Who Gives A Fish Forums

I wasn't sure where to post this, but since I'm dealing with African Cichlids, this thread seemed like the best fit.

I just got a new 72 gallon bow front tank with a stand and all the fixings - it's got 2 Eheim 2215 Canisters, which I'm pretty excited about. Now I'm trying to decide on plants and substrate. The problem is, there aren't any hardware stores nearby, so Play sand is out of the question for me. I do have a bunch of pet stores in the area, though, and I was wondering - what's the best sand for a planted tank?

I've been eyeing flourite sand, looks great, but the cost for a 72 is kinda steep.

Honestly, most African Cichlid setups I've seen don't really have plants, so you might not need to worry about the sand being specifically for a planted tank.

lentoa wrote: ↑Fri Jul 25, 2025 2:38 pm Honestly, most African Cichlid setups I've seen don't really have plants, so you might not need to worry about the sand being specifically for a planted tank.

Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely consider it when I'm planning out my tank.

If you do decide to add plants, Valisneria, Anubias, and Java fern are pretty hardy options for African tanks. Anubias and Java fern are especially useful since they can be attached to rocks or driftwood, which prevents the fish from uprooting them.