Sand Substrate.... Should I?

mattyd1701 · Oct 13, 2011

hi all

im thinking about swapping out my black gravel for sand to brighten up my tank a little.

whats the benefit of using sand compared to gravel?

and can i use argos play sand insted simply because its alot cheaper

Argos Play Sand

its not a planted tank i just use plastic plants

This Old Spouse · Oct 13, 2011

Sand is lots, LOTS easier to keep clean than gravel, and since I switched to it I've not had any health problems with my fish. Corydora love it. It is cheap and makes for a very nice-looking tank.

Argos play sand is used by many members of this forum. All you have to be careful about is making sure you rinse it and rinse it and rinse it before you put it in your tank. Just fill a 5g bucket about half-full with sand and rinse it with the garden hose until the water runs clear. Then do it again!

When you put it in your tank, place a dinner plate on top of it and pour your water on the plate to keep it from going all over the place.

Good luck!

jojouk · Oct 13, 2011

My advise is to buy a few bags at the same time. Different brands are normally different shades, so if you need any more later on, it might not match colour wise

Looks really nice tho, and is much easier to keep clean, as you can see debris sitting on top, rather than falling through the cracks of the gravel.

minnnt · Oct 14, 2011

Sand is much better imo, but I am a fan of darker substrates.

mattyd1701 · Oct 14, 2011

omg

did my sand change today with argos play sand

and it already looks amazing :drool:

i recommend it to anybody sand looks alot better than gravel, although i think i may have made my sand layer a bit thick so i might have to get a fish that digs a bit for the air traped between the sand (cant remember the term used for it) or should i not worry about it the layer is about 2-3cm deep in places

a cleaned the sand out a good few times befor i added it to my tank and its a little cloudy should i do some water changes to see it it clears the cloudyness away or should i just leave it and give the sand time to settle down?

This Old Spouse · Oct 14, 2011

Some people wait a few hours for it to settle down. I generally wait about 24 hours to make sure.

minnnt · Oct 14, 2011

Make sure you clean your filter well in a day or two as it can really damage your impeller and motor.

This Old Spouse · Oct 14, 2011

I don't even run my filter until the sand has all settled down.

minnnt · Oct 14, 2011

Even still, your filter will still suck up any stray particles which can cause havoc.

Aqua Tom · Oct 14, 2011

mattyd1701 said:
omg

did my sand change today with argos play sand

and it already looks amazing

i recommend it to anybody sand looks alot better than gravel, although i think i may have made my sand layer a bit thick so i might have to get a fish that digs a bit for the air traped between the sand (cant remember the term used for it) or should i not worry about it the layer is about 2-3cm deep in places

a cleaned the sand out a good few times befor i added it to my tank and its a little cloudy should i do some water changes to see it it clears the cloudyness away or should i just leave it and give the sand time to settle down?

Dont worry about "trapped" gas in the sand, you fish will not breath it in, its a gas.

My sand is 4-10cm deep & I dont have problem.

minnnt · Oct 14, 2011

Plus when it does escape it is straight to the surface and gone...

willowstwin · Oct 14, 2011

see, I dont like the look of fish poo on the sand... sure, the gravel vac once a week looks disgusting, but it's better than having to vac every 2 - 3 days, and thats only with 1 dwarf gourami in a 96 litre tank

(work tank, he's there to forget about his territory in my tank, then he can go back).

minnnt · Oct 14, 2011

Thats why i prefer dark substrate. You hardly see it. Can't remember the last time i vacuumed my substrate... :blush:

This Old Spouse · Oct 14, 2011

willowstwin said:
see, I dont like the look of fish poo on the sand... sure, the gravel vac once a week looks disgusting, but it's better than having to vac every 2 - 3 days, and thats only with 1 dwarf gourami in a 96 litre tank (work tank, he's there to forget about his territory in my tank, then he can go back).

If you have decent filtration you won't see the poo at all. I have play sand that's very natural looking, and I don't see the poo (since I rehomed my common pleco!).