Black gravel or sand?

[Cleggat]

So I was planning on changing the substrate in my 48 gal and I am stuck between black gravel and sand. The black gravel looks great and I feel it really makes your fish stand out. Sand looks better on my point of view, it's also better for my corys but it is a real pain to clean. I really am stuck between the two I was wondering what you guys think I should pick and what the pros and cons are, thanks a bunch

 

[Fishguy2727]

Sand is much cleaner, much more natural, and looks better. Go with sand.

 

[JoeBob]

I have black gravel and wish I had sand! It looks great but I had an outbreak of black hair algaea, which if you don't know is ridiculously hard to eradicate, and even with removing the subrstrate and cleaning its really hard to see on that stone until it starts growing elsewhere so its a constant battle. anyway sorry for the book, IMO sand would be much better.

 

[Cleggat]

Thanks guys! Looks like it's going to be sand.

 

[glassbird]

How about black sand? Check out this highly informative post from another thread...

For black sand there's the Tahitian black moon sand, Eco-Complete sand, Flourite black sand and I've heard Estes reef sand. None of them are supposed to compact like the sand I had which was made by Dowell.

The Eco Complete and Flourite are great for planted tanks.

 

[hippy guy]

Just get regular black sand. The only difference in black sand and the "added stuff" for plants in their sand is 60 bucks.. you can add ferts, eventually, those will leave the soil anyways though... black sand looks great, and in a planted tank, you plants take care of a lot of the cleaning for you

 

[Cleggat]

Thanks again guys, I was thinking about black sand, it has a lot of pros.. I don't really plant that tank, I can hardly manage to keep the one plant alive that is in that tank, it sits right in a corner.. I can keep plants alive but my fish disagree with them and tear them up, they aren't aggressive fish but they just like to mess about with the plants.

 

[Grrriph]

Seachem has a black flourite sand. If you wanted to give plants another chance

 

[Cleggat]

Seachem has a black flourite sand. If you wanted to give plants another chance

Black sand will be the next substrate for that tank, at the moment tables have turned; I have plants and beige sand ty guys!