Sand or gravel?

hattori

hattori

New member
Joined
Jul 13, 2010
Messages
44
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Country
United States
I'm setting up a big tank for my firebellies, and would like to know if I should go with sand or gravel.

Give me your reasons why, please!
 
Sand. Personally its more pleasing to look at. It is easier to clean, detritus sits on top and sucks right out with a water change. Plants do so much better, and newts wont get impacted as easily. You can get larger gravel to avoid impaction but even then you will always find some smaller chunks that get busted up during shipping and what not. Unless you go with straight cobble which will be a pain to clean.
 
Although I have large gravel right now, i'm changing to sand as soon as the funds come through for it. it's just all around better in a practical sense.

as stated already easier to clean - which is a big plus.

the newts will swallow it, but it generally passes quickly, I've never lost a newt for any sand related reason.
plants root better in it, they dig them up easier with sand, but a few river stones around the base fixes that problem.

also live food can't bury itself under it as easy as with gravel, so it's easier to avoid things like midges ect (which i've recently had a problem with thanks to gravel)

so my choice would be sand.
 
Last edited:
Sand, no contest. It´s superior in every way.
Just make sure you don´t use a layer thicker than an inch, that´s important.
 
Yep forgot about that, when I first used sand it was about 2" high with uneven lumps that went up to maybe 3" - had some nasty gas build up.
 
I always use at least 2.5" when using live plants. That may be why plants get uprooted so easily.

When doing water changes you should be churning the sand even if its a light churning and you will avoid any gas problems. Never had such a problem. Well, in one tank that I used to much sand and I never touched cause I was determined to get a good ground cover of grass I ended up with a septic layer but that was like 3"+ and went untouched for weeks.

If your not doing plants 1" is fine.
 
even if you are doing plants, a small hill of sand around them and 1" everywhere else should be fine.
 
Plants or not, i must insist, don´t use a layer thicker than an inch. It can lead to serious water quality problems and the death of the animals, plus you really don´t need more sand.
 
Azhael said:
Plants or not, i must insist, don´t use a layer thicker than an inch. It can lead to serious water quality problems and the death of the animals, plus you really don´t need more sand.
Click to expand...


If you dont want gas do the proper maintenance when doing water changes.

If you want plants to root successfully, you need more than a inch.
 
We may be using different plants, because mine root very well and i have less than an inch of sand...so it´s definitely not a requirement.
 
mine usually need about an inch maybe a few MM over to root, they're doing fine in my axolotl tank.
I'd love to know what plants you're using? would mean I can steal abit of sand for my frogs and pleco.
 
I vote for no substrate at all.

Easier to keep clean, easier to feed your critters, and easier to maintain water chemistry. A high resolution color print out stuck under the tank, or sand/gravel/sand-gravel mix glued to the underside exterior solves any aesthetic issues.
 
Crysta said:
mine usually need about an inch maybe a few MM over to root, they're doing fine in my axolotl tank.
I'd love to know what plants you're using? would mean I can steal abit of sand for my frogs and pleco.
Click to expand...


I would also love to know since all my swords, chains, and so forth all get knocked right up out of the sand when a animal that has four legs goes tromping around them if I had kept 1" of sand.

1" is not enough to even cover a good root systems base for most plants. Maybe when planting bulbs or something but not a well started plant, not to my experience anyway.

By all means do what you want, its all preference but their is no problem with using at least 2" of sand for a good well planted tank. Your not going to have a septic substrate layer with 2" and your newts will not get gassed and if you feel its such a concern then as I said do the proper maintenance.

Gas does not build up over night either, it takes a fair amount of time so their is no excuse for having a gas layer under 2" of sand other than not doing your behalf to stop it.

I might add that having no mechanical filtration might add to someones problems with substrate going septic or developing gas bubbles as detritus will eventually degrade into the substrate layer if not contained and eventually removed from the tank.
That being said, if sand is so much better than gravel cause detritus sits on top rather then getting down between the gravel ( as previously stated ) why are people having such problems or so scared of having such problems with gas?
 
I use Elodea, java fern and java moss. Certainly not plants that develop complex root systems.
Recommending a thick layer of sand to a beginner is a risky businness in my opinion. Yes, with adequate maintenance, gas build up can be controlled and avoided, but you know what makes it easier? Avoiding the risk entirely...

I´m with Johnny, no substrate, nothing beats it. Mind you, if someone is dead set on using a substrate, instead of going for the complicated stuff, one should probably go for the easy options (at least until they gather up enough experience): Thin layer of sand, and plants that do well with such conditions.
 
I prefer gravel. When you've got a biological balance in the tank, detritus will sink between the gravel, and bacteria and micro-organism will break that down. I almost never do water changes, plants are doing very well, and never have a gas problem.
 
Elodea, brilliant plant x) their root system usually seems around 2/3 of 1" so 1" should be a few mm more than enough. seems like I might end up with quite alot of it. I've already got lots of it in two of my tanks.
 
One brief aesthetic tip regarding sand and firebellies: when you get the standard grey stuff, the newts pretty much blend right in. In one of my early tanks, I could never find all of them and kept trying to fill in all the crevices and hiding places I had so carefully designed. A switch to a lighter color was far less frustrating and allowed me to - surprise! - actually see my newts.
 
Azhael said:
I use Elodea, java fern and java moss. Certainly not plants that develop complex root systems.
Recommending a thick layer of sand to a beginner is a risky businness in my opinion. Yes, with adequate maintenance, gas build up can be controlled and avoided, but you know what makes it easier? Avoiding the risk entirely...

I´m with Johnny, no substrate, nothing beats it. Mind you, if someone is dead set on using a substrate, instead of going for the complicated stuff, one should probably go for the easy options (at least until they gather up enough experience): Thin layer of sand, and plants that do well with such conditions.
Click to expand...


How is it risky? What is so risky about keeping up with your part of the deal, maintenance of the tank?

If thats a risk then I am guilty of jeopardizing all my aquatic animals. You would wanna kill me if you saw how much sand I have in my Tanganyikan tanks:rolleyes:

Java Moss and Fern do not grow in substrate they grow on rocks or plants, that's a null example.
How is 2" a thick substrate? look at any planted tank. I have loads of books including a huge collection of ones by Tikashi Ammano. The books include fish but its the same foundation. Keeping a balanced system to sustain aquatic life focusing on plants.



Bare bottom is the best but if aesthetics is a must sand is the way to go. If you have a small amount of certain types of plants or fake ones go with 1".


Let me edit this in.

Before I sound like a total sand Nazi allow me to give a great idea on substrate thats just as easy as bare bottom but as pleasing as sand.

Again, you wont get any root bound aquatic flora but some drift wood and rocks with some moss and some Anubas or Java Fern attached would work great.

Cover the bottom with aquarium safe black silicone. Before it dries dump some sand on it and press it in as hard as you can. Try to shake out the remaining sand that does not get stuck in and do a lighter cover pressing down firmly.

Allow it to harden and again dump out anything thats loose.

There you have a tank thats as pleasing to look at as sand, no paranoia of any gas, and just as easy to clean as a bare bottom.

It works great. I done it before and I got the tip off from members on this very forum.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Back
    Top