On Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:00:51 -0500, Reel McKoi wrote:

I'm about to set up the other 55g tank in the sunroom. Because it'll be
heavily planted I was wondering about adding rough builders sand to the
gravel. The question is.... how do you vac the gravel without sucking up
the sand? Or is that not a problem?

If the tank will be heavily planted you won't be doing much vacuuming
anyway :-).

And I know I've said it before, but the best homemade substrate I've found
is the coarse "tube sand" or "traction sand" with the really fine
particles sifted out. More like fine gravel than sand. My plants seem to
love it. And it's cheap :-).