Gravel or sand?

[Lajos_Detari]

To be able to appreciate the look of sand, you can look at the websites and videos below:

The website below is specially dedicated to Apistogramma fish.
You can browse at the expeditions photos to South America rivers, streams and some of the fish photos in their tanks.
Search under "Article" for different expeditions:

Welcome to Toms Homepage

Welcome to Toms Homepage

You can also look at how ADA used the sand for aquascaping but avoid soil as it will be too much work and you will have to wait for 1.5 months before adding the fish in case of high ammonia.

Finally, here are some videos of rivers in South America:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnTBoGqNoAE

 

[itiwhetu]

To be able to appreciate the look of sand, you can look at the websites and videos below:

The website below is specially dedicated to Apistogramma fish.
You can browse at the expeditions photos to South America rivers, streams and some of the fish photos in their tanks.
Search under "Article" for different expeditions:

Welcome to Toms Homepage

Welcome to Toms Homepage

You can also look at how ADA used the sand for aquascaping but avoid soil as it will be too much work and you will have to wait for 1.5 months before adding the fish in case of high ammonia.

Finally, here are some videos of rivers in South America:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnTBoGqNoAE

You have way more passion for this than I do, I will just use my river gravel but thank you.

 

[FishHobby99]

i have sand in tanks where it is highly recommended for the animal such as cichlids, catfish & axotles. I have gravel in others. Plants will grow in either substrate, at least the ones I have. Some need to be attached to wood, rocks, etc. I have attached some to vertical upright acrylic poles. I used small containers filled with a soil based substrate and placed on top of sand or soil substrates. That was done to encourage fussy red plants & it didn’t work as I did not meet their other requirements such as intense light & CO2, so I threw them away.

 

[FishHobby99]

If you really want "a river look", sand still look the best.
There was once I used fine gravel as I find it easier to siphon the waste out.

But the moment I changed to sand, it immediately looked so different and my tank looked just like a river/stream....it looked so natural, just like the fish habitat...
From that day onwards, I made up my mind just to use sand.
Even by putting a thin layer of sand, it will make a big different in your tank as what I observed in one of our LFS.

I love the playground sand Lowe’s has for $5 fot 50 pds. I have also used black sand. I know people who buy it in blue & green, but I want the natural look.

 

[Colin_T]

I always like it when people say sand is more natural. Further upstream you go the less sand there is. Mountain streams and rivers have very little sand. Sand is only a product of erosion, so it only occurs near the mouths of rivers, but not inland.

In addition to this, half the areas with sand actually have silt, sediment and mud on top of the sand so you don't see the sand. Some areas have clean flowing water that washes the sediment away, but other areas collect it and there can be a foot or more of soft gross mud above the sand.

 

[FishHobby99]

ain’t no silt in my Lowe’s playground sand.
Looks like the southern California beach sand

I don’t know what’s in my creek sand, the creek that runs through my land. It’s dark, almost black. It can stay there, but I’m hauling some of those big pretty rocks up to the house.
Cold day in hell before I pay $250 for the fake rocks from Serbia.

 

[Colin_T]

ain’t no silt in my Lowe’s playground sand.
Looks like the southern California beach sand

so yellow and covered in needles and yuppies with major skin damage caused by excessive sun exposure?

------------------

I don’t know what’s in my creek sand, the creek that runs through my land. It’s dark, almost black. It can stay there, but I’m hauling some of those big pretty rocks up to the house.
Cold day in hell before I pay $250 for the fake rocks from Serbia.

The dark bits in river sand is normally rotting organic matter (leaves, etc that have broken down and mixed with the sand staining it).

Visit the local nursery / garden centre or hardware store for rocks. Most sell smooth river rocks/ pebbles for next to nothing.

 

[Oblio]

so yellow and covered in needles and yuppies with major skin damage caused by excessive sun exposure?

 

[CuriousFins]

what is the one thing that made you decide that sand is the best option

I watched a couple of Girl Talks Fish's videos about sand in planted tanks. Also, I really do prefer how it looks.

 

[Avel1896]

sometimes the less you do the better the result.

Agree. Do not forget patience !

 

[Slaphppy7]

Sand > gravel, IMO....sand holds nutrients, gravel holds gunk

I use this in most of my tanks, cheap, readily available, clean, looks good, and grows plants quite well....safe for corys, too

Quikrete 50 lb. Pool Filter Sand 115350 - The Home Depot

Quikrete 50 lb. Pool Filter Sand is a properly graded and dried sand. It is designed to be used in swimming pool filtration systems. This pool filter sand also features a tan color.

www.homedepot.com

 

[Lajos_Detari]

You have way more passion for this than I do, I will just use my river gravel but thank you.

Actually, gravel is also nice and at no cost since you can get it free.
Sand is more costly especially if you buy from the fish stores.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

I love the playground sand Lowe’s has for $5 fot 50 pds. I have also used black sand. I know people who buy it in blue & green, but I want the natural look.

My sand is not cheap because I bought those nice natural colours sand.
But since I don't have many tanks, it's ok for me to buy them.

I have light pinkish & brownish sand and another sunset yellow sand.
The colours are fantastic to create a river feel.
Don't use sand that is too dark like black as they will make your tank too dark and make it like a "dirty" tank.
I like lighter colours sand as they make my tank look cleaner/neater and brighter.

For background wall, get either a black or a blue.
The blue gives you a feel of the sky colour...
If you have fish like Cardinal or Neon Tetras, the black background will make their colours really stand out.


These are how my sand look like:

SUDO S-8815 Bottom Sand 5kg

Natural materials, natural colours Fine-grained sand does not hurt the fish body Ideal substrate for keeping bottom-dwelling fish Can be used as a decorative landscaping layer for any aquarium

jzxonline.com

ANS Sunset Yellow Bottom Sand | nanatureaquarium

www.nanatureaquarium.com

ADA also has very nice sand but too expensive for me.

ADA La Plata sand

La Plata Sand is natural sand having natural bright color. It is suitable for general aquarium use and also good as cosmetic sand for planted aquarium. With its natural white color, La Plata Sand creates an atmosphere of natural river bed in aquarium. It does not affect the Water quality parameter.

eastoceansg.com

Cosmetic Sand | ADA - PRODUCT - SUBSTRATE SYSTEM

ADA designs and develops products of aquarium, lighting and CO2 supply system to propose Nature Aquarium where tropical fish swimming in densely grown aquatic plants.

www.adana.co.jp

 

[FishHobby99]

You have some awesome colors there! My secondhand betta tank came with a huge sack of black sand, also inexpensive like the playground sand. It’s sold at places like Tractor Supply, big US chain & other places. Not sure where you are, but this or a similar product has to be available everywhere
Some pet shop supply stores sell small quantities of this black sand at high prices. It really makes my albino corycats pop. I like these inexpensive sands because then I don’t feel bad about vacuuming up too much of the top layer when I change water and clean the tanks.

 

[itiwhetu]

The main problem with sand is that it is Silica. Which adds nothing to the tank, with gravel you manage to get the benefit of lots of minerals being added to your tank. As I see it sand is inert, which is why you then must add fertilizers so your plants will grow.