[caique]

Hi guys,

I'm setting up a 90 gallon with PFS and was wondering if i how deep it should be, planning on making it a Rainbow tank with a bunch of cory's and a few plecos.

I will probably keep it low light for the time being not sure yet but wont have to many stem plants to start with.

 

[Monster Fish]

1"-1.5" should suffice.

 

[discuspaul]

Hi guys,

I'm setting up a 90 gallon with PFS and was wondering if i how deep it should be, planning on making it a Rainbow tank with a bunch of cory's and a few plecos.

I will probably keep it low light for the time being not sure yet but wont have to many stem plants to start with.

Don't make it too deep, John, in order to avoid, or at least limit, the risk of development of anaerobic gas pockets.


I'd suggest no more than approx. 1/2" at the front in the unplanted free-swimming areas, and 2" or a little deeper in the rear planted areas. 2 - 50 lb. bags should do nicely for your 90 gal tank, with some left over.

 

[caique]

Hi Paul,

I guess it wouldn't work if i put some planted tank substrate underneath the sand so that I wouldn't have anaerobic gas problems,, I'm so used to doing 3 to 4 inches. Or maybe small gravel.

Problem of course would be the planted tank substrate is not white.

Or how about if i just throw in a bunch of MTS, does that work if i wanted to go deeper.

Went ahead and ordered 200 pounds just to keep it fresh. Will vac out the top layer every 5 or 6 months depending on how clean i can keep it.

Just want to have enough room for roots, I will probably due some crypts, swords and sag.

Also will be doing rhizome plants on wood.

 

[discuspaul]

Well, you could increase the sand depth overall throughout the tank, but limit it to no more than approx. 3" in the planted areas. Don't know why people want it deeper than that - to me it doesn't add anything to the ascetic look of a tank, and no more than 3" is really needed for good plant growth anyway.

Anything that you add under the sand to increase the depth will in no way limit the risk of toxic pockets developing - that can occur with the use of other substrate materials besides sand, when sand is used overtop as a layer (prevents oxygen from penetrating through the substrate to generally keep it free of gas pocket formation).
If you go deeper than 3", MTS may help, but maybe not.

 

[Warhawk]

I have been reading up on sand and from all the info I'm finding 1.5"-2" is what I feel safe with. I used sand in a 55g years ago and a 50 lbs bag was enough for 1.5" deep, so I agree with Paul 2 bags should leave a little left over in a 90g.


Is this a new tank or are you changing over a setup tank?

 

[caique]

Hi Warhawk,

I'm setting up a new tank, have never done sand before and I don't want to have problems.

The tank will have a BML Dutch 6300 a gorgeous piece of driftwood, white sand, and a Eheim 2080 or 2078.

I will also have about 40 Venezuelan red cory's I'm thinking this should help with the sand being turned over but they obviously don't go that deep.

Probably just go with 2 1/4 inches or so at least where I'm planting some stems and crypts.