Substrate recommendation for Peacock Tank

I have a 75 gallon tank and plan to overstock with all male Peacock Cichlids to help lesson aggression but I need to first figure out best substrate.
Ideas from what I've read online so far:

• Play sand: isn't a great option due to not as compact and getting sucked up into filter and could break filter
• pool filter sand: better but still similar issues as above
• Aragonite aquarium sand: best of the three but more costly
• Tiny gravel substrate: could end up being bad for cichlids(do peacocks really sift through sand like the geophagus?)

Price isn't as concerning but would be nice to stay cheaper due to how much substrate is needed for a 75 gallon.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Not sure if I understand the pleasure of observing fish in stalmate for their entire lives.

Anyways, substrate is the one ingredient I don't cut costs as I find it so important. I use ADA La Plate sand; the costs of filling a 75 gallon tank with this sand is equivalent to taking my wife out for dinner at an expensive restaurant. So I skip taking her out once to enjoy the sand every single day (I can use and re-use the sand forever).

Ada La Plata varies a tiny bit in color and grain size, which creates a natural looking substrate; not sure if it matches the biotope you have in mind.

 

I used "Quikrete all purpose gravel". In my African tank. It's aquarium safe & sold at Home Depot and Lowe's in the garden dept.
It's small grain rounded river gravel & is very reasonably priced.
Be a good idea to shop your local rockyard for limestone rocks in order to construct the hardscape.

 

I used "Quikrete all purpose gravel". In my African tank. It's aquarium safe & sold at Home Depot and Lowe's in the garden dept.
It's small grain rounded river gravel & is very reasonably priced.
Be a good idea to shop your local rockyard for limestone rocks in order to construct the hardscape.

Price is definitely better on that, how much time did it take you to wash the sand?

 

Just rinsed it in a five gallon bucket. It wasn't too dirty. One rinse per bucket load.

 

Price is definitely better on that, how much time did it take you to wash the sand?

Also how much would you recommend adding for 75 gallon Peacock Cichlids?

 

Three to four inch deep substrate. I believe there is a calculator somewhere on the forum.

 

I used 50 lbs of Medium grit Black Diamond plus 20lbs of Carib Sea African Sand in a 55g

https://www.amazon.com/Carib-Sea-AC...de3d2e&pd_rd_wg=bEOuF&pd_rd_i=B0002APLE8&th=1

Good Luck!

 

I used 50 lbs of Medium grit Black Diamond plus 20lbs of Carib Sea African Sand in a 55g

https://www.amazon.com/Carib-Sea-AC...de3d2e&pd_rd_wg=bEOuF&pd_rd_i=B0002APLE8&th=1

Good Luck!

A201 jmaldo Both these options are great and I appreciate the info do you believe one would do better than the other based on having all male peacock tank?

 

It's more a matter of taste rather than one product upping the other.
Quikrete gravel is inert & won't effect PH.
I believe Carib. Sea African Cichlid sand has carbonate properties & will elevate PH & buffer the water.

 

I am still a relative "Newbie" with the Africans only a year in. Have not used the gravel.
My pH is 7.8 and needed to raise a bit so went with the mixture, now stable at 8.2 and also plenty of rocks.
Lets see what A201 has to say he is one of the African Gurus here and kept them for years and has helped me quite a bit.

 

Not sure if I understand the pleasure of observing fish in stalmate for their entire lives.

Wait.....whaaat?

That's ok....I hear tetras are pretty exciting

 

It's more a matter of taste rather than one product upping the other.
Quikrete gravel is inert & won't effect PH.
I believe Carib. Sea African Cichlid sand has carbonate properties & will elevate PH & buffer the water.

I have an fx4 cannister so was going to add crushed coral as need to filter to try and increase PH and I assume you mentioned Limestone rock for hardscape since it tends to help with PH overtime as well.

 

I have approx. 200 lbs. of Limestone in my display tank. It keeps the PH locked in at 8.2.

 

I JUST changed my substrate in my 75G to pool filter sand. The answer for me was two 50lb bags of pool filter sand gave a uniform depth of approximately 2 inches. My burrowers have enough to burrow in and the pfs is easier on their gills. Previously I had used a mix of 50 lbs of sand and about 75-80 pounds of gravel. I was harder ot maintain and not as easy on the burrowers/bottom dwellers.