Is this substrate a bad idea for these guys?

[captmicha]

I'm setting up a 55 gallon CA & SA cichlid community tank. Like all my plants, it HAS to have plants. I want this one to be particularly well planted.

It'll have my two Rainbows and my four G. stergiosi. I also want to put my dad's two common plecos in there until I get an even larger set up sometime in the future.

And maybe discus or Angelfish or something else, and still undecided what type dither fish (I obviously haven't decided or researched this completely yet).

My rainbows and/or stergiosi are tough on my plants in their current tank. I have pool filter sand and the plants are weighed, but they're always unearthing them somehow (I haven't seen it).

I really wanted to do mineralized topsoil in their 55 gallon with a sand and then maybe smooth pebble cap but I'm wondering if it'll just become a mess. Do you think they'll be able to move weighted plants around that are well rooted in this substrate with this durable cap?

 

[CSnyder00]

In my experience, if a fish wants to uproot something, they will do it regardless of substrate. With the plecos and the other fish mentioned, I'd say there is a good chance you will get some uprooting, which will likely mix your layers. I would only do what you are talking about with very docile fish or fish that stay up off the substrate. However, a good bed of gravel on top might do the trick if they can't get to the sand. That might be easier said than done. It would take a lot of gravel in a 55.

 

[Becca]

Guianacara dig. Not a good idea.

 

[mchambers]

Guianacara dig. Not a good idea.

I fear Becca is right. Mine dug like crazy.

 

[captmicha]

Guianacara dig. Not a good idea.

Oh! So those are my culprits!

In tanks with diggers, I've had some luck with potted plants buried in the substrate. I wonder if I can make something like that work for them. Seems to work well when very well rooted... Which will mean taking it out everytime I have to divide plants...

 

[CSnyder00]

Potted plants would work.

 

[Becca]

Oh! So those are my culprits!

In tanks with diggers, I've had some luck with potted plants buried in the substrate. I wonder if I can make something like that work for them. Seems to work well when very well rooted... Which will mean taking it out everytime I have to divide plants...

Try bulb plants - lilies, aponogeton, cranium. Also try Java fern and anubias strapped to wood.

 

[CichlidAddict]

Diggers will uproot plants and make a mess out of dirt substrate. You have better luck with sand or gravel substrate and epiphytes such as java fern, balbidis, anubias and Bucephalandra. You can tie them to rock and drift wood, but I prefer superglue to get them started. With inert substrate, you need to dose fertilization to the water column. Keeping large cichlid and plant together is a challenge. Most planted tanks keep only small Tetra, live bearers and dwarf cichlid.