Quick Questions

This post contains affiliate links, that means if you buy via our link we will get some advertising revenue.

Can you use alfagrog as a bedding under sand to prevent sailfin plecs digging up the substrate? I have one plec and he keeps causing the larger pieces of hardscape to collapse or fall. Now my tank just looks like mountains of sand.

I’m not the worlds biggest fan of deep sand beds. My concern is that you will get an anerobic layer, which means that toxic gases can build up and that will reek havoc if that’s suddenly released into your water.
But bare glass when the fish have moved most of it is a nightmare and you’re right, you don’t want your plec pushing things over or digging underneath. So there are options. Egg crate is the one I’d look at first. Not the sort for eggs, this was the stuff to go over lights but is now sold for fish tanks. This is the sort of thing I’m thinking of. Put that down and then put the ornaments on top, and then the sand. The plec can’t undermine things and will only be able to dig to a limited amount. Marine keepers use is a lot for coral and other things, but you can cover it in sand.

The issue with alfagrog is that the sand will fall through and then all you will see is the alfagrog, but I would like to point out that it still one of my favourite biological medias for filters.