# Going freshwater for my 2nd 90G



## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Hi all, I'm going freshwater in my 2nd 90g and want too pick your brains about the best substrate to use, gravel, sand, etc....Alot of the nice marine substrates say they are good for freshwater application as well, anyone using any of them?
I do want to have a few plants in the tank but not heavily planted...I'll need help with that later on, lol.


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## redclove (Feb 26, 2008)

Eco-complete or Flourite substrates are always the most popular branded choices and they are mineral rich and are a healthy mixed granule size. There are lots of low maintenance plants that are easy keepers. Do you know what your light intensity will be? I am assuming no co2?


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

lights I haven't looked into yet, I do have a DIY lightbar I made with 10 9watt pc bulbs on it, that's on my saltwater 90 right now


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

So you are shutting down your 90gal SW?

I used SMS for my 90gal FW tank which is really cheap and does the job but most people use Fluorite or Eco-Complete.


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Yes Brian, shutting it down.


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## Brian (Mar 14, 2006)

Ah... good luck with the FW then. Is there any reason why you made the jump?

And is your LR for sale? Hah.


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

I jumped into salwater with no experience, none, and just think before i go blowing my life savings on something I know nothing about I had better learn a few things first.
So far with the battle with saltwater probs have left me stumped and frustrated. I'll go back to it later on when I know what I'm doing. Maybe a good couple of years of reading should help me scratch the surface, lol.


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## Ciddian (Mar 15, 2006)

I like to use the crushed coral for inverts applications and I dunno if people do with cichlids...

I hope your new 90 is stress free ^^


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

I used a 40lb bag of crushed coral for my African Tank(180gal) keeps the ph nice and high  8.5 also tahitian Moon. Though only plants ive kept are java fern and attempting a val(i think i need more watts for it)...
But only for African Cichlids which love high(er) ph.


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Thanks all for the helpful info.


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

I'm still quite torn over the decision of what to use for the bottom of my tank. I really want something natural looking, as though taken underwater in a freshwater stream or something along those lines. How safe is it to just collect natural sand and stone from such a setting? I know I would have to boil it and such but is there any real harm???
I want something that looks like this:


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

It really depends on what kind of fish ,plants etc you want to keep once you know this then take it from there if you want a heavily planted tank high light and co2 Id spent the money and go eco complete . Low light plants seem to do good in just about any substrate with a little care and feeding. Right now I have two low light tanks both 10 gals 1 flourite and 1 sand and the plants in the sand seem to grow much better go figure. Hope this helps. I really don't like crushed coral as it can be sharp.


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