Sand Or Gravel?

ginceng102 · May 2, 2009

hi guys, just asking which is better? sand or gravel? what are its advantages and disadvantages. i'm on gravel now and planning to go sand because it is nice but is it hard to clean? please help guys. thanks.

tenohfive · May 2, 2009

Sands just as easy as gravel to clean once you get used to it - the difference being any algae growth will become apparent on the sand where you wouldn't see it on the gravel. Other difference being that when cleaning you just use tube. You'll lose some sand with each water change but only a tiny amount.

Most of my tanks are sand because I like the aesthetic's of it. I'd just go for what looks best.

ginceng102 · May 2, 2009

thanks. its big help. i will now go into sand. thanks guys!

harpua2002 · May 2, 2009

I use pool filter sand in 2 tanks. It's really cheap and the grain size is a bit larger than play sand, so it's quite easy to clean. Basically, you just need to stir up the "gunk" and then use your gravel vac to suck it out of the tank.

I once bought some Estes black sand... it looked nice once it settled down in the tank but rinsing it was an absolute nightmare. The tank was cloudy for several days.

markandhisfish · May 3, 2009

agreed with other replies sand looks so much nicer is also much better for your fish if you have corys / eartheaters etc. and also imo much easier to clean

TheBigEasy · May 3, 2009

I only use sand now, it looks better imo. I use playsand from home depot or lowes. It works great, and cichlids love it

And if you ever gat any crawfish/lobsters, they will dig all over the place. Its pretty easy to clean actually.

weejen · May 3, 2009

i had sand but i found it looked realy dirty a day after i cleaned it as all the waste just sits on top. i have now changed over to gravel again

TheBigEasy · May 3, 2009

weejen said:
i had sand but i found it looked realy dirty a day after i cleaned it as all the waste just sits on top. i have now changed over to gravel again

thats a good thing when the waste sits on top, well at least for me. Most of my tanks are predator tanks and its makes it easy to clean the food out after feeding. And if you have any catfish, they prefer sand over gravel, keeps there noses/mouth clear of injuries that gravel can cause.

tenohfive · May 3, 2009

The trick is not to overfeed - less food, less waste. I've got the balance about right in most of my tanks, and I've never thought they looked dirty. Once a week water changes is all I do (unless theres an issue with the tank.)

ginceng102 · May 4, 2009

hi guys! i've changed my gravel into sand. it took me 3 hours. it really looks nice and my angels love it. here's some pics. thank you guys for helping me decide. its really worth it!

before:

after:

harpua2002 · May 4, 2009

Looks good! What kind of sand is that, kinda looks like aragonite but I can't tell from the pics (aragonite wouldn't be good for an angel tank).
Anyway, keep an eye on your water parameters for a week or so. Sometimes a substrate change can bring on a mini-cycle so you may need to change some extra water.

wendywc · May 4, 2009

What happened to the Superman?

BTW, I like both fine gravel and variagated sand. As long as it looks natural; no weird colors and no play sand. Play sand is too plain looking and gritty.

Also, your makeover looks great!