Sand And Bubbles?

[Hiya70310]

A friend of mine told me I can't use my bubble stones if I change my substrate to sand. She said the bubbles will trap ammonia or something with my pH...didn't make any since what she said so I was wondering what you guys thing.
Will I be able to keep my air stones if my substrate was sand instead of gravel?

 

[Geoff1991]

I turned my airstone off when i changed to sand just because it threw sand around and it got really annoying seeing sand floating everywhere.

 

[Hiya70310]

ah man. I guess that makes since

 

[three-fingers]

Don't know what your friends getting at tbh, but LOADS of people including myself use air stones together with sand and it creates no problems at all.

If you have a plain air stone on a sand substrate, the bubbles will life the sand up and kick it around a little depending on the power of the air stone, but this doesn't create any water quality issues or problems for the fish, it just looks a bit messy sometimes.

The solution is very simple, just hang the air stone a few cm above the sand, or use suction cups to stick it to the glass above the sand, or use one of those "air disc" things that have a plastic bottom, or just place the air stone on top of a piece of slate...solutions are endless basically.


Really, using an air stone with sand is no issue at all...

 

[Hiya70310]

Thank you. I really want to darken my subtrate. I brought the light and dark blue gravel mix. It looks really nice at the moment but I think a even darker substrate will bring out the colors in my fish better or so says the info I have been reading. Also I read that Ruby sharks prefer sand??? and so do the other fish I have. According to the random sites that came up while googling.

 

[three-fingers]

Most bottom dwellers will spend time foraging in the sand, it provides enrichment for them .

Looks more natural too, which is nicer IMO.

 

[mixmaster jay]

after a short while it stops getting thrown about and stays at the bottom

 

[Bignose]

A friend of mine told me I can't use my bubble stones if I change my substrate to sand. She said the bubbles will trap ammonia or something with my pH...didn't make any since what she said so I was wondering what you guys thing.
Will I be able to keep my air stones if my substrate was sand instead of gravel?

Scientifically, this is just gibberish. I can't even recognize a kernel of truth in that jumble there. I'd ask your friend to point to the website or book or wherever she got that info from, because it isn't right. It isn't even wrong. It just isn't.

 

[robbieswan]

A friend of mine told me I can't use my bubble stones if I change my substrate to sand. She said the bubbles will trap ammonia or something with my pH...didn't make any since what she said so I was wondering what you guys thing.
Will I be able to keep my air stones if my substrate was sand instead of gravel?

Scientifically, this is just gibberish. I can't even recognize a kernel of truth in that jumble there. I'd ask your friend to point to the website or book or wherever she got that info from, because it isn't right. It isn't even wrong. It just isn't.

I feel foolish for replying, but I did have eratic Ph when I had bubbles and sand..I have since changed to gravel and all is well.....I have no explaination for the change, nor do I wish to prove or disprove anything....All I can tell you is what happened to me

 

[saltynay]

Errattic ph could be due to using crushed coral sand and by the air bubbles throwing it into the air you are creating more of a current over the particles and surface area effected by that current.

 

[8inary]

you will be fine - your friend has more gas than what will happen in your tank.

i had a tank with sand and it was fine.....if you find sand being blown around, just turn down your airpump if you can, or just buy a nice
small one, they look great imo....of course lol

 

[Richard22b]

I have 2 air inputs into my tank with sand. My solutions were:

1. I put a ring airstone under an ornament that allowed bubbles out but reduces the amount of sand getting out.

2. I got some drift wood. drilled in 2 large holes at the back then several small holes down into the big holes from the top. 2 Airstones were put inside and sealed with sealant. The bubbles now come out the top of the wood so no sand in the way.

Have a look at my thread. You will see the wood in the centre and the skull ornament on right.
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=286353"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=286353[/URL]

 

[Hiya70310]

I have 2 air inputs into my tank with sand. My solutions were:

1. I put a ring airstone under an ornament that allowed bubbles out but reduces the amount of sand getting out.

2. I got some drift wood. drilled in 2 large holes at the back then several small holes down into the big holes from the top. 2 Airstones were put inside and sealed with sealant. The bubbles now come out the top of the wood so no sand in the way.

Have a look at my thread. You will see the wood in the centre and the skull ornament on right.
<a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=286353" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=286353</a>

I see, what you have done with your air stones is really cool. However...way to technical for me. I have a 20 gallon with a bunch of decor in it already. You know how girls are. We go into the store I see it, I can't leave the store without it. I need to utilize what I have and if I do add anything it needs to be cheap. Hubby is already ticked cause I now want to switch to sand. He thought when He got the Gouramis he would be done with buying for the fish...poor thing.

 

[Fisses]

i went from gravel to sand and found i couldnt really use my air stone or even air disc the way i wanted to to i just scrapped it.

when i had the air stone and disc in, even with the disc on the surface and a stone ontop it looked stupid and still sent sand flying around the tank

 

[three-fingers]

I just attached my airstone to the glass with a sucker.