Sand vs Gravel - Which is easier to clean and maintain?

[Lajos_Detari]

Sand vs Gravel
Which is easier to clean and maintain?
I used to have sand but each time I siphoned the debris, the sand would be sucked out together from the tank.
So, the sand will be gradually reduced after a while.

I am thinking of using very small gravel but will it be difficult to remove the debris and difficult to keep the tank clean?

What are your experiences with sand or gravel?
Can you share?
Thank you in advance.

 

[Colin_T]

Gravel is easier to clean because it doesn't get sucked up as readily as sand. However, gravel can trap debris more than fine sand. Having said that, if debris gets under sand, the sand goes anaerobic (turns black). You can gravel clean sand and kink the syphon hose to reduce the amount of sand being sucked out.

Most bottom dwelling fishes prefer sand.

 

[aqua.land]

Hi.
In my opinion I prefer gravel as I find it is easier to clean and easier to wash when you put new gravel into a tank.
However, there are many fish (eg corys) that need sand as gravel can damage them.
I use gravel and regularly clean it with a gravel cleaner when I do a water change.

 

[dmpfishlover]

Both sand and gravel have their pros and cons.

Gravel Pros:

• It is easy to clean/vacuum with out sucking out the substrate
• Some stem plants can grow in a gravel substrate with root fertilizer tabs (if you wish to have live plants)

Gravel Cons:

• Uneaten food and other organic debris can fall down deep between the spaces between the pieces of gravel and if not cleaned/vacuumed regularly can decay and release Ammonia into the water.
• The trapped decaying debris can cause infections in some bottom dwelling fish that sift through the substrate
• Sometimes the gravel pieces can have sharp edges and are not suitable for some types of bottom dwellers such as Corydoras
• Some gravels can be more expensive than sand (if the type of sand chosen for use is play sand or pool filter sand)

Sand Pros:

• It is an ideal substrate for many types of fish, especially many bottom dwellers (again, such as Corydoras), as it is usually a "softer" substrate than some gravels, but most importantly, it does not trap debris that can start to decay and cause infections in the fish who sift through the substrate.
• Uneaten food and other organic debris can not fall down between spaces like it does with gravel, making it easy to see the waste sitting on top of the substrate, and makes it easy to ensure its removal when cleaning/vacuuming
• Many stem plants can grow well in a sand substrate (with root fertilizer tabs)
• Sand can be a very cheap substrate, as Play Sand or Pool Filter Sand that you can buy at your local hardware store can be used, and it is very inexpensive. Just be sure to thoroughly rinse the sand before using, as it can make the water very cloudy.

Sand Cons:

• It is not as easy to clean/vacuum as gravel is, without removing some of the substrate inadvertently. You can not vacuum Sand the same way you do with gravel. You can not stick the siphon down into the substrate like you can with gravel. Instead you need to "wave" the siphon over the sand to gently suck up the debris on the bottom.
• Depending on the type of Sand, if the substrate layer is too deep, the sand can trap debris within pockets, and if the sand becomes compact on top, the decaying debris can trap pockets of harmful waste byproducts, and if the pocket opens up these can be released into the tank water and harm or even kill fish. So, it is important to be aware of this.

Ultimately it comes down to personal preference, the types of fish you want to keep, and price.

 

[seangee]

I know this is controversial in some circles ...

In a healthy tank there is no need to clean the sand if you

• Don't overfeed
• Do regular substantial water changes
• Have plants
• Snails, shrimps and substrate foragers help but are not compulsory
• Keep it to an average depth of <2 inches (anaerobic pockets only form below that depth).

I never vacuum the substrate or even stir it. When I changed the substrate in my community tank last year (after about 5 years) there was no massive spike of anything - it did not even smell bad. I do remove dead leaves and vegetation.

 

[dmpfishlover]

I know this is controversial in some circles ...

In a healthy tank there is no need to clean the sand if you

• Don't overfeed
• Do regular substantial water changes
• Have plants
• Snails, shrimps and substrate foragers help but are not compulsory
• Keep it to an average depth of <2 inches (anaerobic pockets only form below that depth).

I never vacuum the substrate or even stir it. When I changed the substrate in my community tank last year (after about 5 years) there was no massive spike of anything - it did not even smell bad. I do remove dead leaves and vegetation.

