Substrate and decorations for a Convict tank

Hi all.
What sort of substrate and decorations would be beneficial in a Convict tank (1 pair of Convicts, 3ft)?
I know that a planted tank is out of the question.
TIA

 

sand, pots and rocks... they dig and dig and dig....

 

The tank they are going in currently has just river sand in it. Should I add some coarse gravel on top of that, or is just the sand ok?
Anyone know of a supplier of 'aquarium safe' rocks? What about the 'decorative' rocks you get at the nursery? Would seem a bit funny for me to go there with chemicals and test their rocks. LOL
TIA

 

Darryn we usually get the river stones from Superplants and wash them really well before using them - no hassles so far and it's been years Most aquarium shops sell rocks but you'll have to do the 'vinegar safety test' on them if you are unsure whether they will be safe to use before putting them into the tank.

 

Thanks Vee.
So I would have to do the vinegar test on the ones from the LFS, but the ones from Superplants should be fine?
TIA

 

Yip. Just get the smooth riverstones from Superplants - they come in 3 different sizes but you'll get LOADS of them. How many did you need?

 

Busy setting up a 3ft for a pair so I will have to see what sizes are available before i know how many I need. Will try to make a turn by Superplants later and see what they have.
Thanks for the advice.

 

Let us know what it all sets you back, I need to look at converting my Malawi tank to sand and stones.

I'm just always worried about the bastards pushing over a stone from the top of a stack, and the tank cracking in the process.

 

I've got river sand in the tank at the moment. I bought it at Supa Plants. It was a 15kg bag. Not sure how much I paid for it. It was pretty cheap though. I will check when I go and have a look at the stones.
You could silicone the stones together. Depending on the layout of your tank, I suppose you could silicone the stones to the side of the tank as well.
Another interesting idea I read is to put polystyrene under the sand in case a stone should fall. Not sure about what effect it has on water parameters though.

 

Yeah I've also read about the polystyrene, but I'm not really worried so much about the base which is covered with substrate, as the sides actually.

Silicone is one way I guess, another would be buying one of those fake rock wall things, but they seem ludicrously expensive in US$, so I suspect they'll be ridiculously priced locally.

 

How about making your own one out of polystyrene and concrete?

 

Having just bought a house, I suspect there will be a great many other DIY projects in my near future, and none of them related to fishies.

 

LOL. Very true ....

 

Sauron i bought my house 4 years ago and i dont have money to pay other ppl to do everything i have learnt to plump pipes , fill holes etc etc LOL

Time will also be a problem but might have a solution to 3d back grounds soon made by some one here in Cape Town he is busy having it tested to make sure it is tank safe

 

Yeah agreed.

In my case it would be rather going without, than trying to find the time.

But I might just go for a river stone arrangement as I move the tank to the new house now, and get rid of that horrible ship.

 

Got some prices at Super Plants.
Riversand 15dm3 - R30, 30dm3 - R45 They have other sizes as well
White river stones - 14dm3 - R25
HIH

 

I don't know if polystyrene would have a mojor effect, reafing an old fishkeeping book, they recommend it as a scaped backround, which they said was actually quite beneficial to bacterial colonization. I'll try and find the book...

 

Are river stones safe for aquarium use? I bought some at the crazy store and some of the lighter coloured stones have yellow streaks on them

 

Speeds,

Do what we call an "acid test" on the rocks. Put a bit of vinegar onto the dry rocks. If they fizz, then you can be sure that they will leech something into the water. If they don't fizz, then they will be aquarium safe.

This may not be a fail safe way, but it is the most commonly used test used by most people across the globe.

 

should i just place them in vinegar? they are in boiling water at the moment