Sand Rather Than Gravel?!

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

Shaun

Fish Crazy
Joined
Nov 16, 2006
Messages
207
Reaction score
0
Location
Yeovil, Somerset
Hi,

In my new tank i just want some advice on what substrate to use? I have always used small gravel as my substrate in my other tanks, but looking at some tanks on this forum IMO i think the sand looks better and gives it more of a natural look.

I would like to keep a group of corys in the tank so sand would be better for them but i just want to know if it is any harder to maintain than gravel and what type of sand would be best to use?

Many thanks
 
Here's a good article on sand http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=71597. If you are going to have corys, sand is essential. With gravel they are prone to infections on their stomachs, and their barbels tend to wear off. Besides, it's fun to watch them snuffle through the sand. It is easy to maintain, the poo and old food sit on top of the sand and is easier to vacuum off. Plants grow well in it, they can spread their roots easier than in gravel. And, the best of all, it averages $5-$10 for 50lbs here in the US, you can get regular play sand, or pool filter sand which I understand is easier to clean.
 
I agree. Sand all the way esp with the cories.

Also...if you can get pool filter sand over playsand get that as it is easier to clean but playsand is fine too if you are up for cleaning it. It will have a LOT of dust in it and you will have to clean it very thoroughly....but it does come clean.

I've always used playsand.
 
Here's a good article on sand http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=71597. If you are going to have corys, sand is essential. With gravel they are prone to infections on their stomachs, and their barbels tend to wear off. Besides, it's fun to watch them snuffle through the sand. It is easy to maintain, the poo and old food sit on top of the sand and is easier to vacuum off. Plants grow well in it, they can spread their roots easier than in gravel. And, the best of all, it averages $5-$10 for 50lbs here in the US, you can get regular play sand, or pool filter sand which I understand is easier to clean.

I got a 50 pound of playsand at Menards for $2 something the best part was it was brown. A buddy of mine is jealous cause he got white because he couldn't find brown lol.
 
Hi i use play sand, it looks nice but i keep getting anearobic pockets in the same place and my sand isnt even an inch deep, when i first noticed it it was under a piece of mopani wood, so i removed the wood and totally replaced that bit of sand plus some extra, i thought it was because the wood was sat on the sand but it has happened again in exactly the same place. I even got some mt snails but they dont even really keep it sweet.

Im now tempted to replace it with gravel.
 
when i setup the new tank i used play sand from ARGOS , once the tank was up and running i moved all my fish to the new tank (old tank had gravel) including the Cory's, after a while i noticed a marked improvement in the Cory's barbels , if your going for Cory's i would say sands a must
 
itry to disturb my sand a lot to stop thse "anerobic pockets of death" as someone on here once called them. i have my tank with a base of sand and uilt up with pea gravel on each side..... like a riverbed. i just think sand looks a stack better. worth the effort.
 
Ok then il give it ago i think. Does it help to have a layer of pea gravel at the bottom of the tank and then sand on top to help the plants root?

Many thanks
 
Shaun,

Go to Argos Extra, open the catalogue to page 1540 and buy as much of item 10 as you will need. I use this play sand and it is a bargain, much cheaper than your LFS for sure.
 
Thanks Dave, just had a look its 15kg bag of playsand, washed and graded, non-toxic and non-staining. £2.49 per bag, this would be the one you recommend?

Many thanks
 
Thanks Dave, just had a look its 15kg bag of playsand, washed and graded, non-toxic and non-staining. £2.49 per bag, this would be the one you recommend?

Many thanks

Absolutely,

I still took the trouble to give mine a good wash through, the result being virtually zero clouding of the water.
 
Ok thanks for your comments,

Shaun

Shaun even if the bag says (pre-washed), make sure that you wash it good before putting it in your tank. It will have been handled a lot before you get it and it will have created dust. The more you wash it the less cloudy and the less time it will take to clear up. Also I kept a thin layer of gravel at the bottom so the plants had something to root on.
 
We have 5ft tank with sand its aquarium sand and it haqs eels and coreys it it with Discus which i fine if you get a wooden spoon and swirl through the sand once a week it keeps from getting "anerobic pockets of death" its not fantastic to clean you do fine you lose a lot of the sand with a gravel clean ,we even brought a sand and gravel cleaner but you do still lose a fare bit .It looks nicer than gravel and the sort of fish we have it does seem to make them happier. We also have a 6ft Gravelled tank which is so much easier to keep clean but not as nice looking .
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top