I lose a lot of it.

 

[Katie993]

Well I decided to put a smooth gravel in the back and put the plants in it and then make a sand foreground for feeding. We’ll see how it goes but they seem to like it.

 

[kallililly1973]

Well I decided to put a smooth gravel in the back and put the plants in it and then make a sand foreground for feeding. We’ll see how it goes but they seem to like it.

Looks great their gonna enjoy that tank !!

 

[kanzekatores]

See if you can give them more plants.

 

[Katie993]

See if you can give them more plants.

I think they’re okay. The Val in the back will take off and there will be plenty.