Whats Better Gravel Or Sand People

[newtothis26]

hi ya people just wanted to no whats better a gravel tank or a sand tank i have a tank set up with gravel at he momment and i have another tank im setting up tommorrow so i want to no sand? gravel?? if sand wahts i like to maintain and keep clean how do u do water changes ?? please all imput would be grateful

thanks

 

[kelly528]

Sand takes a little more skill to clean without sucking it all up, but on the flip side it is very good for cories and 'soft-bellied' fish who spend a lot of time on the bottom or like to 'thrash' in the sand such as loaches or dwarf puffers.

Also sand has to be either stirred on a regular basis or truned by Malaysian Trumpet Snails to prevent anaerobic pockets from building up.

If you are really set on the look of sand or need it for one of your fish go ahead but otherwise I would say that gravel is a good deal more convenient and easy to clean.

 

[onebto]

I have never kept a gravel tank so cannot comment on gravel

Sand is a great substrate but like everything its not perfect, the negatives I would say is vaking up debris is a bit of an art compared to gravel.

In that you do the same as gravel but with just a hose no fancy end bit and you don't stick it in the sand its a fine art of hovering just above the surface of the sand sucking up the waste/debris.

Debris and waste does show up quite clearly unless you use the darker coloured sand.

You will inevitably loose some sand over a period of time doing this, in fact I have just topped up my sand substrate I do it about every 8 to 10 months.

The other major issue with sand is that if you have major currents in your tank it will move the sand substrate around and you will end up with a pile of sand in one corner, so you have to spend a while testing your flows getting things Wright.

But bottom dwellers like Loaches love sand substrate It does look fantastic I hope this helps.

Regards onebto.

 

[newtothis26]

i want to do the sand its only a 90 liter tank and i was going to use it as a breeding tank or get some diffeent fish apart from the ones in my community tank i have

 

[spectrum]

I had gravel in the earlier days of my tank but switched to sand quite quickly, I find it easier to clean, because not unseen dirt can avoid the gravel vacuum. To get rid of crud from the bottom I simply target the waste and them move the end of the vac around about and inch above the sand. This gets the waste moving and then sucked up. Hope this helps

 

[Ben M]

personally, i would go for the sand. if you look at harlequins sand in her sig, it is immaculate, due to her many corys (although i'm sure she is great at cleaning it as well ). i would definitely consider getting some corys if you have sand as they are great to watch, and keep the sand clean (they don't eat the fish waste, they just mix it up i guess). sand also seems to be preferred by a lot of fish, and i think it looks really natural. if you do get sand, don't pay loads from an aquatic shop, just get some play sand from toys r us or argos. i got mine from B&Q (kiln dried sand) and i filled my 4ft tank for £6 with quite a lot spare.

cheers

 

[onebto]

15KG bag of play sand at Argos is £2.95

 

[kelly528]

OR if you can get your hands on some 3M colorquartz... they arent making it anymore (stopped in november) so stores are just selling it off. It's AWESOME. I got the jet black kind... dirt cheap and it looks fantastic! You can buy it at pool supply stores.

 

[5teady_2012]

15KG bag of play sand at Argos is £2.95

 

[5teady_2012]

Vaccing the sand is easy.....

Simple little method, while siphoning, do fast circle motions with the end of your tube and it will create a whirlwind between the sand and the end of tube, then simply manouver along the sand and the whirlwind picks up all the dirt without the sand (takes a little skill but not much)

 

[OldMan47]

The sand or gravel question is mostly one of personal taste although some minor factors enter into it. One factor is that many bottom dwelling fish like a smoothly rounded bottom cover like river sand or even small gravel that is well rounded. Whether you buy sand or gravel to suit the look you like, take a sample in your hand and rub it between your fingers. If it feels rough or abrasive on your skin, the bottom dwellers will definitely not like it. No matter how nice it looks, take it back and get something smoother.

 

[-Craig-]

I would use sand, it looks better and it looks more like their nature, which i try to keep my tank as similar to where they would live in the wild.

 

[flippajh]

I have both, natural smooth edge gravel, but then in one corner, I've made an oasis, with bogwood and plants around a clear plastic plant tray that is filled with sand, the cory's love digging around in it and the sand stays in this tray buried in the gravel. Looks quite good and suits all the fish!