Silica Sand for Substrate Burrowers?

[Dave Legacy]

Hi guys,

I want to use some silica sand for the substrate in my new tank red mangrove/L. glabriuscula tank, but I worry that the mantis wont be able to make it's borrow in such fine sand. In comparison to araganite and crushed coral sands, silica sand is much more economical and I currently grow my mangrove saplings in silica sand.

Maybe I could do a 50/50 mix of chunky Reef Sand and Silica sand?

 

[Thurge]

Can't help you on the Silica, but advice Dr. Roy gav me when setting up a tank for an L.maculatta was that they don't produce enough saliva to build a burrow out of just finer sand. They will find it much easier to construct their home when they have a mixture of grain sizes to use as building material, so I woud definately mix in Crushed coral and shells.


Thinking on it Silica may end up being very abrassive to your mantis, especially if itty bitty teeny tiny grains got into the joints of its shell.

 

[Gonodactylus]

My major concern, as Thurge pointed out, is the abrasive nature of silica sand. Lysiosquilloids have very thin cuticles that could easily be abraded.

Grain size is important, but even with very fine sand, given enough time, they can produce sufficient mucus to stabilize a burrow provided there is little direct current. THey also have difficulty digging in anything more course than 3-4 mm. I prefer to use in an aquarium unscreened coral sand. In a pinch, I have also used northern California black beach sand that is mostly ground shale and limestone.. It is not sharp and Lysiosquilloids seem to be able to handle it.

Roy

 

[thor32766]

wow, never thought of it like that.