Besides sand and gravel, what other aquarium substrates are good?

Question

Something for 2 dojo loaches in a 30 gallon tank. Gravel that is small and not sharp is difficult to find (will those generic colored gravel work?)

I am leaning towards gemstones - something like this

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10469/product.web

is this okay? is there anything else that will work?

What about a barebottom tank?

Answer 1

I hope you're fully aware that those "gemstones" are just pieces of glass... You could do that, but it would deprive the Dojos of one of their special skills: digging. For this reason, it is best to get sand. They are less likely to injure themselves in sand, and you can generally find sand very cheap (unlike the gemstones where you would spend about $50+ to cover the bottom of a 30 gallon tank). I use pool filter sand (diatomaceous earth), and have no complaints. It is easy to clean, easy to maintain, and is actually fairly high in nutrients that help aquatic plants grow (iron, calcium, phosphate, etc.). You can get a 25 pound bag (enough to give you a 1+ inch layer of sand in a 30 gallon tank) for less than $10 at most pool supply stores. Email me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: Colored gravel is inert, so it has no effect on pH at all. Diatomaceous earth also has no effect on pH. Just be sure to wash it well before putting it in your tank, and you will have no problem with dust. To clean it, hover the hose of the siphon (with the attachment removed) over the sand, and it will lift all poop and food off, leaving the sand (it will take some practice, but you will get to the point where you don't suck up any sand).

EDIT 2: You could do a barebottom tank as well, but that would probably be quite stressful on the Loaches (because they wouldn't be able to dig)...

Answer 2

Gemstones are great! They really don't give off any kind of sediment like sand or colored gravel. Colored gravel can seriously raise your pH.

I like the gemstones idea.