Sand or Gravel? Input will be helpful!!

Mr Meaty

Mr Meaty

AC Members
Oct 8, 2006
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Southern Indiana
Im thinking about gutting my 55g. which at the moment has red gravel driftwood and PLENTY of caves. Have seen a few cichlid tanks with sand or crushed rock and I think they look really nice, any pros or cons I need to worry about with sand?

Also, what would everyone else's opinion be on gravel or sand?
 
I am in favor of sand myself. It gives a very calming look to the tank and any bottom feeders you have will appreciate it. I also find my Jack digs in the substrate more now that I have added about an 1" of sand on top of the gravel I had.
 
Any suggestions on where to get good sand without paying out the hole for it?
 
home depot/lowe's hardware - Quikrete brand medium grade commercial sand, $5-6 for 50 lbs.
 
I'm thinking about setting up my new tanks in sand but I really hate earth tones. They look dirty unless they are white. White makes the fishes look pail. Can you get colored sand? If so where can I get this?
 
i've never seen any colored sand (aside from synthetic black sand) that is water-safe.
 
I just set up my first sand tank, a 29 gallon and I love it. It's easy to plant plants, my cories love to dig in it and bolivian rams enjoy sleeping on it. I've got Quicrete brand from Lowe's for 3 bucks. I have to say though, make sure you wash your filter fairly consistently as it can fill up with sand particles pretty fast.
 
hmm

you can get volcanic sand. It is more expensive though as you have to get it through an aquarium store.


On getting play sand or pool filter sand or whatever, just make sure it is sand and not a fine gravel. That is why I have gravel under my sand, I got pool filter sand that was really gravel. Play sand works great.
 
Mr Meaty said:
Im thinking about gutting my 55g. which at the moment has red gravel driftwood and PLENTY of caves. Have seen a few cichlid tanks with sand or crushed rock and I think they look really nice, any pros or cons I need to worry about with sand?

Also, what would everyone else's opinion be on gravel or sand?
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Food doesn't sink down into the sand, so feeders can clean it up more easily. Sand will keep debris/poop on its surface so it's easy to vacuum up. The downside of that is that the debris is visible. Fish like it as it is easy to dig into and move around. Otoh, if you don't wash it out well, it can make your water hazy and get into your filters.

Get pool filter sand and a big bucket (like those big orange buckets you see at home depot). Get a hose and keep it near the top of the bucket, and at an edge, so the water is swirling rapidly. Then lean the bucket so it is overflowing on one side. Pour sand in SLOWLY, so swirling current can carry the lighter stuff out of the bucket, and only the coarser sand sinks. Quick and easy!
 
Doese sand vacume up easyer then gravel? I mean doese it get sucked threw the tube with less presure then gravel or is it about the same.

I need to know because if i vacume with a diatome filter will sand get sucked into it?
 
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