What is better to put in a fish tank, sand or gravel?

Question

I have just purchased a used 40 gal tank. I would like to use sand, it looks more natural, is there any drawbacks to sand over gravel. Most people use gravel.. Why?

Answer 1

gravel is a hella lot easier to clean! plus, some fish like to dig w/their noses in the substrate, and if u have sand itll be all disturbed and in the water and itll ruin your filtrer- wich are EXPENSIVE to replace!!

Answer 2

What sort of fish are you planning on having?

Answer 3

One problem with using sand is that most sand is pretty pale and it tends to look dirty quite quickly.  Also, if you use an under gravel filter, sand will clog it and ruin it.  (Not that I am a fan of under gravel filters.)  The main problem I have with sand is that the best way to clean your fish tank is to perform water changes by using some kind of a suction device (usually a gravel vacuum) to suck the fish waste and uneaten food from the bottom of the tank along with any rotting plant matter or other debris along with the dirty water.  Then replace the sucked up water with fresh, clean, conditioned water.  Now, when you have small enough pebbles in your gravel, you will occasionally suck a few up and clog your gravel vac.  When you have sand, you end up sucking a lot of it up and it makes a swirling mess!  I have some potted plants in some of my tanks with sand in the bottom of the pots, and I really hate that sand!

Answer 4

Gravel would probably be better; easier to clean, and more surface area (sand would just be smooth) for beneficial bacteria to grow for cycling the tank. I would definitely go with gravel - you can find naturally colored gravel that would look very nice :)

Answer 5

I use gravel cause you can clean it easier. You can use a gravel vac. with the sand you can not use the vac... i dont think! you can use shells or large rocks... they sell those where you buy the small rocks. or they sell the small rocks in brown.,.. you jus need to look around! im sure someone can tell you where to find them!

good luck!

Answer 6

I prefer rocks as they are easier to clean. Just make sure that you do not get very small rocks as the goldfish will choke on then when they eat off of the bottom. You dont need much gravel, just ans inch ot two on the bottom.

Answer 7

The major drawback that I see with sand, is that it could ruin your filters. I tried it once in a freshwater tank, and my filters started making nasty and loud noise after just a couple of days. Even if you are careful when you do waterchanges, it's close to impossible to avoid fish stirring up the sand and it goes everywhere in the tank, including the filter intakes.

Answer 8

well I have gravel on my tank.  I find it eaiser to work with (much much easier).  Really do not know if it is better for the tank or not, but mine is doing very well.  

Sand particles are very small and when you stir it (while cleaning the tank or changing the water) the tank will not look good for a few hours, and also all that sand will get in your filtration system.... as i said before working with gravel is much easier

Answer 9

Well, I will admit that gravel is a h**l of a lot easier to work with, but I use sand. I have a saltwater aquarium and 'live sand' is my substrate, 'live just means there are little critters and some other stuff that call my sand home.

Live sand is a beneficial bio-filter for a tank, but not necessary- it can get frustrating when do water changes, good thing about saltwater is only an extreme emergency means I have to do a full and complete tank clean out.

But upkeep of the sand is trying sometimes. You need to get 'sand-sifters' which are animals that will, well, sift the sand, move it and turn it up. Snails and such are good for that, ask your local pet shop or your fish dealer(if you have one) about some good ones.

Good- luck! I always found that sand had more aesthetic appeal than gravel, and for that reason alone I put up with it.