Sand Substrate

[Scatta]

I am planning to set up a planted tank and am using the JBL AquaBasis Plus plant substate and was wondering if it is ok to use silver sand over this substate? Does sand restrict root growth or anything?

 

[Themuleous]

Sand would be fine over the top, however, the two will mix eventually, so the initial look wont last forever, thats why if it were me I'd use gravel then any mixing shouldn't be as obviously. But grated you don't get the same look as you would with sand, so its up to you!

Sam

 

[nurglespuss]

Yeah I when with laterite, small pea gravel on top, then patches of sand on top of that, provided you don't have any real diggers in your tank (Cichlids etc.) then this should be ok. The only problem I ever experience using sand is that it sometimes interferes with my power filters (however, I am cursed with bad luck using them! touch wood, oooh shouldnt have said that....)

 

[Castellop123]

A Gravel-Tidy could stop the two sand substrates from totally immersing themselves with one another...

 

[Scatta]

Thanks for the tips.

Is silver sand generally considered an inert substrate? I recently read that CO2 can react with gravel and alter pH. Is this the same with sand? If this is the case, can anyone suggest an inert substrate?

 

[netcode]

gravel tidy or nylon pantyhose.


keep the substrates separate otherwise it won't look as good. and for the price of either one of those little additions its definitely worth it.

 

[Themuleous]

I would think that the CO2 reacting with gravel comment would be in relation to gravels that have lots of limestone in them. The CO2 will lower the pH of the water dissolving the limestone and which in turn increases the pH. So basically get a gravel or sand that's lime-free, problem solved.

Sam