Gravel or Sand?

[vanimal]

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.

I have a few cichlids that dig in my sand. Its funny because ill always fix it and look in my tank the next day and there's another hole. Haha

 

[bloodlucky]

Gravel is simple I've always ha gravel. It stores a lot of beneficial bacteria and is quite easy to siphon. Sand might be hard because I bet a lot gets sucked in and such

On the other hand, sand or dirt (finer substrate) is probably better for live plants since its hard to latch on to gravel

I have a java fern so I wouldn't know

 

[Jetstorm369]

Wow, you guys are great with your advice. However, I'm still undecided; I do think sand looks better, but I'm concerned about cleaning it both before and after its in the tank.

 

[bigbanker]

Some people worry about their filters with sand....

Also gravel is easier to remove if you ever have to tear down your tank

 

[jayhawks12279]

I had gravel for years and decided to switch to sand and I like it better. It looks nicer and its really not that hard to clean. Just suck the stuff on the surface up with your siphon. You might get a little sand but it's not that bad. And if you get pool filter sand you shouldn't even have to wash it.

 

[D-Linquent]

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.

I have gravel now, and I am thinking of switching to sand. Was it a difficult transition for you to make? Did you move the fish to another tank, or did you keep them in the tank while making the substitution?

 

[matty2085]

To be honest it was a fairly easy transition. Washing the sand took the longest...maybe 2 hours to clean about 18kg. Once the sand was washed I drained half the water from my tank, removed all the plants and driftwood into a large container. I dont have a spare aquarium as this would have been ideal. I then removed the fish...the tetra were hard to net, and put these in with the decor and tank water.

I then removed the remaining water into a separate container and put the filter in that so it did not dry out. Next was the gravel scooping. A square plastic tray worked well as it allowed me to get into the corners. Once this was all out I gave the tank a quick clean and then in went the sand. Once I had about 1.25 inches of sand I placed some of the more awkward plants. I placed a plate onto the sand and carefully started adding the old aquarium water back. Pouring slowly onto the plate meant that not so much sand was kicked up into the water. Once half full I place the rest of the decor and plants, fish back in and then topped up slowly with fresh treated water.

I left the filter off for a couple of hours while the sand settled. I guess a total time of 3.5 hours to do the process (130 litre). The fish took a while to adjust but where happy and exploring again within a couple of hours. I guess the most important thing is to reduce the stress on the fish and I think if I had kept them in it would have been pretty hectic for them...I'm a bit clumsy and heavy handed sometimes.

Hope that helps. I sure others have more advice and different methods though.

 

[D-Linquent]

To be honest it was a fairly easy transition. Washing the sand took the longest...maybe 2 hours to clean about 18kg. Once the sand was washed I drained half the water from my tank, removed all the plants and driftwood into a large container. I dont have a spare aquarium as this would have been ideal. I then removed the fish...the tetra were hard to net, and put these in with the decor and tank water.

I then removed the remaining water into a separate container and put the filter in that so it did not dry out. Next was the gravel scooping. A square plastic tray worked well as it allowed me to get into the corners. Once this was all out I gave the tank a quick clean and then in went the sand. Once I had about 1.25 inches of sand I placed some of the more awkward plants. I placed a plate onto the sand and carefully started adding the old aquarium water back. Pouring slowly onto the plate meant that not so much sand was kicked up into the water. Once half full I place the rest of the decor and plants, fish back in and then topped up slowly with fresh treated water.

I left the filter off for a couple of hours while the sand settled. I guess a total time of 3.5 hours to do the process (130 litre). The fish took a while to adjust but where happy and exploring again within a couple of hours. I guess the most important thing is to reduce the stress on the fish and I think if I had kept them in it would have been pretty hectic for them...I'm a bit clumsy and heavy handed sometimes.

Hope that helps. I sure others have more advice and different methods though.

Thanks for the info. That all seems very manageable. I was a little worried that I might be stuck with what I have, and I really like the look of black sand.