Discussion Time - Gravel or Sand

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patrickriley2010 said:
Ya why? Do need the bar that sticks to the back or a plate thing ?
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I would recommend the one that sticks with suction cups to the back. I had airstones in my tank and the bubbles kept stirring up the sand and I had sand constantly floating around the tank. If you put the airstone at least 1" off the bottom you should be ok. I ended up taking mine out, as sand constantly got onto the stone, from my Kribs and Corys digging.....
 
I love sand. I just recently bought a 5 gallon and decided to put sand in it. About a week ago I just switched from gravel to sand in my big tank. I am so happy that I made the switch I don't ever want to go back to gravel again.
 
Ian086 said:
Hey Patrick. I have and am a big fan of sand. I used to have gravel back in the day but since i switched to sand a few years back, I never looked back. I love the look and the ease of maintenance with it. Some people think it can look dirtier than gravel but I believe that's only because they can see everything sitting on the sand. Gravel hides all that, which is not really a good thing. IMO sand encourages better tank maintenance. It is real easy to remove any dirt when doing your doing your PWC, as you just hover over the top of the sand and everything gets sucked out. I really can't think of any cons. Maybe the only one in your case would be, you plan on planting. I have read many debates on whether it can be used or not. Some say yes others say it's not ideal. I am not experienced with plants, so I can't help you there. As I said, it works great with water changers, I have the aqueon. Just hold the tube about half an inch above the sand and it'll remove the waste. It will/might remove a very small amount of sand at first but you'll soon get the hang of it....

SAND(Pros)
1. Looks great.
2. Very cheap to purchase.
3. Easy to work with.
4. Easy to keep clean/maintain.

SAND(Cons)
1. A pain, but not hard, to wash before you put it in.
2. Can cause cloudiness, but very little, if you clean well beforehand.
3. Can't think of any more!!!
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Poop sits on top of it and looks terrible.
 
Ian086 said:
I would recommend the one that sticks with suction cups to the back. I had airstones in my tank and the bubbles kept stirring up the sand and I had sand constantly floating around the tank. If you put the airstone at least 1" off the bottom you should be ok. I ended up taking mine out, as sand constantly got onto the stone, from my Kribs and Corys digging.....
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What's this mean is it bad it contains this element ?
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/is-this-pool-filter-sand-aquarium-safe-137238.html
 
NYgiantsRP said:
Poop sits on top of it and looks terrible.
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I agree, poop does sit on top. That is probably a con but every substrate has a few cons. I have molly's, platies and guppies and it's not a big deal. I don't even notice it and I just checked, no poop on the substrate!!. It breaks down pretty quick.......
 
I switched from gravel to black diamond blasting sand a couple weeks ago. So far I have only spotted 1 piece of poop on the sand! Maybe the darker sand hides poop better, or maybe it's because I have fish that don't poop so much. (like goldfish and plecos that poop constantly and largely, lol)

I'm liking the sand so far. It really makes my fishes colors stand out even with my current crappy stock florescent lighting. I've vacuumed the tank out 2 or 3 times since I've had the sand and it's pretty easy, just swirl the vac over the sand and the debris stirs up and gets caught. No more vigorous digging through the gravel for nastys.

It's also cheap, $8 for a 50lb bag. Enough to do my 30" x 18" tank with some leftover. I can't remember how much I paid for the gravel for my 29 gal, but it was def more than that!

My only caution is if you are going to do any major stirring up of the sand, turn off your HOB filter if you have one until it pretty much is all settled back down. Floating sand bits and HOB impellers don't get along. I *almost* killed mine when I decided to add a bit more sand to the tank one day. :rolleyes:
 
So what is the best type of sand to get? I've heard children's play sand and blasting sand. I'm about to start up a Fluval edge 12g and I want to try light coloured sand. I want to add easy, low light plants so does the type of sand play into that decision?
 
ArtesiaWells said:
Can sand be used with goldfish?
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Wow for someone who preaches forum etiquette and cries foul quite frequently you sure interupt and hijack alot of others threads with your questions!

Any with regards to sand vs gravel, I haven't used gravel in since the 80's!
 
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Shanny said:
So what is the best type of sand to get? I've heard children's play sand and blasting sand. I'm about to start up a Fluval edge 12g and I want to try light coloured sand. I want to add easy, low light plants so does the type of sand play into that decision?
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I just got pool sand it's a bit more coarse and larger than play sand. It's really preference I guess
 
patrickriley2010 said:
Is this considered clear if filled and drains about 15 times stirring it each time


View attachment 177275


View attachment 177276
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Yeah that'll do it mate. It seems like a lot of work for some sand but it really is worth it. Just use some filter floss in your filter when you add it and it'll clear in no time. Also when your adding the water, use a plate to break the flow of water, less clouding....
 
Ian086 said:
Yeah that'll do it mate. It seems like a lot of work for some sand but it really is worth it. Just use some filter floss in your filter when you add it and it'll clear in no time. Also when your adding the water, use a plate to break the flow of water, less clouding....
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Okay cool my aqueon water changer blew up all over my living room

Also what is filter floss ?
 
patrickriley2010 said:
Okay cool my aqueon water changer blew up all over my living room

Also what is filter floss ?
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Fancy name for polyfill- the stuff that fills pillows and comforters. Any big chain store or arts and crafts store has bags of it inexpensively. Just make sure you get the regular poly and not the flame retardant type as its treated with chemicals.
 
jlk said:
Fancy name for polyfill- the stuff that fills pillows and comforters. Any big chain store or arts and crafts store has bags of it inexpensively. Just make sure you get the regular poly and not the flame retardant type as its treated with chemicals.
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Ill just cut open my pillows :p lol
 
patrickriley2010 said:
Ill just cut open my pillows :p lol
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I would use a new one if you have one. One that has been washed is not a good idea to use in the tank. Also and with respect, a used one will have sweat in it. As Jessica said, they are super cheap to buy. Like a few dollars for a massive bag of it....
 
Ian086 said:
I would use a new one if you have one. One that has been washed is not a good idea to use in the tank. Also and with respect, a used one will have sweat in it. As Jessica said, they are super cheap to buy. Like a few dollars for a massive bag of it....
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And also as Jessica said, make sure it says 100% polyfil, no additives!!
 
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