*SUBTRATE* Gravel or Sand

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mymindseye81

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 29, 2009
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Houston TX
i currently have white gravel in my tank and im toying with the idea of switching to a Aragonit sand mix. does anyone have any pros and cons on this issue I.E. is it easier or harder to clean, health of fish, etc.

if i do switch to the sand what would be the best way to do that with a tank full of fish and decor with out making a cloudy mess...
 
I have never switched with fish in the tank, but sand has many benefits:

-It looks nicer
-Garbage stays on top, easily cleaned by running gravel vac a few cm above.
-As for the health of the fish, Im no cichlid expert, but I know many like to dig/move sand.
 
I think the Argonite sub is for africans too.. And the easiest, less painstaking way to remove it, is to remove everything else.. If you have somewhere to put the fish for a bit, go for it. When your dumping it in, leave your filter off, and let it settle before turning back on. Make sure to clean it real well before adding as well.

It's a pain in the anus, but will look a LOT better than regular pebbles..
 
Looks like there are Frontosas in the tank. Aragonite increases the pH/hardness (I think) so that would probably be beneficial.
 
I have changed substrate in the tank several times with all the fish in the tank. Just lower the water level at least 50%, remove the decor, scoop out all the gravel, and add the sand. I have never caused ill affects on my fish by doing this with them in the tank.
 
Angler;3334763; said:
I have changed substrate in the tank several times with all the fish in the tank. Just lower the water level at least 50%, remove the decor, scoop out all the gravel, and add the sand. I have never caused ill affects on my fish by doing this with them in the tank.
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thats exactly what i just did with my 125 gallon

sand at Home Depot 50lbs = $2.78

took about 3 days for the water to completely clear up

o make sure to wash the sand atleast 3-5 times before putting it on the tank, will help with the sand dusk
 
Personally I love having sand in my tank - never tried the gravel though.

I think it looks a lot nicer - gives a tank a more smooth look.

In terms of cleaning, as some have mentioned above, I feel its nice and easy to clean. Just vac up the dirt and poop which sits at the top and presto your done! Just make sure to go under decor and things like that to get any hidden stuff. I must admit I don't do that every single week.

In terms of switching it over - just make sure the filters are all off and that the sand is clean.

It might be an initial pain in the bottom to do it but at the end of the day I think you'll be really glad that you did.
 
i need help deciding between a regular white aragonite sand mix or go completly with blank san? i need expert advise
 
i would go black sand. i think that will go very nice with the tank/stand being black and having all white rock as decor, may make your tank seem a lot darker though esp with a black background on it. so either a black sand or the nicest white you can find. i went with a natural sand that i mixed in some live sand, and added crushed coral so i have a half crushed coral with half sand setup that looks pretty cool. that might be something to look at also especially with the type of rock decor you have in there, i think coral would look really good in there. just like the sand though rinse the sh*t out of it and you will have less of a cloud in your water. i had gravel, then did half sand half gravel to see how i would like the sand look. went fully sand after i realized how much i would like it, then threw some coral in there once i had the sand for a while so i can switch up the look a little. so i did a half coral half sand substrate. all while still having the fish in the tank and it had no ill effects on the fish, they are all still alive and thriving. just make sure if you have any bottom dwellers you can see them before placing down your decor back in the tank, i almost lost my starfish by crushing him with a rock. he was in one place one minute and went to put a nice big rock in a spot, and the starfish moved right into the spot i was putting the rock and wound up having him under it for a few minutes, hes still alive though :) he recovered nicely.
 
It all depends on what type of fish and tank . no one sand or choice is universal. More info is needed
type of fish
plans for the tank(background and decor)
ure preference.
 
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