gravel, what kind?

[death66]

i was wondering what kind of gravel you guys use in the bottom of ur emperor tanks and where i can get some!!! thanx a ton
xDouglasx

 

[neveragain]

You can just use plain aqaurium gravel that you get at any pet store.

 

[skinheaddave]

I use "decorative stones" from the local hardware center. Cheaper than aquarium gravel.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[death66]

thanx a lot my dudes

 

[wsimms]

I use 3/4 to 1 inch aquarium gravel that has been washed.

W

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Regular aquarium gravel works well, but quite honestly, I have better luck with my enclosures that require high humidity with regular gravel (like would be used for a driveway, etc. and cleaned very well, then boiled). For some reason, the enclosures with regular gravel, I only have to fill with water every two weeks, the others, one week at best and both ways are without a top on the enclosure. With a top, the aquarium gravel is good for up to around 2 weeks max, reg gravel is good up to 3 weeks max (at least in my area's climate). The larger stones seem to hold the water much better. I would suspect the smaller stones to be better for very dry climates, but make sure you get rocks that are very porous to enable a better ability to retain water.



adios,
edw.

 

[wsimms]

I think that's a great idea. I think that the polished surface of the aquarium gravel I use repels moisture. The rounded shapes also don't fit together well, so there is more air circulation between the pieces, thus more evaporation. I'm going to give your suggestion a try.

W

 

[scorpio]

I tend to not like the gravel idea. I just mist daily and keep substrate wet. It gets moldy down at the body and when you decide to clean it, it is a difficult job.

 

[skinheaddave]

The coarser gravel does indeed hold more water. It is a simple principle of geometry, really. I actualy take the idea of holding more water in the gravel layer further. When setting up a gravel layer, I first take shallow tupperware containers or the likes, punch holes in them, and place them in the bottom of the enclosure. I then put gravel around/between them so that from the outside it looks like it is a gravel layer. The empty containers hold more water than even the coarse gravel -- on my H.spinifer enclosure I can go for a month or more before the water gets down to the level that my waterfall pump starts complaining.

Cheers,
Dave