Gravel or Sand?

[KonvictKeeper]

Getting my convicts soon. Still setting up the tank. Do you guys recommend sand or gravel? I've heard people say gravel is better, also the same for sand.

P.S. :

I will NOT be getting the sparkly brightly colored sand/gravel.

 

[Jacca]

I have sand in both my tanks one has pfs the other has a mixture of cat litter and medium sand from lowes it has the same texture as pfs but is darker in color.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Gravel IMO is easier to maintain with less fuss. It's better suited for those new to fish keeping because it requires less work. I just set up a tank for the first time with Caribsea white sand and although it looks pretty nice, the fine sand gets everywhere at first (and after my PWC's). Depending on how fine the sand is, I can imagine that it can get sucked up by your filter too and reduce the life of the impeller. Moreover, it takes extra work and care to clean (i.e. hovering a siphon just over it to clean up detritus), whereas my tank with gravel requires less finesse and a straightforward gravel vacuuming. Conversely, the sand does allow you see the waste easily to remove. I suppose in the end, they both have pros and cons. It's just a matter of how much extra work you're willing to put in to your tank to achieve & maintain a certain appearance to your taste.

 

[librarygirl]

Some really good points above from Brian. I've had both; I like sand better. I started with black gravel, but it started to lose its color and turn white (cheaply colored I guess) after a short time. So I switched to black sand (CaribSea) and I love it. The color is rich and looks a lot more natural than gravel. You do suck up some when vacuuming but it just takes practice. I won't use gravel again.

 

[ocean]

I've used gravel in the past, but have changed to sand for my saltwater and freshwater and love it! So much easier to keep clean, fish waste sits on top of the sand and easy to vaccum, once you get the hang of it! I don't use the very find sand, I bought sand from a petstore that was a little bigger in grain size so my powerheads wouldn't blow it around. Here's a picture of my freshwater.....fishless cycling at the moment. It's up to you what you like.