fish enviroment

23 14:11:41

Question
hi i was wondering what can i use so my 20 gallon tank looks kind of natural for my convicts

Answer
Hi Andre,
  In Costa Rica, where I study convicts, the key elements are sand, gravel and wood. There are no underwater plants in their environment at all. In Nicaragua, in Lakes like Xiloa, there are underwater plants.

So, for a "natural" habitat -- that also looks nice -- I would put in lots of wood, some plastic plants and I would use a couple of sizes of gravel and sand and put them in patches. One of the key things which makes aquariums look different than the natural world is that the gravel in nature is not uniform in color or size.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>