# Tank substrate for Catfish



## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

I was looking at getting an Otocinclus Catfish to keep the brown algae down in my 20 gallon betta tank.

I currently have this type of gravel in my tank:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Aqua-Culture-Caribbean-Aquarium-Gravel-25-lbs/37155942

(I also attached a photo so you can see it)


I read on a fish forum that you don't want to use sand instead of gravel because the gravel will hurt the belly of the catfish when they sleep. They say I need sand or polished stone for the catfish. 

questions:

Would the gravel I have in there right now really hurt the fish if I got either an Oto, a corey or a Pictus? I see pictures of these fish online with a gravel tank so I'm a bit confused here.

If I replace the gravel with sand or polished stone, does it have to be sand / stone from a fish store or can I buy sand / polished stone from home depot or lowes? Do I need to do something with this new substrate before I exchange it with the gravel ( soak it in oxyclean or a weak bleach solution)?

If I go with sand, isn't that going to be a problem with vacuuming the tank and having the sand sucked up?

Thanks for your help!


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Otos are algae eaters and thus need a very matured tank (set up for at least 6 months or older) with lots of algae in it. They don't need specific gravel at all. But they need more than Brown Algae (Diatoms). Diatoms only stick around for 3 months or 5 months, and then they go away usually forever if that tank is set up and remains running. If you can, don't get a permanent solution for a temporary issue unless you plan on culturing green algae for the Otos to eat once the brown algae is gone.

Corydoras on the other hand, their barbels can get cut on rough gravel but yours should be fine.

Do not get a Pictus, they need at least 75 gallons as they get big and need a big group to thrive and be healthy. 

I am a little concerned though, do you have decor in that tank? lol, the picture is very bare! I think you need to concentrate on filling that tank up with plants (fake or real, doesn't matter) and some more decor before you introduce other fish, otherwise your Betta may end up harassing the fish or the fish may harrass the betta (not common in cories but if you plan for other fish, then you'll definitely want hiding places for both fish or Betta).


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Before I found out you must have a specific substrate for catfish I was using that exact gravel and I can attest that it does damage the catfish. Go buy some sand there is nothing better for catfish. Pool filter sand is super cheap and normal available at Walmart in the garden area. You may have to get someone to fetch it for you at this time of the year. You can also go to Petco and get sand. Rounded gravel is the second but less desirable choice.

Have look at this video you will see what they like

http://youtu.be/EBUhpgFvLDA


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

*lilnaugrim* and jadaBlu, thanks both of you for your information. Looks like I will be getting a cory then. Jadablu, how do you vacuum the aquarium base with the sand? Wouldn't it all get sucked up with the gravel vac? I'd do the switch but I got a battery operated gravel vac which sucks up the gravel and water from time to time. I'm thinking if I had a sand base it would suck up a lot of sand when I'm trying to get up the waste (what little there is anyway from one betta in a 20 gallon tank). 

lilnaugrim, I got a few more decorations in there but I do need to put some more in. A couple of glass jars now. One I cover with gravel that my betta likes to sleep in (it's his private cave). I got an anubias and a java fern growing now. I bought an anacharis but the thing arrived frozen and dead when it was shipped to me in the winter. 

Later this week I am going to pick up a few terracotta pots for the fish to hide in as well. I'm concerned putting plastics in there because I'm afraid they will leach into the water and hurt the fish.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Plastics aren't bad actually. But, if you can invest in some silk plants, that would be great too. Betta's use tall plants more than they use hides unless hides is all that is available to them. 

As for the sand vs. vacuum, you don't vac right into the sand, you hover over it and swirl the gravel vac so it stirs up the debris but not the sand and suck up the debris. You'll suck up a few grains of sand but that's alright, it's nothing substantial.


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

Thanks for that info! I might make the migration over to sand but I’d still need something to cover over the glass jars so I might keep the rocks. Kind of a messy solution though. Any ideas to cover the glass with something non-toxic so my betta still has his glass cave? 



Here's some updated pictures of my tank so you can see what I have in there for cover. Yeah, I know I need more. Terracotta pots and more plants are coming. Spent a while this evening cleaning black gunk off the Java Fern. (brown algae or black beard algae). Only a little algae on the tank wall so that’s good. The algae on the fern came off with some rubbing so I'm happy...although some of it is still floating around in my tank. Anyway, here are the pics:


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

You can silicone the gravel onto the glass and then make a little ramp so that you can also cover a little bit of it with sand too so it sort of mixes, that'd be pretty cool.


