{"product_id":"eco-complete-cichlid-sand-20lb-9-072kg","title":"Eco-Complete Cichlid Sand 20lb (9.072kg)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFine enough for shell dwellers to dig, alkaline enough to keep them healthy.\u003c\/strong\u003e CaribSea Eco-Complete Cichlid Sand is an aragonite-based African cichlid substrate supplied damp in a 20 lb (9.072 kg) bag, with a grain size of 0.5 to 1.5 mm. It is the finest of the Eco-Complete Cichlid grades and the only one that lets sand-sifting and shell-dwelling species behave the way they do in the lake. It arrives packed in a water conditioning solution with live bacteria so it needs no rinsing, and being aragonite it raises pH and carbonate hardness and holds them there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eKey features\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e0.5 to 1.5 mm fine grain\u003c\/strong\u003e - small enough for shell dwellers to excavate and bank, and for sifting species to pass through their gills.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAragonite based\u003c\/strong\u003e - it adds calcium, magnesium and carbonate, and CaribSea states it buffers automatically for the life of the aquarium.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLive bacteria in the bag\u003c\/strong\u003e - supplied damp and biologically active, so a new bed starts processing ammonia sooner than dry sand would.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo rinsing\u003c\/strong\u003e - it is packed in a water conditioning solution that removes chlorine and chloramine. Rinsing washes away both that and the bacteria.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDetritus stays on the surface\u003c\/strong\u003e - a fine bed holds waste on top where a siphon can lift it, instead of losing it into the gaps the way a coarse gravel does.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNatural sand tone\u003c\/strong\u003e - a neutral bed that shows off the colour of Malawi and Tanganyikan fish without competing with it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow much do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCichlid Sand is the densest substrate in the Eco-Complete Cichlid range at 92 lb per cubic foot (1.47 kg per litre of bed), so a given depth costs more kilograms here than in either coarse grade. The table gives the weight and the number of 9.072 kg bags for common Australian tank footprints.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eTank footprint\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003e2.5 cm bed\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003e5 cm bed\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003e7.5 cm bed\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e60 x 30 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6.6 kg - 1 bag\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e13.3 kg - 2 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e19.9 kg - 3 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e90 x 38 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e12.6 kg - 2 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e25.2 kg - 3 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e37.8 kg - 5 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e120 x 45 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e19.9 kg - 3 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e39.8 kg - 5 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e59.7 kg - 7 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e150 x 60 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e33.2 kg - 4 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e66.3 kg - 8 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e99.5 kg - 11 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e180 x 60 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e39.8 kg - 5 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e79.6 kg - 9 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e119.4 kg - 14 bags\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow these figures are worked out\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaribSea publishes a bulk density for every substrate. Bed volume is the tank footprint multiplied by the depth you want, and the weight is that volume multiplied by the density. Bag counts are rounded up to the next whole bag.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo practical adjustments. Rockwork and caves sitting on the glass displace sand, so a heavily scaped tank needs a little less than the table says. A bed that slopes from front to back needs the average depth, not the deepest point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eShell dwellers need more than the standard depth\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe figures above assume a normal display bed. Tanganyikan shell dwellers dig pits and bank sand around their shells, and for those species a working depth is 5 to 7.5 cm rather than 2.5 cm. Read the deeper columns for a multifasciatus or brevis tank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGrain size\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e0.5 to 1.5 mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBag weight\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e20 lb (9.072 kg)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBulk density\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e92 lb per cubic foot (1.47 kg per litre)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBed volume per bag\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApproximately 6.2 litres\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eColour\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNatural sand tone\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMaterial\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAragonite based, supplied damp in a water conditioning solution\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eEffect on water\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRaises pH and carbonate hardness, and continues buffering\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eRinsing\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot required, and not recommended\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWater type\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFreshwater - African Rift Lake and other hard, alkaline setups\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSupplier code\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCS0772\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhich Eco-Complete Cichlid grade do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGrade\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGrain size\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBulk density\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBag\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eBest for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/eco-complete-cichlid-sand-20lb-9-072kg\"\u003eEco-Complete Cichlid Sand\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e0.5 to 1.5 mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e92 lb\/cu ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9.072 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eShell dwellers, sand sifters and mouthbrooders that pick through the bed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/eco-complete-cichlid-gravel-20lb-9-072kg\"\u003eEco-Complete Cichlid Gravel\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.0 to 10.0 mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e72 lb\/cu ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9.072 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNatural-toned coarse bed; the densest grade, so heavy diggers move it least\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/eco-complete-black-cichlid-20lb-9-072kg\"\u003eEco-Complete