Substrate Question

[FishLover66]

Hi all,

I've already set up my Marineland 27 Cube and it's on the back end of cycling. The substrate I've selected is aquarium sand (inert) and natural pea gravel with various colors and sizes of river rocks thrown about. The sand is at the bottom and the pea gravel is on top. I've recently read that you need to be careful with sand since it can compact and cause bad bacteria an toxic gas to develop in the aquarium unless it's a planted tank (which mine isn't). It suggested disturbing the sand twice per week to allow oxygen to get in the sand and prevent it from compacting. I really don't want to have to do that. Should I just mix up the sand with the pea gravel or do I need to replace all my plastic plants with real ones?

 

[fluttermoth]

I prefer sand; it's easier to keep clean than gravel, because all the dirt sits on top of it.

I wouldn't worry about gas pockets, it's never happened to me, and apparentaly the gas oxidises when if it hits water and isn't toxic to fish in that form. If you do ever get a patch of bad sand, it's easy to syphon out and either clean in hot water or replace it.

 

[Fishy friend2]

I like sand more, I have one tank with sand and one tank with gravel, IMO sand is much easier to keep clean, looks better, is better for most bottom feeders, and is easier to clean, as you dont have to top stick the siphon all the way down into it, just hover it over the sand and all the debris should clear up

 

[FishBlast]

I like sand more, I have one tank with sand and one tank with gravel, IMO sand is much easier to keep clean, looks better, is better for most bottom feeders, and is easier to clean, as you dont have to top stick the siphon all the way down into it, just hover it over the sand and all the debris should clear up

But what if you have some really active bottom feeders that will keep stirring the sand up? Your tank will look like there's a mist in it.

 

[Fishy friend2]

I have really active bottom feeders (pygmie cories) and they don't stir up the sand and make the tank look like mist, as long as you do regular gravel vacs you shouldn't have a problem, and if you Do regular water vacs and the fish make your tank look like most then something is wrong with your tank

 

[FishBlast]

I have really active bottom feeders (pygmie cories) and they don't stir up the sand and make the tank look like mist, as long as you do regular gravel vacs you shouldn't have a problem, and if you Do regular water vacs and the fish make your tank look like most then something is wrong with your tank

Regular as in how often?
And a Hoplo catfish for example, would stir the sand up with its giant tail every time it would swim around. How often would you vacuum that? Although in a large tank, that would be like a small cloud of dust anyway so probably won't matter.

 

[Fishy friend2]

I do twice weekly water changes, their shouldn't be enough waste on the bottom to male your tank look murky even if a hoplo disturbed the sand IMO

 

[Cazgar]

I've recently swapped 2 of my tanks over to sand, & although the muck sits on the surface, it's easier to syphon off

 

[fluttermoth]

I have really active bottom feeders (pygmie cories) and they don't stir up the sand and make the tank look like mist, as long as you do regular gravel vacs you shouldn't have a problem, and if you Do regular water vacs and the fish make your tank look like most then something is wrong with your tank

Regular as in how often?
And a Hoplo catfish for example, would stir the sand up with its giant tail every time it would swim around. How often would you vacuum that? Although in a large tank, that would be like a small cloud of dust anyway so probably won't matter.

Sand is really heavy; once it's been well washed, it sinks in a matter of seconds; it doesn't float about and cloud the tank.

 

[Fishy friend2]

I have really active bottom feeders (pygmie cories) and they don't stir up the sand and make the tank look like mist, as long as you do regular gravel vacs you shouldn't have a problem, and if you Do regular water vacs and the fish make your tank look like most then something is wrong with your tank

Regular as in how often?
And a Hoplo catfish for example, would stir the sand up with its giant tail every time it would swim around. How often would you vacuum that? Although in a large tank, that would be like a small cloud of dust anyway so probably won't matter.

Sand is really heavy; once it's been well washed, it sinks in a matter of seconds; it doesn't float about and cloud the tank.

+1

 

[sheffieldlad]

Hi all,

I've already set up my Marineland 27 Cube and it's on the back end of cycling. The substrate I've selected is aquarium sand (inert) and natural pea gravel with various colors and sizes of river rocks thrown about. The sand is at the bottom and the pea gravel is on top. I've recently read that you need to be careful with sand since it can compact and cause bad bacteria an toxic gas to develop in the aquarium unless it's a planted tank (which mine isn't). It suggested disturbing the sand twice per week to allow oxygen to get in the sand and prevent it from compacting. I really don't want to have to do that. Should I just mix up the sand with the pea gravel or do I need to replace all my plastic plants with real ones?

If you mix the sand and pea gravel the sand will probably fall through the gaps in the gravel over time and you will still have most of the gravel on top.
I've never been a fan of mixed substrate tanks although they do look nice when they are done properly.
If you have a thick layer of gravel over the sand then there is no pont having the sand in there.
If the two substrates are divided or overlapping then vac the sand regularly (You'll know when it needs doing because it will be covered in big curly fish poos,) and clean the gravel bu pushing the gravel vac into it carefully without disturbing it too much so you don't lose the divide.

-Paul

 

[FishLover66]

Thanks all. I'm glad to hear that your experience with sand is positive. I really like the look of it and agree it's much easier to clean. The right front corner of my tank has mostly bare sand and then the gravel builds up and out to the back and sides and gets a bit deeper/higher the farther back it goes, but the bottom is mostly sand.

 

[FishBlast]

I have really active bottom feeders (pygmie cories) and they don't stir up the sand and make the tank look like mist, as long as you do regular gravel vacs you shouldn't have a problem, and if you Do regular water vacs and the fish make your tank look like most then something is wrong with your tank

Regular as in how often?
And a Hoplo catfish for example, would stir the sand up with its giant tail every time it would swim around. How often would you vacuum that? Although in a large tank, that would be like a small cloud of dust anyway so probably won't matter.

Sand is really heavy; once it's been well washed, it sinks in a matter of seconds; it doesn't float about and cloud the tank.

Then something was wrong with the sand I used long ago. I had BEACH SAND lol...
The hoplos that I had back then used to swim and kick the sand away, making a sand cloud.

 

[Fishy friend2]

Beach sand has lots of fine particles in it. That's probably why their were dust clouds from your hoplos

 

[littlenemo]

im wanting to swap my gravel to sand is it argos play sand you use