sand instead of gravel?

[Chuck Norris]

Im getting another 55 gallon aquarium from a a guy for my oscars and i was thinking about using white sand instead of gravel. But i was wondering if a gavel vacuum would suck up the sand along with the debris. if so, then what would i need to do to remove waste?

[wataugachicken]

you need to have a steady hand and practice your technique. hover your gravel vac right over the sand to suck up any poo, you can't stick it down in there like with gravel. it can be done, just takes a little time to get the hang of it.

[bettagurl]

Im not sure nhow you would be able to vac it without the sand going too,BTW,interesting name.....I hope someone has a better answer for you.

[icecubez189]

when vaccing, you'll need to hover right over the sand and move slowly so as no to disturb it. doing it this way and you'll suck up little or no sand and still be able to get the poop and other waste. once in a while, you'll need to take a stick and run it through the sand to let out pockets of gases that develop from organic waste falling through. people have suggested sand or fine gravel for oscars, as they like to dig through the substrate. IMO, i would just go with fine gravel/substrate for cleaning purposes, as Oscars are big poopers. but if your patient then sand is a good choice as well.

55G's is considered the bare minimum for 1 adult oscar (i would get larger though, around 75G) so i hope only 1 is going in there or its just a temporary home for 2 or more. just curious, what kinds of filtration do you have installed?

[albyoscar]

you say oscars ? if your putting more than one in it gravel is a better idea way too much hassle cleaning sand, just my opinion but its your tank fix it as you like

[CaptnDan]

I wouldn't go with sand and Oscars in that tank, even if it was big enough to house them. They'll keep it a mess, and constantly stir up the sand making the water look nasty.

Been there, done that. Went back to gravel.

[Chuck Norris]

im not gona get a 55 gal, because my finances are looking stronger. so im gona go with at least a 75 or maby a 140 depending what my lfs has in stock and how much i want to spend on accessories. im probably gona go with fine gravel then i will put my cichlids in my 55 and use sand for them.

[echoofformless]

Once again I plug for the Quikrete Medium Sand.

It has somewhat larger grains than standard white or play sand, therefore it is more easily vacuumed and also doesn't compact and cause anaerobic problems. Nor will it clog filters. Not to mention that it's pre-rinsed, screened, and then kiln sterilized so you can theoretically put it in the tank without even rinsing it. Plus it looks nice and natural.

I wouldn't use anything else as far as sand goes.

[FreakIndeed]

Where did you get your Quickrete medium sand? Large retail chain? Also, I'm assuming it is inert? Thanks!

[wataugachicken]

lowe's hardware has it

[FreakIndeed]

At my local Lowe's they do carry the Quickrete brand. They didn't however have anything called "Medium Sand". The closest thing I could find is what they called "All Purpose Sand". It said it was pre-rinsed, screened, and kiln sterilized. Is this the same thing? It was just a few bucks for a 50 lb bag.

[echoofformless]

The all-purpose is safe from what I recall. It's just smaller grained than the medium, so it will be a little more work to maintain the bed.

[FreakIndeed]

thanks for the info!