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

My handyman skills are kind of lacking so bear with me. So buy some of this?

Dap 00680 Bathtub Silicone Rubber Caulk

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dap-00680-Bathtub-Silicone-Rubber-Caulk/21175815

mush it all around the top half of the glass and then stick the blue gravel bits onto it? Then make a little sand ramp so the little guy can swim in and out?

I guess if it goes all to heck I can silicon goop the heck out of the jar, then roll the jar in sand so it becomes opaque =)

Just noticed the caulk is white and not clear. Will this work?


http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dap-00684-Dow-Corning-Clear-Silicone-Rubber-Sealant/21284567


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Better to use regular aquarium silicone, this one should last you quite a while: http://www.petco.com/product/104409...ne-Aquarium-Sealant.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

But yes, glue the gravel onto the glass. I was thinking, not inside the glass but on the sides of it. This is what I was thinking like. The red lines is just to show the shape I mean. You could make it flat on one side so that it can go against the glass too.








But if you silicone the gravel on, there should still be spaces between the gravel so you could sprinkle sand on top of it so it sits in the spaces, that make sense?


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

That's a pretty cool design! If I have the courage to try it out I'll definitely post it for you!!


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

Here are a couple of videos about vacuuming sand I watched them before trying it
http://youtu.be/0PFxZ6XIr7c

http://youtu.be/SzU82AuJJOc

generally if you suck then lift the wastes are heavier than the sand and most of the sand falls back down you might get like teaspoon or so in your bucket. You can always add little more sand once in awhile. That is why using something cheap like pool filter sand is good. Once you try sand I doubt you will ever like gravel again. It is easier to clean after you get used to it. Keep the sand layer at about an inch not really thick unless you start adding live plants and then you can add more.


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

Hey, would this sand work okay with the tank?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-50-lb-Play-Sand-111351/100318476

Is there a difference between aquarium sand from petsmart, petco, ect. and this sand?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah that sand is fine. Difference mainly is that you HAVE to wash that out whereas my black PetCo sand, I never rinse it because it's always been so clean for me. Apparently it's not the case with everyone, or I just don't care as much as others do (I care for my fish safety but I run my filters a while without fish in the tank first to clean it up). But Play sand or Pool filter sand needs to be rinsed a bajillion times, however, its worth it for the price if you're looking at it that way ^_^


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

Thanks *lilnaugrim*! So do I just rinse the sand with tap water?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

yeah, you can look up youtube videos since I've never personally done it myself so I don't know the details, but any water will work


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

Sweet! Thanks for all your help! My betta is going to be psyched with his new environment. 

Kind of off topic, my little betta has a voracious appetite. I used to give him one pellet and one blood worm 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner - spread out throughout the day), but yesterday I started giving him 2 pellets and 2 blood worms 3 times a day since he's been freaking out for food whenever I open his tank. A few days ago he jumped out of the water and bit me when I was playing with him with my finger. His belly doesn't look fat at all but I'm wondering if I'm over feeding him. Any other signs I should be looking for? He is super active (I'm thinking we should have named him turbo instead of Bluefin) so maybe he's just burning it off.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Are the bloodworms freeze-dried, if so, do not feed those daily. Those are like chocolate to him, good every now and then (like once a week) but not daily. Instead of feeding bloodworms, feed him more pellets. To give you an idea, I feed my boys about 10-15 pellets daily with a fasting day or two during the week.

Fish are opportunistic feeders; they don't know they're guaranteed meals daily or every other day so they eat as much as they can when they find food. That said, they will stop and they won't eat themselves to death because that counter productive. I feed my boys until they get a nice rounded tummy, that tummy should go down by the next day; if it hasn't then I skip that day of feeding and feed the day after.


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## asquirrel (Jan 5, 2015)

Thanks for all that great information. I'm going to increase his pellet intake and reduce the bloodworm intake (they are freeze-dried). I'll be looking closely for a belly bump with my little guy (although I think he's got a bottomless pit instead of a stomach).


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

BTW some people think teaching a betta to jump is cute and later end up on emergencies forums because the fish somehow got out of the tank. Do not encourage your betta to jump for food or anything else this increases the chance he will jump and end up on the floor. Otherwise it sounds like your betta is in for some cool new stuff!


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