Any Pro Tips for a Person Getting into Sand?

[The_Desacrator]

I wanna try sand on my new 60 gallon and I wanted to know if there are any pro tips the community can give me? I have heard sand is just superior. I thought I read somewhere about using some sort of snail that likes to bury through the soil so you don't have to stir it up .

Sent from my SM-G386T1 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[nkoyko]

That snail would be the Malaysian (Malayan) trumpet snail. They are awesome in sand tanks especially with plants. You can buy them off the bidding sites or you can go to Petsmart and ask for some if you see them in their tanks. They will give them away for free due to many people calling them pests. The snails are only pests if you are overfeeding or aren't cleaning your tank enough.

 

[Exigenn]

On the note of the petsmart thing i did that and they didn't, i came back a week later and bought a $1 guppy and then asked and got a bunch.

 

[nkoyko]

Hmmm. All of mine came from PetSmart and I didn't pay a thing. I just explained that I had been looking for them for my tank and they more than happily pulled tons out. I actually went 3 different times to get more. Maybe it varies by store. I always bought fish supplies when I went so I didn't just grab and go. May have been a store employee who just wasn't in the mood to grab them too.

 

[ImACoolguy]

If your substrate is under 2 inches don't even worry about stirring it up. Even over 2 inches that stuff can take a long time to build up and you would really have to stir up the tank for it to affect anything.

Vacuuming is an art you will become accustomed to with practice. I tend to hover over waste and if it's too heavy to pick up you can swirl the end of the hose around it and it will kick it up for you to catch it.


Caleb

 

[FishyMamma]

Sand substrate pic

Hi, I mixed black aquarium sand with Eco-Complete and mixed in Osmocote granules before planting. My plants have done very well. Here's a pic of the substrate so you can see how it settled after a year..

 

[Coursair]

One Pro tip :
I use sponge over my filter intake. It will keep sand out of your impeller. You can also shorten your intake of needed.

I just set up this 55g. Will be adding a piece of sponge over this intake as well.
Fluval 304 canister.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MissGurnus]

Pet store sand is unnecessarily expensive... You can get a 50lb bag for little more than the pet stores 10lb bag at Walmart or homedepot. I have it in all 8 if my tanks with all kinds of fish and no issues. Only draw back is it needs to be washed before you put it in but for the price it's worth it


Sent from my iPod touch using Aquarium Advice