FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I have read many places that you dont want much substrate with multis. However on a recent visit to my LFS I saw a display tank of multis with a DSB. It appeared that the females had dug huge craters in the sand got a shell in the middle and spawned. So now I am confused, How deep should the sand bed be?

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" Simpsons

well you cant say one way or another what to do but can tell you what will happen.

with no substrate they wont care and will live a life not far from natural.

with sand they will create these craters to sink the shell in. usually with a heavy shellbed they will remove as much as possable often piling it so high on the sides of the tank you cant figure how it stays up. the more sand there is the bigger the piles will be. so the idea is have sand so you can see them play with it but not have so much they cover each other up in it.

gravel will be piled like sand but usually one pebble at a time. gravel is larger so i suspect it piles alot better but i cant say ive seen it.

is there a right or wrong way to do it. no deffinetly not. you can have 4 inches of sand or a half inch of sand. just be aware the more sand there is the bigger the piles and often times its blocking your view so most people just go with enough sand to see it rather then deal with it.

hope this helps. enjoy them in any case

Sorry mabye I need to clarify a bit. At the lfs they hadnt dug to the bottom of the tank just made a huge crater in the sand.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" Simpsons