gravel vs. marine sand?

[Kissifish]

Thinking of starting a new tank and happened to see marine sand in the aquarium products. It is listed as safe for freshwater tanks and is much coarser than regular sand.

How about some pros and cons from the experts??

 

[focus]

both as good but sand is harder to clean i been told plus the fish can turn the sand up when moving about apart from that thats all i no



i have gravel wish i got sand looks better i think

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

well usualy marine sand and gravel are made to raise pH to comfortable levals for marine fish. the pH rasing value makes it good to put into ffreshwater tanks with fish that like an equally high pH such as mollies and african cichlids. but maybe it is just plain sand. you should go back to the store and read the instructions.
although sand looks nice, vacuming it would provide difficult because it would gt sucked up with the waste.

 

[golfboy444]

i like gravel the most!!!

 

[semper fi]

i saw that it was mentioned cichlids and sand. not two things that you want to put in the same sentence. cichlids are diggers. sand gets stirred up and can clog filters.

semper fi

 

[Kissifish]

Actually, this type is not fine sand. It looks like finely crushed coral or something, but is used in freshwater tanks. They have black which would show off the fish better and I now have this hideous!!!!!! blue gravel. (WHAT COULD I HAVE BEEN THINKING!

I was worried more about the fish getting choked on it, as I have read in some of your posts from the past.

 

[FrankSlapperinni]

i saw that it was mentioned cichlids and sand. not two things that you want to put in the same sentence.

I didn't use them in the same sentence.

anyways, if it is crushed coral it will raise the pH to 8 ish.

 

[smb]

Crushed coral is great for Mbunas.

I've used sand plenty of times for CA/SA's. They love it and once the sand becomes "waterlogged" (which takes between a few days to 2 weeks depending on what type you use) it isn't a problem because as soon as as it's stirred up, it settles down.

You can't have your HOB right on the sand like you can with gravel and every once in a while you have to stir the sand to get rid of the anaerobic pockets but that's about it.

I think sand looks the best.

 

[MountGuppy]

I would go with the sand because it adds to the tank.