Sand Vs Gravel

[sic0198]

Maintenance-wise, which is easier to take care of?

 

[debbie888]

http/www.fishforums.net/content/Tropical...Gravel-Vs-Sand/

See that post...I posted a similar question yeaterday, may help you?

Debs

 

[Underwurlde]

Gravel: You can vac it.... But what size gravel are you talking about here... there's all sorts of stuff dep on what you want to achieve.

But there is more to this question than just maintenance issues....

- What kind of fish do you want / have?
- will the tank be planted?
- do you use an UGF?

Andy

 

[smitt_graham]

im no expert but have had both gravel and sand, im using sand in my tank i find the sand easier maintainence as you can see all the crap and syphon it with out disturbing the sand and taking the good stuff with it. Also my opinion sand looks so much nicer but it is all down to your own preference

 

[sic0198]

im no expert but have had both gravel and sand, im using sand in my tank i find the sand easier maintainence as you can see all the crap and syphon it with out disturbing the sand and taking the good stuff with it. Also my opinion sand looks so much nicer but it is all down to your own preference

So you don't have to run it through the sand just right over the top of the sand?

 

[smitt_graham]

im no expert but have had both gravel and sand, im using sand in my tank i find the sand easier maintainence as you can see all the crap and syphon it with out disturbing the sand and taking the good stuff with it. Also my opinion sand looks so much nicer but it is all down to your own preference

So you don't have to run it through the sand just right over the top of the sand?

a couple of cm above the sand and the crap starts spinning and up the vac it goes. nice and simple

 

[waterdrop]

If you cruise the tank pictures both here and of the competitions at the aquatic gardeners association you may find that there are stunningly beautiful tanks with all sorts of substrates. Creative folks can make most of the options work. It is said that ideal maintenance of sand requires the extra step of being poked with the fingers or a slender device such as a wire coat-hanger to ensure it doesn't clump and form anaerobic pockets. As mentioned, there are also important preferences that your fish themselves will have. Its their home, they like being consulted!

 

[sic0198]

What is an anaerobic pocket?

 

[waterdrop]

What is an anaerobic pocket?

I can not speak from experience.

What I believe they are technically are pockets/clumps of anaerobic bacteria, black in appearance and giving off a gas that may collect within the clump in a pocket. Anaerobic bacteria don't require oxygen for growth (note that the good bacteria in our bio-filters are chemoautolithotrophic bacteria and *do* use oxygen.)

I do not know which characteristics of these formations are undesirable in an aquarium, but one can imagine (odor? unpleasantness?, difficult to clean?, unhealthy for bottom dwellers?). Hopefully we will hear from some experienced members who know the answer to this.

One bit I believe I remember reading was that it the bubbles of gas are disturbed and rise to the tank surface, they are in fact not dangerous to fish in any practical way, despite there being rumours that they are. Maybe someone else will remember reading this same tidbit.

By the way, having said this, its important to also say that I think the above is not much of a problem as many, many members have and like sand as a substrate.

~~waterdrop~~
members note: somebody please correct or verify the correctness of above -- planted tank folks?