Whats best sand or gravel for a aquarium

Question

would sand get sucked into my fluvel 2 filter or go up the syphon when i clean it out or would gravel be better

Answer 1

For ease gravel is easier to clean. Much would depend on the species of fish you are planning to keep, some prefer sand.

No your fluval wouldn't suck it up, but if you get to close with the, "gravel" vacuum it will pick it up.

Answer 2

i suppose the best place to answer this would be a shop that sells tropical fish,when i had my fish,we used gravel.

Answer 3

The Fluval 2 is great for sand.  I much prefer sand, not only because it looks much nicer, but because it is so much easier to clean-- there's no digging around in it hoping you got all the food out, because it's all visible, forcing you to remove it before it rots, poisoning the fish.  Heavy sands like pool filter sand (diatomaceous earth) works very well, though play sand and blasting sand are also popular.  Unless you have fish that like a high pH and hard water, avoid calcium bicarbonate based sands like crushed coral or dolomite.

For cleaning, simply hover the siphon over the sand-- this will lift the lighter detritus, leaving the denser sand in the tank.

Answer 4

sand is better u can see the waste alot easier and no it wont block the filter just put the sand in first add the water slowly and let it settle then add ur filter and keep it 2" above the sand and here's a trick wen syphoning put ur finger over the end of the hose 2 limit the water flow 2just a heavy trickle and it will just suck up the waste

Answer 5

You will need a special filter that can handle the sand if you wanted sand. and as for teh syphon, well yeah the sand will go up it lol!

if you were looking at fish that needed sandy substrate try small gravel

:D