Sand or Gravel

[Ricky 1]

Hi Dom, I think they both have up and downs, most bacteria is in your filter, gravel gets food down inside it easier, catfish don't like it as much..........or any bottom dwellers, sand looks more natural, it is easy to see dirt and get up............it's just a matter of choice

 

[Dom11]

Hi Dom, I think they both have up and downs, most bacteria is in your filter, gravel gets food down inside it easier, catfish don't like it as much..........or any bottom dwellers, sand looks more natural, it is easy to see dirt and get up............it's just a matter of choice

Yeah I agree and yes most bacteria is in the filter. Very fine and thin gravel seems to be okay with my bottom feeders and yes it is all a matter of opinion


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[CoronaBlue]

I've had both and I think sand is easier to clean and holds less waste. Food is allowed to settle on sand to be eaten. Gravel it sifts to the bottom and rots.

 

[Coursair]

Yeah I agree and yes most bacteria is in the filter. Very fine and thin gravel seems to be okay with my bottom feeders and yes it is all a matter of opinion


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Considering the OP wants a heavily planted tank...sand wins for me.

Planet Catfish always recommends sand for Cories. Smooth gravel is ok, but not considered ideal.

With planted tanks. Sand wins over regular gravel. For most people.

I've had both. I'm in an aquatic plant club. Had tanks off and on since 1974.

My plants grow better in my sand tank.


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[aqua_holic]

Gravel is easier to maintain and also keeps beneficial bacteria better


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You'd be hard pressed to find someone who's used both sand and gravel that would agree with you about gravel being easier.

Gravel does not keep beneficial bacteria better. There is a much higher surface area per volume with sand than with gravel, which means sand can keep and much larger bacteria colony than gravel. That's not an opinion. That's math

 

[Mebbid]

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who's used both sand and gravel that would agree with you about gravel being easier.

Gravel does not keep beneficial bacteria better. There is a much higher surface area per volume with sand than with gravel, which means sand can keep and much larger bacteria colony than gravel. That's not an opinion. That's math

Thats true, but the compacting nature of sand prevents flow from going through it directly restricting the surface area and space that bb can grow on it.

In a tank I'd say that gravel will hold more bb. In a fluidized filter, sand is hands down the winner.

That being said, you will never ever notice a difference in bb between a gravel bottom and a sand bottom.

 

[aqua_holic]

Yes with the fine sands compacting can restrict the flow, but I think the larger, uniform sized sands like PFS still allow ample flow. As the size decreases from gravel there is benefit, to a point.

 

[Coursair]

Thus I have a ton of plant roots and MTS aerating my sand. No problems.


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[Coursair]

One of my sand tanks



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[Dom11]

What corys are those?


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[fishychick]

Wow, so much great information. I've always been afraid of sand but now I feel like I might want to try it at some point. If I have a tank that is currently using gravel and I want to switch to sand? Does the tank need to be cycled again because I will be losing any good bacteria that was on the rocks/gravel?

 

[dalto]

Wow, so much great information. I've always been afraid of sand but now I feel like I might want to try it at some point. If I have a tank that is currently using gravel and I want to switch to sand? Does the tank need to be cycled again because I will be losing any good bacteria that was on the rocks/gravel?

Not unless you are using an undergravel filter. Most of the bacteria will be in the filter. If your tank is well established, it will also be on every other surface of the tank.

 

[fishychick]

Thanks Dalto! I do have live plants and some other decorations and wood so hopefully those items would hold enough good bacteria. I have to say it sounds like sand is much much easier to vacuum. It always drives me crazy because I never feel like I'm able to do a really really thorough vacuum with my current rocks/gravel.

 

[dalto]

Opinions vary but I find sand far easier to deal with. The stuff just sits on top and you just vac it off. If you have enough flow in your tank it can even get blown off and sucked into the filter.

 

[Coursair]

What corys are those?


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Corydoras habrosus.
They are a pygmy species. They get about an inch full grown


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[Coursair]

If you are doing a planted tank, you won't be doing much gravel vacuuming, even with gravel. The plants don't like it.

Siphoning detritus off the top is fine.

Over cleaning is not good.


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[fishychick]

Coursair,
Your tanks are beautiful! I hope I have the courage to have that many plants some day! Lol.

 

[Coursair]

Coursair,
Your tanks are beautiful! I hope I have the courage to have that many plants some day! Lol.

Courage has nothing to do with it. LOL
I joined an aquatic plant club and they keep giving me plants at every meeting.
Plus I got hooked on Crypts and I keep collecting them.

And thank you. My tanks are always evolving. I don't 'scape. I throw plants in and watch the fish

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[TigerFusion]

This thread encouraged me to set up my newest 30 gallon breeder with Sand! I got the Caribsea Instant Aquarium "Sunset Gold" and LOVE IT!! My Goldfish was in a no substrate hospital tank, but is now having a Blast Sifting through the sand for food!

 

[fishyb]

Were it me, I would do a 72x36. The extra 2 feet in length is big.

Im going with this size tank. I am going to be having a house built in mid 2015 and this is going to be in the design plans. At least the space. Its going to be a large Aggressive fish tank. Cichlids and such. Love the info on here.