# Substrate



## saltyfish

Need some advice about starting a Malawi Peacocks 90 gallon tank. I need to know what type of substrate would be good to fill this tank to a 2 inch depth.

Marc


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## spas

Pool Filter Sand, aragonite are the most common choices. I have a friend who has several very large tanks (500 gallon range and he uses lake sand from lake superior - it looks great - very nature and free - well almost - a lot of gas to drive up that way  )

Steve


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## Ryan.Wilton

and a lot of time and effort to dig that sand outta the lake I would think


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## Bwhiskered

Chicken Grit form a feed store. I believe it's white Dolomite.


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## eatmysox

Charlie is right, grit is great its made of nypheline syenite. Which also happens to be pool filter sand. 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4


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## shotokan

eatmysox said:


> Charlie is right, grit is great its made of nypheline syenite. Which also happens to be pool filter sand.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4


 crushed coral / aragonite, mix, is what i use


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## Cama

saltyfish said:


> Need some advice about starting a Malawi Peacocks 90 gallon tank. I need to know what type of substrate would be good to fill this tank to a 2 inch depth.
> 
> Marc


I use a mix or aragonite and crushed coral, my cichlid love it and dig in it all day. It also keeps the ph up. I wouldn't use any fine sand, you will have a cloudy dust tank all the time and it will get into your filter and can cause problems. Even with the aragonite/crushed coral mix I find it in my filters because my guys like to take a mouthful and swim to the top of the tank and spit it out to drop down. My water is nice and clear because it's heavy so most of the free floating debris is waste, which my filters pick up quite quickly... Here's a pic


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## shotokan

Cama said:


> I use a mix or aragonite and crushed coral, my cichlid love it and dig in it all day. It also keeps the ph up. I wouldn't use any fine sand, you will have a cloudy dust tank all the time and it will get into your filter and can cause problems. Even with the aragonite/crushed coral mix I find it in my filters because my guys like to take a mouthful and swim to the top of the tank and spit it out to drop down. My water is nice and clear because it's heavy so most of the free floating debris is waste, which my filters pick up quite quickly... Here's a pic


 looks good, not so sure about the mbuna with the peacocks, like the bumble bee as they mature, would rather hap/peacock setup, otherwise, looks very nice, love the subtrate my choice also, and is what i use


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## shotokan

shotokan said:


> looks good, not so sure about the mbuna with the peacocks, like the bumble bee as they mature, would rather hap/peacock setup, otherwise, looks very nice, love the subtrate my choice also, and is what i use


 if you looking for german reds to add to your group, i keep several, in cambridge will trade for the spec#44, if you come to cambridge, as i house victorians


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## Cama

shotokan said:


> if you looking for german reds to add to your group, i keep several, in cambridge will trade for the spec#44, if you come to cambridge, as i house victorians


I had a German red not to long ago but sold him, because he lost most of his colour due to the unique set up of my tank. I would love one but I don't drive so I can't get to you, unfortunately my species #44 isn't for trade or sale, I actually really like him. Here is an up lose pic.... His colour is much brighter, he's just a bit camera shy... Lol


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## Cama

shotokan said:


> looks good, not so sure about the mbuna with the peacocks, like the bumble bee as they mature, would rather hap/peacock setup, otherwise, looks very nice, love the subtrate my choice also, and is what i use


To tell you the truth this was really an experiment, I bought almost all of these guys at the same time at about 1.5 inches big, they actually mostly get along... They were more aggressive when they were smaller... Now everyone seems to have their place. My SRT Hongi is the most feisty, but my strawberry peacock is the boss at the moment. I even have a black ink fin calvis and a yellow calvis in the mix, along with a livinstonii and a malawi eye bitter. Still looking for a red empress, pearl mutt, sulphur head, and maybe a Julie, a blue orchid, and a yellow belly Albert... All males as this is an all male tank.


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## shotokan

Cama said:


> I had a German red not to long ago but sold him, because he lost most of his colour due to the unique set up of my tank. I would love one but I don't drive so I can't get to you, unfortunately my species #44 isn't for trade or sale, I actually really like him. Here is an up lose pic.... His colour is much brighter, he's just a bit camera shy... Lol


 i know what they are ok, i also have vc-10 milomo hap, that would fit in well, the spec #44 is a nice fish, but can be aggresive, also, as it gets older


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