Using sand in aquarium good or bad?

Question

I have always liked the look of sand in aquariums and have searched all over the internet seeing if it's okay. It seems like every single person has a different take on using sand in freshwater aquariums. Some say its good, some say its bad, some say it's basically the same and has no different effect. One said it's hard to clean, but others say just use the vac 2-3" from the sand to suck whatever is on top and use the bottom handle of your net to stir up the sand a little and net out all of the remaining residue (which i dont mind doing). Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of using sand in a freshwater aquarium and if it's recommended? I want my fish to be happy.

Answer 1

i just put 50 pounds of 3m colourquartz white sand in my 30 gallon and i love it ... it took quite a few rinses to get the dust off it (like 14 times) but once it was in, it settled within a day or two and it looks really nice ... and contrary to what you will also read, it will not ruin your filter ... i ran my filter as soon as the tank was filled up and still cloudy and a week later when i cleaned out the filter, impeller and all, there was no sand in the filter ... i bought 50 malaysian trumpet snails and dumped them in and they will help keep the sand aerated and not damage plant roots ... these snails also only come out at night so you will rarely see them ... i love not having to vacuum gravel ... i have a very heavily planted tank and so to vacuum the gravel around the plants and trying not to ruin the roots was a challenge, sand is way easier ... and it is easier to clean, even if i do suck up some sand if you tip the siphon the sand falls out and is not sucked up ... i can not think of any cons, the rinsing took a while but once it was done it looks really nice, like the bottom of the ocean :O) i say go for it



it is not harder to clean and you do not clean to the bottom with sand ... sand is condensed and the waste stays on the top ... you also do not have to use aquarium sand, you can use playsand from home depot or walmart, just rinse, rinse, rinse before you put it in ... aquarium sand is three times the price ... and sand will not get moldy if you aerate it ... and once it is settled it does not get dusty ... i just re-aquascaped yesterday and the tank water remained clear, and i was moving plants and planting plants and there was no dust ... i also have a bristlenose catfish who stirs up the sand constantly, like in the morning i will find six inches of sand in a corner that was not there when i went to bed ... that fish stirs up the sand constantly and still no sand in my filter ...

Answer 2

Unless you have burrowing fish, the fish don't care which substrata you pick--it's more for the aesthetic benefit for the humans outside the tank.



Since sand is so fine, it tends to develop "air" bubbles as the stuff caught in it rots--the gas can't escape easily in sand so you'll often have toxic gas building up under the sand which you will have to express. However, snails such as Malaysian trumpet snails burrow into the sand and tunnel around which will help keep the gas from being trapped, they will come out (usually at night when the fish are asleep but mine are out all the time since we dont' have snail-eating fish) to cruise the plants and surfaces. Most plants will easily take root in sand but, again, you will need to aerate the sand so the roots can get air or your plants will die. Sand will sometimes clog filters (fish stir up the sand, sand gets sucked into the filter) but it's then just a matter of keep up on your filter cleaning and knowing how to dismantle your filter when you need to thoroughly clean it out. Coral sand will raise your pH--people I know have suggested using the sand used in pool filters which is sterile, fine, usually white (might come in colors but they might dye it that way) and isn't too expensive.

Answer 3

I even have 3 geckos.. while i offered them the puppy keep had them on sand, yet I knew it wasn't the perfect for them and that i used the reptile carpet stuff and regarded as though they have been given fairly depressed and stopped eating. when I placed the sand back in they have been nice like the day i offered them..they are older. No way might I placed somewhat one on something yet a carpet or paper. i does not use the bark stuff via fact its extra beneficial and extra probabilities of having an impaction from it if unintended swallowed. Sand would reason it too. perfect guess is to purchase some reptile carpet possibly have a dish of mattress a Beast in a bowl or corner or something that keeps humidity for laying off. Lifespan is around 17 to 2 a protracted time i think of. From above I wouldnt use that walnut stuff for specific..via fact it has jagged edges and if swallowed can decrease intestines. undesirable stuff. Sand may be a fashion better selection then overwhelmed walnut shells.

Answer 4

It's okay to use, but it is harder to clean than rocks or gravel. Just make sure you get it from an aquarium supply store, and don't just go get some from the beach (I'm assuming you are smarter than that.)



You can use a vacuum to clean it, but it is hard to get all the way to the bottom, which can easily start moulding in there because there isn't salt in the water to help slow the growth of nasties.



To me, unless it was a saltwater tank (and even then) I would probably not use sand because it's time consuming. That and cleaning it can get really "dusty"

Answer 5

I would never use anything else!It looks great and the fish act more natural!



If the sand is very clean particles won't float around in your tank.The only thing to remember is ,If you have an air stone put it up on some rocks not on the sand!The air stone will lift up the sand !



Oh and its not hard to clean..........

Answer 6

If your fish kicks sand up, particles of sand could get sucked into your filter and it could eventually get clogged. I prefer gravel because its easier to clean.

Answer 7

It keeps clogging up your filter. Its a real pain. I had it and got rid of it.

Answer 8

tricky problem. search onto the search engines. this can assist!

Answer 9

problematic aspect. browse into google. this can help!