Gravel Or Sand. Which Is Best?

[totally tropical]

I have used fine gravel in my 300 litre tank for a good few years now, but would like to possibly change to sand because of the type of fish species I intend to buy to further stock my tank. An assistant at my LFS told me that sand is far more problematic than gravel.

Just wondered if anyone on here has used both substrates and which one is best in your opinion and why?

Thank you.

 

[tropic_john]

sand. Looks nicer, easy to vac, better for most fish, lets spawning happen easier, fish don't get cuts if they sleep on the bottom, and even if you do have a ugf or internal, the sand doesn't blow about, only if you aim a powerhead directly at the sand, and the amount blown up is small

 

[marksayer10@tiscali.co.uk]

I have used fine gravel in my 300 litre tank for a good few years now, but would like to possibly change to sand because of the type of fish species I intend to buy to further stock my tank. An assistant at my LFS told me that sand is far more problematic than gravel.

Just wondered if anyone on here has used both substrates and which one is best in your opinion and why?

Thank you.

sand does look good but for me i think gravel is better and easyier to clean. i have had sand and found that when you vacum clean you have to be very very careful as it is so easy to suck up the sand

 

[totally tropical]

I have used fine gravel in my 300 litre tank for a good few years now, but would like to possibly change to sand because of the type of fish species I intend to buy to further stock my tank. An assistant at my LFS told me that sand is far more problematic than gravel.

Just wondered if anyone on here has used both substrates and which one is best in your opinion and why?

Thank you.

sand does look good but for me i think gravel is better and easyier to clean. i have had sand and found that when you vacum clean you have to be very very careful as it is so easy to suck up the sand

Someone once told me that they put a pair of tights over their vacuum when cleaning which eliminated sucking up the sand.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Sand or gravel is really your personal preference!

Sand tends to get sucked up in our filters and will ruin the filter impeller, so it is important to keep the filter/impeller clean by cleaning the entire filter ever so often.

(UGF) Under gravel filters cannot be sued with sand, and sand moves about the tank far more easily than gravel.

Also, if you plan on having live plants, sand will sort of act like a barrier for the plants roots, which blocks the plant from getting a lot of nutrition. Where as gravel has more "pockets" of water between the individual pieces where water and nutrients flow a lot easier.

Sand is harder to clean, just because it is so easy to suck up when you are trying to do a gravel vac. Instead, hover the end of the vac about 1 cm above the sand and twirl the end of the vac in tiny circles. This will help lift the poo and other debris from the sand, while allowing the sand to remain at the bottom.

Personally, I like sand a lot better than gravel. It has a neater look, and seems more natural to me, and I like all natural looks in tanks!

You can also have sand and then scatter larger rocks/gravel among the surface of the sand, and around plants and other decor in the tank.

Right now in my current tank, I have what is called Floramax, which is a substrate designed for plants. It is smaller than gravel, but a little larger than sand, and looks great! The plants like it a lot as well!

I have used fine gravel in my 300 litre tank for a good few years now, but would like to possibly change to sand because of the type of fish species I intend to buy to further stock my tank. An assistant at my LFS told me that sand is far more problematic than gravel.

Just wondered if anyone on here has used both substrates and which one is best in your opinion and why?

Thank you.

sand does look good but for me i think gravel is better and easyier to clean. i have had sand and found that when you vacum clean you have to be very very careful as it is so easy to suck up the sand

Someone once told me that they put a pair of tights over their vacuum when cleaning which eliminated sucking up the sand.

How would they suck up other debris like poo and what not if there was a filter over the end of the vac?

-FHM

 

[StrontiumDog]

As FHM says

Sand or gravel is really your personal preference!

You may find like alot of people that you change to sand only to change back to gravel because you don't like it.
The only way you're going to find out is to try it.

I gravel in my 129ltr, size of the gravel is about 2-3mm smooth. I have no problem with it, easy to clean with a gravel cleaner
and the plants do well.

I also have a 70ltr and 20ltr tank with sand. Again cleaning is easy using either an 8mm or 10mm piece of air line to syphon the
bottom. Ok if not to carefull you can suck a load of sand up, but you can put most of it back. Also in my 70 ltr tank my Vallis thrived
sending new plantlets off in all directions. The only thing you have to watch out for is dead spots in the sand, IE trapped gasses so
you have to make sure every once in a while you rake through the sand. Adding MT snails helps with this as they burrow through the sand.

Good luck

Dog