Sand In Aquariums

[blcknwitecuban]

rright now the kribs are in a 10g. i think there about 2 spawn. i had a dwarf and he was fine. i'd rather get a pearl but i think it would get 2 big

 

[fishlette]

i have sand in all my tanks except for the convict tank and i leave gravel in there because its easier for them to clear themselves a spot when breeding.

sand is fantastic. i suggest not using a traditional gravel vac on the sand but instead just a long piece of plain hose around the same diameter as the syphon tubing. hold it slightly above the floor abd youll see all the poop etc starte to head towards the vac. it wont take long before you dont suck up anymore sand. i think it is much easier to thoroughly clean the bottom when you are using sand. when vacuuming gravel you cant be 100% sure that you have sucked everything up but with the sand you know you have as you can always see it sitting on the top.

tis also essential for bottom dwellers like corys and loaches etc but i find all my fish enjoy the sand. my africans enjoy the sand and so do the others in my community/ram tank. and the bristlenoses, well they like it too.

however i also have rocks in all the tanks. not gravel type rocks but just largish polished stone.

 

[Night_Market]

Sand :

Pros :

Looks good
keeps dirt 'above ground' for easy cleaning.
Looks good
Some fish can bury in it
Looks good

Cons :
Muck sits on it making it look dirty.
Sharp sand wears down wear down catfishes and loaches barbels
Can compact and stagnate if too deep


I dunno, but it looks good!

 

[Underwurlde]

You forgot to mention that it looks good.

 

[djceri_g]

I work in the lfs, and in the few tanks that have sand we do get gas build-ups, and i have seen catfish - corys, plecs, any catfish in there - unearth this and get a shock, plus the gas is usually a nitrate derogative (mainly harmful gases) that do not help the generall fish health. Plus you have to dredge the bottem of the tank, you cannot sigphon it cos you lose the sand. If you have a powerful filter system the sand gets disturbed and you could find that some plants get buried or there are sandbanks building up in certain areas.
If you are prepared to deal with the problems sand gives, then it is good and all bottom feeders like it, so long as there are smooth rocks in the tank. If you just want to be different then my advice would be to have a graveled tank, with perhaps one corner or patch of sand.

k

Ive chnaged from gravel to sand with no probs, I bought malasian snails to reliese the gas buildup. Also, when syphoning sand, IMO its easier cleaning sand! And the fish love it!

 

[Teelie]

I work in the lfs, and in the few tanks that have sand we do get gas build-ups, and i have seen catfish - corys, plecs, any catfish in there - unearth this and get a shock, plus the gas is usually a nitrate derogative (mainly harmful gases) that do not help the generall fish health. Plus you have to dredge the bottem of the tank, you cannot sigphon it cos you lose the sand. If you have a powerful filter system the sand gets disturbed and you could find that some plants get buried or there are sandbanks building up in certain areas.
If you are prepared to deal with the problems sand gives, then it is good and all bottom feeders like it, so long as there are smooth rocks in the tank. If you just want to be different then my advice would be to have a graveled tank, with perhaps one corner or patch of sand.

k

I don't know how many inches deep your sand is or how well you keep your fish, but I've got 5 tanks with sand, 3 of them running for several years, never having had so much as a fish fart's worth of gas in the sand let alone these mythical bubbles of death. I siphon mine all the time with no trouble. I also have powerful filtration on some and the "sandbanks" are about as deep as what some smaller sand diggers make, which isn't much. Sand is much, much easier to manage than gravel is. I never have to dig in my sand to get rid of waste or have to make sure none of my smaller fish get stuck in the gravel or rocks and become trapped.

There are so many errors with that post I find it questionable.


Switching from gravel to sand isn't hard either. I've done it three times and other than taking the fish out when you do it, turning the filter off and doing the necessary water changes, you won't have a problem.

 

[Underwurlde]

I'm glad you said that Teelie- I was kind of biting my lip a bit...

 

[Teelie]

I realize I probably could have been nicer about it but I was simultaneously annoyed with the mostly unreliable claims in the post and annoyed with something else at work at the same time and vented it a little too harshly.

So, to clarify a little more. Generally gas bubbles only occur with sand deeper than 2" and often not until closer to 3" and for a cory or other sand sifter to dig that deep in that particular spot is quite unusual. This also has to take into account that something must get down there to rot and allow the bacteria to produce the gas. Also, these bubbles go straight up, just like bubbles from the typical air wand or air-powered decorations. The bubbles do not disperse into the water where they can kill your fish.

Sand is not hard to siphon either. I have one tank where I have to be careful because the sand in there is exceptionally easy to stir but this isn't the common pool filter, play sand, moon sand or other types of substrate people use. It's also the tank with ironically, the most powerful filtration on it and has shelldwellers which make deeper pits than the outflow on this filter does.