I agree... I think sometimes people feel the need to clean the sand because you can visually see the fish poop and debris sitting on the surface of the substrate, especially on a lighter sand. Some people don't like the way this looks.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Thank you all for the valuable tips.
I'll keep them in mind when deciding between sand and gravel.
I'm still in a planning stage and will be starting a new tank in a few weeks time.

Due to the lockdown in my country, I'm unable to buy any live stocks.
Most of the fish stores are empty of fish and shrimps.
We can only buy the essential items.

The government will allow us to buy live stocks very soon but I will wait for the fish stores to replenish their stocks.

I'll keep mainly shrimps and some very small fish probably the Chilli Rasboras or some other small fish.

 

[dmpfishlover]

Thank you all for the valuable tips.
I'll keep them in mind when deciding between sand and gravel.
I'm still in a planning stage and will be starting a new tank in a few weeks time.

Due to the lockdown in my country, I'm unable to buy any live stocks.
Most of the fish stores are empty of fish and shrimps.
We can only buy the essential items.

It is good that you have time to research before setting up a tank!! It is important to do your research and carefully plan out your tank and what fish you plan to keep. You will be glad that you did, as it can prevent a lot of mistakes and headaches for you down the road. Be sure to really research every species of fish you intend to keep. This site is one of the most reliable sites providing profile information on almost any species of fish you would like to research: https://seriouslyfish.com/ , Make sure to pay close attention to the fish's water parameter requirements (Water Hardness (GH), pH, Temperature), water flow/current, Tank Size, Compatibility with other fish, whether or not it is a schooling fish and should be kept in large groups, or any other specific needs that might be species specific.

Most importantly, if you don't already know what they are, find out what the GH (number and units), and PH of your Tap Water is. It is best (easiest in the long run) to pick out fish that require the same water parameters as your Tap Water. If you do not know what the GH of your Tap water is, you can contact your water provider to find out, or look at the water provider's website, if they have one.

 

[Retired Viking]

You were given some very good information here which I have little to add. I currently have gravel in my freshwater tanks but I am also looking at adding sand to my next tank. Some fish like corys that like to dig are best kept in a sand tank. Sand is also cheaper if you buy the play sand most hardware stores sell. Good luck

 

[Byron]

I have been maintaining aquaria (several, lol) for four decades now, and I have used pea gravel, medium gravel, fine gravel, play sand and once Flourite so-called plant enriched substrate. Without any question, regular inert play sand has been the overall best substrate.

Having said that, if you want to create a Central American stream biotope, pea gravel or medium gravel can work very well--but this being a biotope, you will have upper fish and no cories or loaches and this is important. You can also do a south Asia (Indian) biotope with smooth gravel for native loach species and upper fish.

But for all other situations, nothing really is better than an inert smooth sand. All plants grow very well in sand, fish will have no issues, and it looks natural and makes the visual space seem larger.

 

[Metalhead88]

Easier to clean? Gravel. Thats 100%

I use both and the tank with sand in it is much harder to clean.

In tanks with gravel, once I cover the whole tank with the gravel vac, I stick it deep into the gravel (so small fish don't get sucked up) and work on something else. The tank with big fish I don't bother with this.

The tank with sand, I have to hold the gravel vac the entire time and hover over the sand. I can not leave the gravel vac suspended above the substrate because the corries will get sucked up. Although worth it because I love the look, the sand tank that is half the size of the larger tank takes twice as long to do a water change on.

I have been keeping sand and gravel for a long time and plan to continue to use both since both have advantages and disadvantages. The water change award goes to the gravel however.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I use play sand in all of my tanks.

I also just use the hose portion of a normal syphon, as I find it easier to clean my sand.

I have kept gravel and sand in tanks at times. I like plain old play sand the best. It looks very natural and its very cheap. (50lb for $5)

I used to keep gravel, as it was cheap and easy to maintain, but after keeping fish for over 4 years I have learned to love play sand.

Is gravel easier to maintain? Absolutely. Does play sand look more natural and is it much cheaper? Again, absolutely.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I hate sand. Everyone here knows it. Gravel us so much easier to clean and get down deep into. However, for my cories, I do have sand. I will say, play sand is much better than the black sand I use to have from Petco. I like it much better.

 

[seangee]

Since a picture is worth a thousand words this is the last one I took of my community tank before I changed the substrate in Sept 2019 (its the same tank that is in my signature). I bought this tank and set it up in late 2015. I have never vacuumed the sand. How is that hard work

As a few people in the UK have asked about sand recently - this is Argos play sand.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

The darker substrate looks better in your tank.