Sutable substrate for Lake Malawi Chiclids

[Woody]

I am setting up a 90 gal tall tank (36L x 18W x 32H) with fx5 filter & Coralife T-5 w/ dual 6700K lamps. Using white/gray holey rock & was wondering if crushed white marble would be a good substrate or should I stick with the epoxy coated LFS stuff (flip-flopping between white & black gravel. I don't want to use sand due to the filter having the pump at the bottom (I have heard about problems with fx5 & possible impeller failure since the pump is located at the bottom of the filter box)

[jsnoravo]

If you like the look of pool filter sand then I think you should go for it. I think that in the end you won't be as satisfied with the look of white marble as you would with a sand substrate, and at 32 inches your tank is tall enough that there shouldn't be any problems. Just make sure to turn off the filter before you mess around with the sand. If you really don't want sand then black gravel would look good. White substrate tends to look dirtier faster once fish start to get their poop on. Anyway, Petsmart's black gravel has a nice matte faded look while the Petco one has a darker shiny look. Both look nice depending on your preference.

[Woody]

Yeah, I looked at the stuff at Petco & also another LFS on Jones Rd, ($16.00 per 25lb bag) & would need at least 75lbs to look right. I have lots of off color holey rock and just wanted some contrast but I am painting the rear of the aquarium black to hide equipment, so.....I might need to reconsider color? I heard about 3M Colorquartz but my understanding is that it has been discontinued but some pool supply / contractors may have some still in stock. Something else I looked at is black urn sand for smoking urns but that runs $75.00 for 50 lbs but would look really nice since it is a larger grain than pool filter sand & it is non-silica (free shipping from these guys) http://www.drillspot.com/products/32...oking_Urn_Sand
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Decisions, decisions!?

[jsnoravo]

haha that's funny cus my cousin in conroe has a 58g 36x18x21 tank that leaked on him so he's looking to get rid of his 70lbs of 3m colorquartz for $45. only problem is he won't be back from Florida til July 7th. but yeah aquarium gravel costs a pretty penny. i would do PFS before i do gravel.

[Woody]

I picked-up this tank & stand combo used for $200.00 just last week (guy was moving & tank was not going with him) so I got a great deal on it. Just resealed it with black silicone & it looks sharp. Did a leak test today with full tank for 6 hours & no signs of problems. Now I just got to set it up. Already thinking of a fill & drain system for easy water changes, since it is on an outside wall adjacent to patio, it would be too easy not to do it. I guess PFS might be the way to go, I just spent another $200.00 on a fx5 & still need to get a 400w heater for it & got to watch the budget.
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BTW: What color is the gravel your cousin is selling?

[jsnoravo]

Oh that's cool that you were able to reseal it, where did you get a hold of black silicone? I've only been able to find some on ebay. But yeah I think a 300w heater would be good for your tank size unless your house is super cold and you don't have glass tops. I'd do 400w though if running with no tops in a cold house. I think the 5 watt per gallon rule applies mainly to smaller tanks that aren't able to retain heat as well as the bigger size tanks. Anyway, the 3m colorquartz sand my cousin is selling is black, like tahitian moon sand but not shiny.

[Woody]

I called Aquarium World on 290 & they had 1 - 10.3 oz tube of black for $13.00. I was surprised to hear they had any at all, the girl that helped me said they try to stock it from time to time but never expect them to have more than a couple of tubes. It didn't have any leaks, just a bad clear silicone job along the back where some air lines had been run in the corners, looked like crap. We usually keep the house around 75 degrees so maybe I will go with the 300w. The top is semi closed with 2" wide glass edge around the top & a 6" reinforcement peice in the middle from front to back.

[Woody]

Got the sand I wanted @ National Pool Tile. 3M discontinued the Colorquartz brand but another company makes it now under the name QuartzSacpes. http://www.nptgonline.com/nptg_natio...shes_main.html. I was able to get 100 lbs for $ 36.00 tax included. I set everything up last night & will add the swimmers this weekend.

[jsnoravo]

that is a really awesome deal. that's actually where my cousin bought his 3m stuff for nearly $50 per 50lb bag. i've heard of this brand making an identical product to 3m and have always wondered how it looks. be sure and post pics for us when you got everything settled in.

[Woody]

Thinking of building a small canopy (6"-8" tall) to cover the top & rid the area of some of the ambient light over the top of the tank. There are 6 rocks total, 3 stacked to the left & 2 to the right. All of these rocks came from my dad's discarded rock pile in Wimberley. The photo does not do it justice since the rock in the middle has several holes & odd shapes & colors to it that made it too cool not to put it in the tank. The big rock on the right we call the "Hotel". Still tinkering with this scape.

90 gallon tank.jpg