Sand Level Question

[a1wonder]

I'm thinking of using a very very thin layer of gravel 1/16 inch and then using a layer of pool sand on top. This is for a 33gal I was wondering how think the layer should be?

 

[astroboy]

eventually the gravel will end up on top of the sand.

Its like a bag of chips. All the crumbs fall to the bottom and the top has all the big chips.

 

[a1wonder]

Well currently there is no water in the aquarium I'm just in the process of setting it all up I might take your advice and remove the gravel, no harm done at this stage in the game. The only reason I added it was because it mature gravel and I'm using a new filter on the tank.

 

[The-Wolf]

use the gravel in one corner, that way you can use an airstone if you want
I've done this and used slate as a divider.

I would have the sand at no more than 1 1/2" due to gas build up in thicker layers.

 

[a1wonder]

Thanks a bundel after work I'll head on down to the local pool store and see what I can dig up. I'll make sure I post some pictures of the finished tank when it's completed

 

[Tropjunky]

well if ur going to use gravel then sand on top then u can get some sorta mesh type thing in the uk the will stop the gravel commin up

 

[The-Wolf]

well if ur going to use gravel then sand on top then u can get some sorta mesh type thing in the uk the will stop the gravel commin up

I've saw that about 3 months ago in my lfs but they discontinued it,
cant find it anywhere locally now

 

[daisycat]

You can use an airstone in sand...we have one in our tank and it's fine.

If you are using the gravel because it is mature and it has just sat in the tank with no water etc for more than a couple of hours then any bacteria on it will be dead by now and won't give you any benefit. When we did our new tank we set it up all up and then filled three knee high stockings with gravel from our mature tank and dropped them into the new one. We removed them once the cycle was complete to just leave the sand.

 

[a1wonder]

Well I scooped out most of the gravel in the tank leaving a bit of gravel in it *just for the sake of looking natural. I called three LFS but they have never heard of such a product. I looked at getting screen door wire but my budget is really limited (university savings first, fish second). I ended up purchasing silca sand I'm removing alot of the dust by boiling it and rincing it twice (painfully time consuming but worth it).

 

[FishDan]

I think you can probably skip the boiling, and just rinse the heck out of it.

\Dan