New 140gltank Sand Or Gravel? Or Both?

[Wanda hornsey]

I am starting as a newbie with a 120gl (140 US gallons)tank and need to start this week putting it together I am not sure wether sand or gravel is the way to go? I have a large amount of gravel that came with the tank but this needs a very a good clean before use, and From what i have read a lot of people think sand is the way to go..please guys give me some pointers...is sand easy to maintain/clean how do you do it? its not that I am lazy but is a huge tank to clean and as a newbie I want to try and get it right....also has anyone ever mixed a tank and had part sand and part gravel?? I think this could look really nice and actually quite natural but will it work?? Arggg decisions decisions



I posted this on another part of the forum but got only 1 answer can you guys help at all

 

[Matty]

sand IMHO looks waay better and more natural than gravel, but you need constant water motion, no dead spots, good mechanical filtration and regular tank vacuuming so that it looks clean. Gravel on the other hand looks fairly good too, and it disguises lots of dirt, so if you're lazy like me, this may be the way to go. another plus in the directionn of gravel is that it is easier to vacuum and dark colours show off the fish's natural colours better

just my $0.02

 

[Wanda hornsey]

Thanks for that....upkeep is somthing I am concerened about as the tank is so big and also so tall I need steps to get up to lift the lid to feed clean etc. still wondering if a mixture would work does anyone have any view on this?

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

I'd avoid mixing them as the sand will eventually sink to the bottom and the gravel will sit on top. In all my tanks i have play sand which i bought from Homebase for £3.99 a bag then from ARGOS for £2.49 a bag as a rough guide i used 2 and a half bags to fill the rio 400 which has a 5 ft by 20" base (i think).

I like the look of sand, the only downside is the fish poo stands out so i have to gravel vac regularly. The plants seem to do better in sand too. I have some polished pebbles scattered through the tank to break up the look of the sand.

Emma

 

[Wanda hornsey]

Thanks guys will mull this over

 

[Matty]

oh yeah, if you design/buy a good undergravel jet system, you might eliminate dead sports in your tank. this, along with a couple of good mechanical (power) filters, and you should be well on your way to clean send for long periods of time.

 

[Rooster]

Hi,

I'd avoid mixing them as the sand will eventually sink to the bottom and the gravel will sit on top. In all my tanks i have play sand which i bought from Homebase for £3.99 a bag then from ARGOS for £2.49 a bag as a rough guide i used 2 and a half bags to fill the rio 400 which has a 5 ft by 20" base (i think).

I like the look of sand, the only downside is the fish poo stands out so i have to gravel vac regularly. The plants seem to do better in sand too. I have some polished pebbles scattered through the tank to break up the look of the sand.

Emma

I am using Argos sand in my new planted tank too... what depth do you recommend ?
And are you using any additional nutrition ?