Sand or gravel !!!!!!!!!!!

[Juventus]

WhT do u gius reccomend for a 40 gallon freshwaer , sand ir gravel substance ?

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Sand looks better and doesn't harbor so much extra food and poop. A lot of people say gravel is just a nitrate factory

 

[Juventus]

What u mean by nitrate ? And also i heard thT sand is harter to clean with the vacum n most fish prefer gravel i belive

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Nitrates are what is produced after beneficial bacteria consume ammonia. All the nasty that collects in gravel just keeps produce nitrates which are toxic to fish and decrease water quality. These are removed during water changes. As for cleaning sand is easier in my opinion because all the poop and food settles on top. You just hover the vaccum over the sand it sucks the nasty up and leaves the sand. There is a great video on YouTube just search "vacuuming sand in aquarium". As for fish preference most fish that actually dig and would have a preference (mostly cichlids) would prefer sand. I switched all my tanks to sand (all six of them) to sand. IMO a way better choice.

 

[Oohitsae]

It's really all only personal preference.

If you are doing and bottom feeders though, then I'd say to go with sand as it isn't *** rough as gravel can be and is much easier for them to dig/burrow in.
Like another poster said, gravel can be a nitrate factory, it tends to be more expensive, but is easier to clean in a sense but is harder to clean thoroughly. With sand, most waste sits at the top

 

[NYgiantsRP]

I would say it depends on the fish, and what you like. If you want cories, loaches, and other fish that go through the substrate, then I would say sand because it is better for the fish. When you have sand you can see a lot more of the poop and other stuff, but with gravel it hides it better. Sand and gravel are both very easy to vacuum.

 

[FishyKisses]

Nitrates are what is produced after beneficial bacteria consume ammonia. All the nasty that collects in gravel just keeps produce nitrates which are toxic to fish and decrease water quality. These are removed during water changes. As for cleaning sand is easier in my opinion because all the poop and food settles on top. You just hover the vaccum over the sand it sucks the nasty up and leaves the sand. There is a great video on YouTube just search "vacuuming sand in aquarium". As for fish preference most fish that actually dig and would have a preference (mostly cichlids) would prefer sand. I switched all my tanks to sand (all six of them) to sand. IMO a way better choice.

I agree with this! I just swapped my tanks over to sand on Monday, and it is WAY easier to vacuum!!!! Also, I have been having trouble with my nitrates, and as soon as I switched the problem was gone!! Gravel holds on to so much waste. You really have no idea how much, until you take it out.

 

[Lt.]

You could do both, I'm thinking about going 1/2&1/2 in my 45 long. Although, just for the sake of advantages for live plants, I might do more than 50/50, like 25/75 for my 45, I want to medium plant it.

 

[armymp327]

You could do both, I'm thinking about going 1/2&1/2 in my 45 long. Although, just for the sake of advantages for live plants.

if you do both, over time you will just end up with with the gravel on top and sand on bottom. unless you meant one side of the tank gravel and the other sand, that could though mixing the sand and gravel does not.

 

[Lt.]

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of a diagonal splitting it between the different substrates.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of a diagonal splitting it between the different substrates.

That would be an interesting look.

 

[Lt.]

That's what I thought, I'd plant most of the sand, and put ornamental objects in the gravel (nothing overly corny, just a sunken WWII battleship). And mabe put a bubble.wall in it. I dunno.

 

[Juventus]

I guess im go with sand then , thnk you im still in my process of putting fish in as soon as my cycle is done but im so confused on good combination of fish at this moment i want. 3 cories / 1 pleco. /. Maybe 2 loach fish /. 1 angel and 4 tetras

 

[germanyt]

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of a diagonal splitting it between the different substrates.

Kind of like this?

 

[Lt.]

Kind of like this?

Yeah, but one side sand, and the orange is actually my current color.

 

[VOXGM]

I loved my sand for about 6 months. Then it kept getting in my filters and stuff. Because my fish would dig. Then I hated it. Ended up sucking all of it out into the yard. Sand doesn't hold junk like gravel but its just a pain in the butt, at least it was for me. Plecos will stir that sand up. I even used pre filters on my intakes. Ended up in my sump as well pre clogging everything. That's just my experience.

 

[pankelephant]

Sand all the way for me. It really is easier to clean. All you have to do is swirl the water about 1/4" - 1/2" above the sand - the detritus will come right up. You don't even have to have a vacuum; any airline will do sine you're not trying to lift up gravel. I use a small airline for spot cleaning in between water changes and a larger one for the weekly wc. With the small one you can put a valve in the line and open and close as needed. You can take your time without worrying about taking out too much water. Either way, sand is awesome.

 

[VOXGM]

Sand all the way for me. It really is easier to clean. All you have to do is swirl the water about 1/4" - 1/2" above the sand - the detritus will come right up. You don't even have to have a vacuum; any airline will do sine you're not trying to lift up gravel. I use a small airline for spot cleaning in between water changes and a larger one for the weekly wc. With the small one you can put a valve in the line and open and close as needed. You can take your time without worrying about taking out too much water. Either way, sand is awesome.

I agree sand is easier to clean. If u get sand, get pool sand. Pool sand is heavier and doesn't cloud the water as bad. I rinsed my aragonite sand like 50 times and it still fogged my water. That and the sand was so fine that it would float if anything disturbed it. I have heard pool sand is better. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[pankelephant]

I haven't used it. I'm using regular, cheapo Petsmart sand and it doesn't cloud much at all. When I dig through it with my fingers just to stir it up a bit the water will be cloudy for an hour or so, but that's about it. And it never floats or clogs the filter.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

I use pool filter sand pretty heavy and cheap $7 for 50 pounds