Black Cichlid\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4.0 to 10.0 mm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e54 lb\/cu ft\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9.072 kg\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe same coarse grade in black, and the fewest kilograms per litre of bed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe also stock CaribSea \u003ca href=\"\/products\/eco-complete-white-cichlid-20lb-9-072kg\"\u003eEco-Complete White Cichlid\u003c\/a\u003e if you want a brighter bed than the natural sand tone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eLiving with a fine cichlid bed\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSand is the right substrate for the fish and the harder one for the aquarist. Two things follow from a 0.5 to 1.5 mm grain that do not apply to the coarse grades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first is movement. Mbuna and haps redistribute a fine bed constantly, and a filter outlet or powerhead aimed low will scour a hollow and pile a drift against the far glass. Aim flow across the bed rather than into it, and expect to level it by hand occasionally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second is depth. Fine sand compacts, and a bed much over 7.5 cm that is never disturbed can develop anaerobic pockets. In a shell dweller tank the fish do the disturbing for you. In a tank without diggers, run a shallower bed or push a finger through it now and then.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSuitable for, and not suitable for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuitable for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tanganyikan shell dwellers such as multifasciatus, similis and brevis; sand-sifting species including Enantiopus and Xenotilapia; Lake Malawi mbuna and hap tanks where you want the fish sifting naturally; Central American cichlids in hard alkaline water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNot suitable for:\u003c\/strong\u003e planted aquariums, soft-water community tanks, blackwater and Amazonian setups, shrimp tanks, and discus or apistogramma systems - aragonite raises pH and carbonate hardness and there is no way to stop it. It is also the wrong choice directly beneath a downward-facing powerhead, and it is not the grade to pick if you want a contoured bed to stay contoured.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSetting it up\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePut the sand into an empty tank first, and pour in the liquid from the bag with it - that liquid is the water conditioner and the bacterial culture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLevel it, then place rockwork directly on the glass rather than on the sand, so a fish digging underneath cannot topple a rock pile.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdd water slowly onto a plate or a bag laid on the sand, or you will crater the bed and cloud the tank badly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRun filtration. Expect cloudiness while the fines settle and the filter clears them.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCare and maintenance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSiphon the surface rather than digging in. Waste sits on top of a fine bed, so hovering the siphon just above the sand lifts detritus without pulling the substrate up the hose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRock stability is the thing to keep an eye on. Cichlids excavate under rockwork, and a cave built on sand rather than on the glass will eventually subside. Check the scape every few months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuffering capacity is consumed very slowly as aragonite dissolves, so there is no replacement schedule. Top up if the depth drops noticeably over several years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/eco-complete-cichlid-gravel-20lb-9-072kg\"\u003eCaribSea Eco-Complete Cichlid Gravel\u003c\/a\u003e - the coarse grade, useful under rockwork where a fine sand would be excavated away.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dragon-stone-freshwater-rock-25lb-11kg\"\u003eDragon Stone Freshwater Rock\u003c\/a\u003e - pitted rock for the caves and sight breaks a Rift Lake scape needs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/hikari-cichlid-excel-pellet-250g\"\u003eHikari Cichlid Excel Pellet 250g\u003c\/a\u003e - a vegetable-based pellet suited to the herbivorous Malawi species often kept over sand.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWarranty and delivery\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaribSea does not publish a warranty term for its substrates. Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply regardless, and are not limited by anything the manufacturer does or does not offer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach bag weighs 9.072 kg, and this is the densest grade in the range. A 150 x 60 cm tank at 5 cm depth is eight bags, over 72 kg, so check the freight total before ordering a full bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eDo I need to rinse CaribSea Eco-Complete Cichlid Sand?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. It is supplied damp in a water conditioning solution with live bacteria, and CaribSea's instruction is to place the contents straight into the aquarium. Rinsing removes the conditioner and the bacterial culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs it fine enough for shell-dwelling Tanganyikans?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. At 0.5 to 1.5 mm it is fine enough for species such as Neolamprologus multifasciatus to excavate pits and bank sand around their shells. Give them 5 to 7.5 cm of depth so there is something to dig into.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWill it cloud the tank?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBriefly. Fine substrate always releases some fines on filling, and adding water onto a plate rather than straight onto the bed makes a large difference. The filter clears the remainder over the following day or two.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow does it compare with the gravel grades?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCichlid Sand is 0.5 to 1.5 mm and 92 lb per cubic foot; both coarse grades are 4.0 to 10.0 mm and lighter per litre. Sand allows natural digging and sifting and keeps waste on the surface, but it moves under flow and under fish. Gravel holds its shape but hides detritus in the gaps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eCan I use it in a planted or soft-water tank?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Aragonite raises pH and carbonate hardness, which suits Rift Lake cichlids and works against plants, shrimp and soft-water fish. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/eco-complete-planted-black-20lb-9-072kg\"\u003eEco-Complete Planted Black\u003c\/a\u003e is the carbonate-free option for those tanks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow deep should the bed be?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2.5 to 5 cm for a general Rift Lake display, and 5 to 7.5 cm where shell dwellers or sifting species need something to work in. Very deep undisturbed fine beds can develop anaerobic pockets, so match the depth to whether anything in the tank actually digs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"CaribSea","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55293347791139,"sku":"CS0772","price":66.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/cs0772_1725237709_thumb_629784b3-d2ad-44a7-ab3c-99c8a706241c.png?v=1783216135","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/eco-complete-cichlid-sand-20lb-9-072kg","provider":"Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","version":"1.0","type":"link"}