Sand Substraight?

[andyw823]

Will be setting up my new 290L tank next week but not sure if to use sand or pea gravel. can the sand be cleaned the same way as gravel with a gravel cleaner or will it just get sucked up? Also how does sand compare to gravel?

Thanks.

 

[Katchan]

In my experience the only way to judge sand is to use it yourself for awhile LOL

basically it tends to look dirty easier, although things like cories or a filter outlet near the bottom to help circulate the water better does help
you cant gravel vac the sand per se, but you can hold your vac a small distance above the sand to remove the poop and stuff
you also need to run a chopstick or piece of dowl through the bottom regulary to help stop it from compacting to much or forming yukky gas bubbles
plans need more fertiliser etc

HTH

Andrew

 

[andyw823]

Thanks for your info Think i might stick to a fine pea gravel!

 

[tropicaltone]

Hi,

If it was me I would steer clear of sand although it does look nice to start with it can look dirty easily and you can't vac it that easily. Im setting up a new 220Ltr Planted Tank and after reading all the pros and cons for the different substrates, I decided on very small grain gravel 3mm to be exact which I think is the best option. Of course mine being a planted tank im using a lower layer of Tropica Plant Substrate and Laterite as well.

Tropicaltone

 

[MojoDex]

i used to swear by gravel then i set up one tank with sand and i wont use gravel again

for a start most sand is far kinder on all fish than gravel is and IMO look 10x better little bit harder to clean but worth it for my money

 

[Canis-Equus]

I wont use gravel again either, sand allthe time!

All three of my permanent tanks have sand (quarantine tank has nothing BUT that is going to be a planted tank and so will eventually have sand).

Yes, its not so easy to kkeep it LOOKING clean, however if you hoover all the poo off it, its clean, its not got muck under it generally - stir it with a stick each water change just do a bit at a time and you dont get dead pockets of nasty.

I think fish do like it, especially cories. I keep spiney eels as my 'thing' and they need sand as they will damage themselves on large or sharper substrates.

Em

 

[SuperColey1]

I will never go back to gravel.

Sand looks much better
It doesn't hide poop under it like gravel
The fish love it.
Its easy to clean the open parts, and you can just ignore the planted parts.
I don't stir it or sift it or anything like that, the plants use the organic matter where their roots are, and pitbull plecs and trumpet snails clear the open parts.

Could list loads more but my minds gone blank from a hard day at work. lol