Gravel or Sand?

[Jetstorm369]

Hey guys, which would you recommend and why? Is one easier to clean than the other? Is one more beginner friendly? I know corys prefer sand over gravel, but besides that, are there any benefits to the fish of using one substrate over the other? Thanks guys!

 

[tamtam]

Hey guys, which would you recommend and why? Is one easier to clean than the other? Is one more beginner friendly? I know corys prefer sand over gravel, but besides that, are there any benefits to the fish of using one substrate over the other? Thanks guys!

A lot of it comes down to your wants.

Lots of people swear sand is easier to keep as debris just sits on top. IT does take some technique though to use a siphon/vac properly to be able to get the debris up without disturbing too much sand. So some people find this too much of a pain.

Most find sand looks better, more natural and unless you are buying specialty sand it seems to be cheaper as well IME of comparing prices.

It can be a pain to prepare for your tank. Needs to be rinsed well, some sand needs it far more than others, like play sand. Then you also have to allow it to settle and it can be a pain with some different equipment. Always a good idea to keep filters unplugged when you have sand floating about.

If it's not a planted tank you will need to give the sand a stir once in a while to release any gases that may build up in there, where gravel doesn't have the same issue.

Mostly it's a personal choice, everyone has such different opinions on this but sand seems to be the biggest preference I find

 

[vanimal]

A lot of it comes down to your wants.

Lots of people swear sand is easier to keep as debris just sits on top. IT does take some technique though to use a siphon/vac properly to be able to get the debris up without disturbing too much sand. So some people find this too much of a pain.

Most find sand looks better, more natural and unless you are buying specialty sand it seems to be cheaper as well IME of comparing prices.

It can be a pain to prepare for your tank. Needs to be rinsed well, some sand needs it far more than others, like play sand. Then you also have to allow it to settle and it can be a pain with some different equipment. Always a good idea to keep filters unplugged when you have sand floating about.

If it's not a planted tank you will need to give the sand a stir once in a while to release any gases that may build up in there, where gravel doesn't have the same issue.

Mostly it's a personal choice, everyone has such different opinions on this but sand seems to be the biggest preference I find

I have Black Sand in my 150 and I love it! It looks great and my bottom feeding fish seem to like it more too. My Eel also enjoys burrowing in it. But I find it easier to keep clean because it stays on the top and its easier for my fish to clean up food that falls to the bottom. Also the black really makes the fish pop and their colors more vibrant. I think you should go with Black Sand or Black Gravel both look great.

 

[Jetstorm369]

I have Black Sand in my 150 and I love it! It looks great and my bottom feeding fish seem to like it more too. My Eel also enjoys burrowing in it. But I find it easier to keep clean because it stays on the top and its easier for my fish to clean up food that falls to the bottom. Also the black really makes the fish pop and their colors more vibrant. I think you should go with Black Sand or Black Gravel both look great.

Thank you. The fact being that I am relatively a beginner, and I don't enjoy pains in my ***, I will go with the black gravel :]

 

[foster53]

If you go with the black gravel. check it out carefully. Some is very rough, while others are fairly smooth. If your going to keep Cories, or Loaches rough gravel can be an issue with thier barbels!! The Estes brand seems to fairly smooth.

 

[Jetstorm369]

If you go with the black gravel. check it out carefully. Some is very rough, while others are fairly smooth. If your going to keep Cories, or Loaches rough gravel can be an issue with thier barbels!! The Estes brand seems to fairly smooth.

If I didn't know the brands, would a simple inspection with the eyes be sufficient to tell the difference between smooth and rough? Thanks!

 

[Jconner3]

I had black gravel in one of my tanks and the color started to come off and it looked bad so I switched to black sand which looks waaaay nicer than the gravel did.

 

[Zimmanski]

Is there a difference between very small gravel and actual sand? I ended up mixing a few bags of the stuff that just looks like tiny gravel and I love it! Crap stays on top AND it's just big enough that not picking it up with a syphon is pretty easy.

 

[matty2085]

I've just changed from gravel to black sand....and it looks 100% better. The fish love it, their colours stand out more and rubbish is much easier to see and get rid of.

 

[Samzter]

I prefer sand because it looks natural and my Cories love it. It's easy to clean but it was quite expensive. About £40 . But I didn't bother looking around so I know there's cheaper bags out there. They are two different tanks but I do prefer sand.

 

[foster53]

If I didn't know the brands, would a simple inspection with the eyes be sufficient to tell the difference between smooth and rough? Thanks!

The smoother black gravel will look somewhat shiny. The rough stuff will look flat.

 

[foster53]

I had black gravel in one of my tanks and the color started to come off and it looked bad so I switched to black sand which looks waaaay nicer than the gravel did.

This is very true!! I have encountered the same thing on a few occasions

 

[Jetstorm369]

Hmmm, thanks guys. How would one clean black sand before putting it in the tank?

 

[Swedgen]

Hmmm, thanks guys. How would one clean black sand before putting it in the tank?

Rinsing the sand is a huge pain in the butt, but it looks so much better in the tank! And tank maintenance is easier in my opinion.

To clean it, I put about 10 lbs at a time in a bucket, and churned it up with the hose. Dump off the cloudy water, and repeat until the water runs mostly clear. Your tank will probably be cloudy for a day or so, but it will eventually clear up. Switching to (or choosing) sand takes a lot of patience in the beginning, but it does pay off!

 

[Bbarb27]

Hmmm, thanks guys. How would one clean black sand before putting it in the tank?

I used a lot of 1-3 galllon buckets and filled each bucket about 1/3 with sand. Rinse, pour off the water on top, repeat, repeat, repeat. Seems like a pain to keep rinsing, but it's a lot harder to clean the sand once it's in your tank. Spend a little time up front rinsing and have clearer water right away in your tank.

Others have put the sand in a pillow case and continued to rinse with a hose until the water runs clear.

I just replaced the gravel (with sand) in my last tank and I doubt I'll ever go back to gravel. Despite diligent gravel vacuuming, I still found tons of debris under the gravel when I took it out of the tank. Sand is so much easier to keep clean.

 

[Jetstorm369]

Anyone have any opinions on why gravel may be better than sand?

 

[DCLXVI]

I just switched to pool filter sand and I highly recommend it. Really easy to clean and I like the look. If I remember correctly it was $10 for a 50 pound bag.

 

[Jetstorm369]

Does having sand have any benefits for a planted tank? I plan to keep plants in my tank.

 

[vanimal]

Does having sand have any benefits for a planted tank? I plan to keep plants in my tank.

Just looks better I think. But believe there is Black Sand Flourite so you could buy a bag of that and mix it with the nromal black sand and that will help give your plants nutrients.

 

[jayhawks12279]

I use pool filter sand in mine and I didn't even have to wash it. I like it a lot more than gravel. Fish seem to like it also. I recommend Kuhli loaches as your bottom feeders cause they will stir up the sand and clean it pretty good. Just got 5 for my 125 and might add 5 more. I used gravel for years and I prefer sand now that I've tried it.