Gravel Or Sand?

[Liv15]

I have black gravel mixed in with light purple gravel atm and I'm thinking I could pick out all the purple gravel and top up with more black (this black is really jet black). I also want to completely redesign my tank. I wanna get rid of my decorations and add pieces of wood and more live plants.

1.) Would my new ideas of redesigning my tank look good with black gravel?

2.) should I go straight to sand?

3.) If I eventually get sand, can I use a normal gravel cleaner and the normal air stones and everything?


My tank has been like this for ages and its boring because I think I made the mistake with the gravel when I set it up.

 

[ncguppy830]

1. yes, black gravel is the only good colored gravel IMO
2. Sand looks better and more naturalistic so yes
 
On a side note, there is black moon sand that can be used in aquaruims, its cheaper than otheer black sand.

 

[ech0o]

My tanks all have gravel fading to sand substrate, like on a beach, I like the look of the white sand coming through the black gravel, ALWAYS have.  I would never use anything other than black gravel, and the sand is certainly easier to clean as everything sits right on the surface. I don't even usually vacuum it, just mix up the water and it all gets mixed up into the water column, net the big pieces of debris, then change the water.  With gravel you certainly have to vacuum it as quite a lot of debris works its way into the rocks.  
 
On occasion you will want to do a nice deep vacuum cleaning on the sand, and airstones are fine.

 

[nikkifro8994]

I like sand better than gravel. It's a pain to set up because you have to rinse the heck out of it, but it looks more polished, IMO. Also, debris such as leftover food or fish waste can fall in between the gravel and cause water quality problems if it's not vacuumed very well. With sand, debris just sits on top making it easier to clean up. Some fish like cory cats and loaches do better with sand. 

 

[Nordk]

I've just swiched from red, blue, and green colored substrate to the larger bits of gravel in play-sand, and I can say I'm never going back. It takes alot of time to sift it out, and getting it clean and letting it settle takes some time, but it's really worth it. It gives a lot more natural look to the tank and doesn't detract from the fish, plus you can make it yourself. Black substrate looks good to, and there's plenty of pics in the journals sections to give you ideas.

 

[Garbolino]

both my 240 ltr tanks have sand, can be a bit of a pain vacuuming as you loose a little, but still like the look & my bristlenose love it

 

[Liv15]

Is play sand just the sand you put in children's sand pits?

 

[rpgmomma8404]

Is play sand just the sand you put in children's sand pits?

Yes but I would suggest pool filter sand honestly. I like the texture better and I heard play sand is a headache to clean. It didn't take much to clean the pool filter sand. 

 

[Liv15]

My tanks all have gravel fading to sand substrate, like on a beach, I like the look of the white sand coming through the black gravel, ALWAYS have.

Could you please post a pic of this? I really wanna see what it looks like, Thanks.

 

[ech0o]

Here is what it looks like before it gets really mixed around, you have to vacuum it all back to the surface and cover the black, because it eventually starts to show through with shuffling around. 
 

 

[Garbolino]

On a differant note what's the big bushy plant at the back to the right

 

[Liv15]

Here is what it looks like before it gets really mixed around, you have to vacuum it all back to the surface and cover the black, because it eventually starts to show through with shuffling around. 
 

That's looks really cool and natural! I think I'm gonna go for a dark coloured sand though

 

[ech0o]

On a differant note what's the big bushy plant at the back to the right

 That is Hygrophilia Difformis, or Water Wisteria.  That is about 6 stems of it, and every time they get too tall I snip the top couple inches, and replant that piece, and the main stem splits into 2 others, eventually it gets nice and bushy like that.

 

[FriendlyFriendlyFish]

I would recommend black gravel. I have black gravel in my tank and a black background. It makes the plants and the fish took so much more vibrant!  

ech0o your tank is gorgeous! you should enter in TOTM!

 

[ech0o]

I like the way certain fish look over certain colors, so I keep a good variation of things in each tank, muted backgrounds, brown from the wood, green from the plants, a little white pop on the sand, good variation.   My next tank though is going to be a very natural aquascape, I have never seriously done one before and am interested in creating something amazing.