I was wondering how sand works... I've always used gravel . I was thinking about maybe getting some cichlids for my 55 I read the thrive in high ph and the ph from my tap is high. I read cichlids prefer sand. Can I use gravel ?? If so can u just purchase lawn gravel?? There are two different sizes. The pea size is really muddy and would require lots of rinsing but the price is soooooo much more affordable than the gravel at the LFS and look very similar. Also can I use regular large rocks to decorate or only ones from LFS?? If so I read u can and should put foam or egg crates in the bottom of the tank to support the rock weight.?? I have no idea what I'm doing yet... Just trying to get a head start on ideas