gravel or sand?
- Thread starter xRayZx
- Start date
Meh, kind of a wash up for me...there's really no way to say one is considerably better than another. Sand seems to be easier to plant with but at the same time doesn't do as great of a job holding the plants in place. It is easier to clean but then again all the crud just stays visible on top. It also should be rinsed out beforehand and may still cloud up the tank at first. But I like the look better than 100% gravel personally. Also pretty easy to find for cheap. Again, it really depends on what pros/cons matter to you...
Sand
* Easier to plant
* Roots can spread, as long as the sand doesn't get too compacted
* Sand is mostly used a decorative element rather than a planting substrate
Gravel
* Difficult to plant (will be frustrating as plants float out of the substrate)
* Better for roots, as the gravel is easier to move and can hold nooks of nutrients
* Can look unsightly due to larger granules
All said and done, recommend going with sand. Looks better, and easier to plant in, especially with your species of plants since they don't require a substrate at all...
-John N.
* Easier to plant
* Roots can spread, as long as the sand doesn't get too compacted
* Sand is mostly used a decorative element rather than a planting substrate
Gravel
* Difficult to plant (will be frustrating as plants float out of the substrate)
* Better for roots, as the gravel is easier to move and can hold nooks of nutrients
* Can look unsightly due to larger granules
All said and done, recommend going with sand. Looks better, and easier to plant in, especially with your species of plants since they don't require a substrate at all...
-John N.
If you go gravel, go for a smaller sized pebble... normal aquarium gravel allows a lot of water flow which could spread the nutrients from any root fertilizer tabs into the water column, promoting algae.
One piece of advice - if you go planted, plant big right from the start. Cram as many plants in there as you can. Start off with fast growers like anacharis & water sprite. You can always sell it or trade it later on. This will help to prevent algae while your slower growing plants are trying to get a foothold. Too often when people start planted, they're too tentative and the lights they use tend to be too much & cause algae issues.
One piece of advice - if you go planted, plant big right from the start. Cram as many plants in there as you can. Start off with fast growers like anacharis & water sprite. You can always sell it or trade it later on. This will help to prevent algae while your slower growing plants are trying to get a foothold. Too often when people start planted, they're too tentative and the lights they use tend to be too much & cause algae issues.
thanks. i just read somewhere, and i think i want to put some eco-complete substrate on the bottom, and on the top, just layer it with sand. I always thought substrate is the gravel or sand. Now i know it's the nutritious soil right?
even though the plants i plan to have do not require substrate, should i put substrate in there anyways in case i end up planning some plants that do require substrate? and with substrate, do i still need to get macro and micro nutrients?
@fishycat, there are people who will be willing to trade/buy those plants (anacharis & water sprite) off of me? where might i find those people?
even though the plants i plan to have do not require substrate, should i put substrate in there anyways in case i end up planning some plants that do require substrate? and with substrate, do i still need to get macro and micro nutrients?
@fishycat, there are people who will be willing to trade/buy those plants (anacharis & water sprite) off of me? where might i find those people?
"substrate" is just the "ground" of your fish tank. There are products like eco-complete, which help to absorb nutrients in the water column and make them accessible to your root-feeding plants. Then there are products like ADA Aquasoil which is mineralized/etc with all the stuff plants need to grow like crazy (the only drawback - if that's what it should be called - is that AS leeches ammonia early on, which is great for a cycle but not great for fish in the tank). Inert sand is still a viable substrate, I use it in almost all my tanks and just add fertilizer tablets for my crypts & other heavy root feeders.
Are you capping off your eco-complete with sand because you like the look of the sand? I'm not sure what other purpose it could provide... pretty unnecessary as far as the plants preference.
Maybe not buy for a good price, but I see people in the Marketplace here looking for anacharis sometimes, and I know water sprite is pretty popular. You'd have good results throwing out "for trade" versus "for sale". There's also places like Craiglist or Aquabid (I think).
Are you capping off your eco-complete with sand because you like the look of the sand? I'm not sure what other purpose it could provide... pretty unnecessary as far as the plants preference.
Maybe not buy for a good price, but I see people in the Marketplace here looking for anacharis sometimes, and I know water sprite is pretty popular. You'd have good results throwing out "for trade" versus "for sale". There's also places like Craiglist or Aquabid (I think).
thanks fishycat!
yeah, i like the look of sand. so you just put in the fertilizer in areas where you planted the crypt and root-fed plants?
basically, i dont even need the eco-complete then right? i can just use inert sand and add fertilizer to specific areas?
yeah, i like the look of sand. so you just put in the fertilizer in areas where you planted the crypt and root-fed plants?
basically, i dont even need the eco-complete then right? i can just use inert sand and add fertilizer to specific areas?
