Sand?

[Vossy121]

Hello,
I've only gotten into tropical fish keeping about 3 months ago since I took over the family aquarium. In the aquarium at the moment is grey gravel with the odd bright coloured rock, it looks disgusting. I was thinking of switching to sand so I could put live plants in and also for looks. Black sand has really caught my eye!! I was wondering how much sand do I need? How do i change over from gravel to sand? How hard is it to clean/ maintain? And other various cons?

Thank you in advance

 

[Byron]

If there are fish in the tank now, it is best to provide a temporary tank for them. A spare 10g will suffice, unless this is a large tank with many fish. The filter and heater can be placed in the temp tank.

Depth of sand depends somewhat on the tank size; obviously in a large tank there will be larger plants needing more substrate depth. I have sand in all of my 8 tanks now, and generally aim for around 2 inches overall depth (meaning, when the washed sand is spread out in the tank it is roughly 2 inches depth). You can then push some of the front sand back; a depth around 1 inch along the front is usually sufficient.

Sand really has no cons beyond those of gravel. As for cleaning, it depends. Running the water changer over the top of the sand without digging down is sufficient. Plant roots and Malaysian Livebearing Snails will keep the sand from compacting. What compacts under chunks of rock or wood is natural, sand or gravel, and these areas should be left alone. Anaerobic areas are part of a healthy substrate.

Many like black, but I tried it once and changed. Every speck of detritus stood out. The black was actually a dark gray under the tank light and in water. I now have play sand in my tanks; it is a mix of black/gray/buff/white that is very natural looking.

I've changed all my tanks from fine gravel to sand. Give yourself a day or more, and don't be rushed. The temp tank for the fish allows this. Have all the hardscape you intend before starting; you want to be able to position the wood and/or rock before planting. Wash the sand very well, but some dirt won't hurt, it is just dirt. It is easier to clear the tank if you arrange all the hardscape and plant it, then drain it completely and refill carefully.

Byron.

 

[Vossy121]

Black Dimond blasting sand? I've heard mixed things about this.

 

[Byron]

Black Dimond blasting sand? I've heard mixed things about this.

No, this is not good for fish tanks. Blasting sand, paver sand, and similar construction sands are not processed so they are (in many cases) very sharp grains. Fish that sift sand through their gills can have real problems, and fish like pleco will scrape their undersides.

Aquarium sand will not be rough, but it is very expensive. Which is why I use play sand. PRocessed to be the smoothest grain sand.

 

[marnold00]

To add to byrons point... I have 12kg of sand in my tank. That is aquarium sand as i didnt know about this site when i started. It cost me around £15-20... The equivalent play sand costs around £2. Its a no brainer really. Plus the colour of playsand in tanks does look good

My sand is 'red' but in reality its the same colour as my mates tank who uses play sand too. It looks good.

Cleaning wise, i use a gravel siphon with the gravel 'filter' taken off - allows for larger bits to be removed from your tank easy. I just swirl the end over the sand to lift it up. Any sand that gets removed by accident will go back in with the fresh water.

To be honest my cory catfish do a better job of me swirling up the muck for the filter to grab.

If i could change anything i would have put a little more sand in my tank for the plants. Mine averages out at around an inch deep.

 

[Vossy121]

I'm really set on black sand!!! Can you get black play sand or some black sand that is safe for fish that is not expensive?

 

[marnold00]

I havent been able to find any following a quick search - id imagine there isnt really much of a market for black play sand. You may have to spend that little bit extra for your tank, but at the end of the day YOU need to be happy with how your tank looks. If happier you are with it, the more enthusiastic you will be

I approve of you using sand though! All my fish at some point have put their faces in it looking for food... And the cories spend all day every day rummaging. If it was gravel it just wouldnt be the same. Yes it will end up at the bottom of your bucket in water changes but whats an extra 30 seconds getting it back in your tank each water change?

Only word of warning... As my cories prove on a regular basis, sand can be excavated by fish haha does my nut in! It is funny though. Always a sense of excitement to see what plant theyve uprooted, or if theyve reached the bottom of the tank..... Hmmmmph.

 

[Vossy121]

Haha really thinking for getting corys!!

Is play sand the only sand you can use? Or is there another alternative

 

[marnold00]

As byron mentioned earlier, the reasoning behind play sand is it is very fine and soft - can you imagine a parents reaction to their kid getting cut up by kid safe sand?

Its this guarantee of virtually no sharp bits that makes it ideal for use in an aquarium. If it the sand production does not have the requirement to be fine and smooth, then you can't guarantee it will be good for your fish. That doesnt mean that it wont be suitable, but short of sifting through it thoroughly before putting it in the tank you cant be sure

Cories require a minimum group size of 5 or 6 to be less stressed and less skittish. My tank has a 60×30cm footprint and to be honest i think it is only just OK for my sterbai. I want them in a bigger tank really. Just one to bear in mind its easy to think "theyll be ok" but when you see a happy comfortable cory, they all have such great personalities and you will only want the best for them.

 

[Vossy121]

Okay thank you for that!

Please let me know if you find any suitable black sand for me!!

 

[Fishmanic]

I use pool filter sand in two of my three tanks. Requires very little cleaning before putting in the tank. It's very fine and is white and corys seem to do fine on it. Easy to clean out any detrius by hovering the python tube just over the surface. It's cheap, looks great, and works for me and my tanks.

 

[julielynn47]

I also wanted black sand for my 75 gallon. But the cost was just too much when compared to play sand. It was going to be cost close to 100 dollars, can't remember the exact amount, for the depth of sand I wanted. I got the same depth with play sand from Lowes for less than 8.00. And it looks really good in the tank to me