New planted tank, sand or gravel?

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Vacrawfish

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
Messages
15
Location
Virginia
Just bought a new 10 gallon tank, my Fluval Edge was just too impossible to clean. Anyway, I'm thinking about using sand on top of my substrate. Any recommendations, or problems anyone can think of? How do you clean it? Won't it get sucked into the vacuum?
 
What is your current substrate? Trying to add sand over most any substrate will result on the sand slowly falling down through the larger grained substrate and ending up on the bottom. If you really want sand you should completely change out your substrate. As for which is better for plants... either will work but if you use gravel you should use as fine/small grained gravel as you can find.
 
Thanks Rivercats,

I think it was Flourish, reddish in color.my main concern is cleaning, will it just all get sucked up in the vacuum?
 
People who have sand, I don't as I am not fond of it, but they gently wave the gravel vac over it swirling it gently around to bring detris up into the water column where it can be syphoned off. You don't actually put the vac in the sand.
 
I love sand! I use black diamond blasting sand (found at tractor supply company) 30/60 grit, but a lot of people prefer pool filter sand (found at pool supply stores, and some hardware stores) because it's easier to rinse and is heavier so it doesn't cloud the water as much.

I vac by putting the tip of the siphon about 1/2"-1" above the substrate and all the waste will come up, while the sand which is heavier stats down. You will vacuum some of it up, and will have to add more occasionally, but not often, I haven't had to in the 6 or so months that I've used it.

Some people do notice issues with Cory barbells in sand. It's supposed to be better on them than gravel, but sometimes on lighter/finer sand the waste can get trapped in it and will eventually get to the point where it's harmful. I don't know how much of a rarity or regularity it is, but I haven't experienced it.

It's also a lot easier to plant in than gravel, but unless you have some sort of root tab, soil, or eco complete type substrate under it you'll have problems with root feeders as it's so compacted that nutrients have a hard time getting to the roots.
 
I have black Petco sand. It is not too fine and my plants are happy. I use root tabs. I got the sand specifically for my intended corys (currently in quarantine). My tank is only 3 months old but so far so good.
 
I'd say neither gravel or sand.. go with eco complete or floramax. I find it easy to work with, you can clean it easy if you feel the need, and it's not messy... plants love it and root well in it. It has trace amounts of micro nutrients in it but it also has a high CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity), which basically enables the substrate to absorb nutrients and feed it to the plants..
 
Thanks for all the replies! I decided to go w sand over my substrate. Hopefully it was the right decision .
 
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