gravel vs sand

[fished]

i was just wondering about switching my one 55 gallon tank to sand. just wanted to know a couple things. first, how do you clean the sand. Second, does it clog up filters more often. lastly, do you need and different kind of filtration for it that you dont need for gravel. Also any pros or cons would be helpfull. The reason i was wondering is because i would like to make it a planted tank. i had oscars before and couldnt have a nice tank just a plain jane. Now i dont want a plain jane and the oscars are out of that tank. thanks, fished

 

[thominil]

No special filtration needed, what you already have will work. Just keep the intake away from the sand and you won't experience clogging. Pro: looks nicer. Con: needs stirred up every week (if you get something to stir it for you this problem is eliminated). Most things that need vaccumed out will stay on top of the sand. Just hover the siphon an inch or two over the sand to vaccume out poop etc......

 

[fished]

thankyou and one more thing catfish and plecos will be ok with sand?

 

[thominil]

Yup.

 

[gheitman]

If you get yourself some Malaysian Trumpet Snails (aka MTS) They do a good job of stirring up the sand. They stay hidden in the sand during the day and come out at night to eat any leftover food and clean the glass. Just get yourself a few to start with and because they will reproduce without any problems. They won't harm the plants either.

 

[fished]

cool. thank you

 

[kevin.getrhythm]

How well do plants do in sand, I haven't seen any information on that. I want to put some Banjo Catfish in my tank and would like to provide them with sand to hide in. I was also thinking of trying to do live plants.

 

[mgamer20o0]

they do fine.

 

[Vikesfankevin]

Why do you need to stir up the sand?

 

[Drayven]

If you don't toxic gases can build up underneath it and eventually force their way out into the tank and injure/kill your fish.

 

[fishmonkey]

just make sure (if you use live plants) that the sand isnt too small grained, becaue it can smother the roots and not allow the plant to flourish or even sometimes kill it. I learned that from experience.

 

[fished]

can you use a dyed sand or does it have to be normal sand. can you have a planted tank with gravel. and 30 watts of light is not sufficiant for a 55 gallon planted tank correct. what kind of lights would i have to get. i was told mecury vapor? was i told correctly. Thanks, fished

 

[Vikesfankevin]

Yoyo Loaches would do a good job of stiring up the sand wouldn't they? I'm asking because my 55 will be sand but my loaches will kill snails so I need something that will.

 

[Zer0]

Im not so sure about the dyed sand only because it could release chemicals. If your talking about the type of sand you see in those clear bottles where they make cool designs with then i'd say no. Alot of different aquarium companies make different types of sand, some colored and some not. The only colored sand i've ever seen though was black. Which isnt really a color to begin with. Its in your best interest to go with sand that is made for aquariums or to be under water because they dont have any chemicals added to them that could be released into the tank water. Something like play sand, and pool filter sand work great because.. its just sand. Although, pool filter sand is alot cleaner and nicer looking than the play sand. Also, the pool filter sand comes in some different colors depending on the outlet you get it from. My local pool store had Tan, white, and white with black specs.

Last i checked i dont think you can have that many plants in gravel, if any at that. Go into the gallery and i dont think i've seen one single picture of a planted tank with gravel. I could be wrong though.

 

[musicman]

The toxic gasses are caused by anaerobic bacteria. The absence of oxygen is the cause of the problem in compacted sand.