I've also seen countless saltwater aquariums with sand well over 4" deep never develop a problem and if anything, saltwater is even more delicate than freshwater when it comes to water parameters.

 

[blcknwitecuban]

ok. im gonna get sand this weekend... i love corys and cant wait 2 see them playing in it

 

[Night_Market]

You forgot to mention that it looks good.

...and the the sand, Yes!

It looks good, too.

 

[SMcCreath]

never having had so much as a fish fart's worth of gas in the sand let alone these mythical bubbles of death.

Sorry to be puerile and lower the tone, but this made me laugh out loud.


I too have sand and have had any problems with gas buildups in the tank and my sand in places is probably 2". I have to say that I didn't appreciate that the harmful gas doesn't dissapate into the water, so I guess if you were unlucky enough to have get the harmful gas your fish (or your fishes gills) would have to be swimming directly over the bubble at the time that it was released?

So thanks for the info - very useful.

 

[SMcCreath]

I too have sand and have had any problems with gas buildups in the tank

Sorry - that should have read that I haven't had any problems. Apologies.

 

[Teelie]

never having had so much as a fish fart's worth of gas in the sand let alone these mythical bubbles of death.

Sorry to be puerile and lower the tone, but this made me laugh out loud.


I too have sand and have had any problems with gas buildups in the tank and my sand in places is probably 2". I have to say that I didn't appreciate that the harmful gas doesn't dissapate into the water, so I guess if you were unlucky enough to have get the harmful gas your fish (or your fishes gills) would have to be swimming directly over the bubble at the time that it was released?

So thanks for the info - very useful.

I do sometimes use lowbrow humor to lighten things up. To answer the question though, yes, the gas would act just like those bubblers that people use for decoration or break the surface of the water. The bubblers (and gas pockets) only break the surface, they don't diffuse into the water itself.

I'm not sure how much harm temporary or permanant would be caused by a fish swimming through the bubble and "inhaling" any of the gas but I still find it unlikely to happen in the first place.

 

[fishlette]

if you need any help on how to do it, this is what i do:

1. fill up a large enough tank/container where you can keep your fish for half an hour or so. if you have a filter you can move easy enough then out it in there too and the heater if you have one. fill it with tank water. add an airstone if you can as they seem to appreciate the extra air when in a holding tank.

2. i suggest removing all your ornaments and plants etc first. this way there are less places for the fish to hide and stress will be reduced as you will be able to catch them easier. IMO as soon as you start catching fish and putting them in a different, smaller area they can start to stress a little so speed is of the essence. watch them too cause some may jump in this scenario. i would like to say at this point that removing all your fish should be something done rarely and when you do do it you must be quick about what you do so you can get them back in their tank ASAP. add some ornaments to the holding tank for the shier kind to hide in and keep the rest of your ornaments in a small bucket with tank water in it.

3. catch your fish. use two nets or a net and your hand if it makes it easier to catch your fishies quicker and in the least stressful manner. if you have been speedy there is no need to acclimatise as the water should be the same temp as the tank if it has come out of the tank and has a heater.

4. once everyone is out of the tank, drain the remaining water. this is usually where i got my hubby to help me so that its a little quicker. he usually is the one who starts getting the gravel out once i get low enough with the water that the remaining water would only be thrown out anyway. keep as much water as possible. i try to throw out only what i would when doing a water change and leave it until a day when a water change is due.

5. once the tank is empty get a clean cloth or rag and clean the bottom of the tank. when i have changed to sand i havent cleaned the glass as i like to leave as much how it was as possible. i have snails and bn that clean the algae but i always think about the bacteria that may be growing there however minute. every bit is a help. but this is up to you. if you like you can give your tank a thorough clean feel free. just remember, youre on a time limit

6. add your sand. add about 1 1/2". once the sand is in there, swirl it around with your hands to avoid these air pockets of death

7. refill the tank. you should try really hard to make sure the water is the same temp as they have already been through a bit of an ordeal and stress should be minimilised. once water is in the tank you can check from the front and side of there are any air pockets along the glass. sometimes you can see them. if there are just release them before you put anyone back in

8. add your heater and filter then put the fish back in. generally i dont redecorate straight away. rather i wait half an hour or so for everything to settle and the fish to settle in. i do however put whatever i had put in the holding tank in for them. another habit i have is feeding them when they first go back in. ive found this seems to take their minds off of whats just happened mostly i clean up and get everything back to normal, sit down have a smoke and then its about ready to redecorate

your water may be a little hazy still but by the next morning it should be fine.

so good luck. sand is a great substrate and as long as you get the right sand, none of your fish should be hurt in any way.

 

[Teri]

I'm setting up a new tank,and I've put abt 5cm of sand in it, is this ok,or too much or too little. Also,are the plants ok in sand, I've potted them all, as it was proving quite hard to plant them in the sand, has anyone any tips? it does look a bit artificial. I'm looking forward to moving my cories into there though