Using Sand for Aquarium Substrate I absolutely love sand in my aquarium. I started off with gravel but within a couple of years migrated across to sand and now would never go back to gravel. Many fish actually prefer sand, some fish actually require it for natural spawning behavior. Many of the lakes in Africa are all sand so it would make sense to use sand if you're keeping these type of fish. I think fish find sand easier to move around and it may actually reduce the risk of injury to their mouths as well. Some fish such as Jurupari, also known as Eartheaters sift the substrate, probably looking for tasty morsels, you can actually see the sand falling back through their gills, I think they would have a pretty hard time doing the same with gravel. There are quite a few readily available sands that people use in their aquariums. The most common is probably play sand, this is often sold in most building and hardware stores, it's typically used for sandboxes and in the building trade.

You also have Silica, also sold as blasting sand. There is also sand that is known as Black Beauty. This is actually iron slag and not sand, but people still use it quite often in their aquariums. Then you have Coral Sand, this is mainly sold in fish stores. Black Tahitian Moon Sand is also available fish stores.fish tank stones turning brown Before putting sand into your aquarium it's recommended that you give it a good clean. fish tank filter snapdealYou clean sand in very much the same way as you would gravel. fish tank heater for home brewUsing a reasonably large bucket, pour some sand into the bucket, don't put too much in, probably a quater of a bucket full of sand would be okay. Then add water and start swilling the sand around.

After two or three minutes carefully tip the water out of the bucket and if need be repeat the process until the water runs reasonably clean. You're never going to get the sand totally spotless, you just want to remove the worst of the dust. I would recommend you have between 1 and 1½ inches of sand in your aquarium. If you are adding sand to your aquarium with no fish than just pour the sand in and level it off once you're done. If you are swapping from gravel to sand then it's just a case of removing the gravel before you add the sand. The fish will be okay as long as you take it easy, however if you want to remove them whilst you carry out the process of removing the gravel then this will obviously mean you can work a little faster and will not need to worry about knocking them around accidentally. If you have got a good biological filter then you shouldn't have any problems replacing the gravel with sand. However your gravel will actually hold some beneficial bacteria so if you haven't got a particularly large filtration system you may want to take some of your existing seeded gravel and put it in a media sack, or even some pantyhose and place it near the filter intake.

It doesn't have to stay there very long, maybe a week or two, your biological filter should catch up perfectly okay. Many people ask whether it's possible to change from gravel to stand, or vice versa. There's no need to strip the whole tank down if you want to change substrate. It is however rather time-consuming, especially if you have a large aquarium. Simply remove all the substrate and then just replace it with the new substrate. However, put it in carefully and make sure that you switch your filters off if you are replacing the gravel with sand as you don't want it damaging the impeller which drives the filters and pumps. Having said that, good quality filters should be able to handle a little sand getting inside. It's also a lot easier to carry out this procedure if you remove half of the water from the aquarium. Many people seem to have a problem when it comes to cleaning sand. What you got to remember if you don't clean sand in the same way you clean gravel. Because sand particles are that much lighter than gravel, shoving your gravel vac directly into sand will probably result in you sucking loads of it straight up the pipe.

I have found there are two ways that you can successfully clean sand using a gravel vac without sucking it all out. One way is to hover just above the sand so you don't actually suck it all up. Because most of the crap and debris lies on top of the sand you can easily remove most of the debris without removing the sand as well. Another way I have found of cleaning sand without sucking it all out is to actually angle your gravel vac rather than pushing it perfectly into the substrate. It might take a little bit of practice before you get to it off to a fine art but once you master it you'll find cleaning sand is an absolute doddle and takes half the time it does cleaning gravel. browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Click here to find outStep 1: Information to KnowStep 2: Scout Out a LocationStep 3: Lets Buy! Main Equipment.Show All ItemsStep 4: Lets Buy! Gravel Etc.Show All ItemsStep 5: Setting Up the TankShow All ItemsStep 6: ChemicalsShow All ItemsStep 7: Fish!

Show All ItemsStep 8: Caring for FishShow All ItemsStep 10: Enjoy.Show All ItemsGloFish Aquarium Gravel, 5 lb, Pink/Green/BlueThe type of substrate you decide on will have big effect on how much time you’ll need to spend on its maintenance. Our guide will ensure you stay on top of what’s on the bottom. WORDS: NATHAN HILLA couple of weeks into owning your set-up, you’re probably looking at the bottom of your layout and thinking ‘that doesn’t look right…’Different types of substrate need different approaches when it comes to cleaning. If you’ve gone for bleached white sand under a barrage of intense lighting, you’ll probably need to be in there, sifting away daily. If you’ve gone in for a planting substrate, you might never clean it, once. Here’s how to deal with some of the more readily available substrates out there.Planting substratesControversial, but if you have a tank decked out with high-end, high cost planting substrates like ADA Powersand, you either know what you’re doing or you’ve made a big mistake. 

Planting substrates are mainly designed to trap and slowly release nutrients to plant roots, and often come pre-loaded with food — that means ammonia. The moment you start trying to rake through them, you release those nutrients into the water column, and that in turn will lead to an outbreak of algae. How to clean themBefore going in the tank: Usually you don’t!Once in the tank: Some aquascapers suggest removing a section of the substrate every few weeks or months, and cleaning before replacing. My own advice is to run a gravel cleaner about an inch above the surface of any exposed parts, so that you lift any waste without disturbing the substrate itself. Pros Heaving with nutrients and perfect for almost all kinds of plant growth. Cons Useless for burrowing catfish or excessively dirty tanks. Limited choice of colours and grain size. Often tends to have a slightly acidic (and rarely alkaline) influence on water chemistry.Fine natural gravelSome modern aquarists might be a bit sniffy about this ‘outdated’ substrate, but it still has its place — by which I mean it is a total breeze to clean. 

Gravels, and most famously the classic ‘Dorset pea gravel’ became a hobby staple during a time when tanks relied on undergravel filtration. Subsequently they have found themselves on the fringe of fashion, but many tank owners still persevere! How to clean itBefore going in the tank: Rinse thoroughly to remove any fine dust. A sieve is fastest, if you blast around 1 or 2kg at a time under a coldwater tap, shaking and swilling like chips in a fryer. Alternatively, place into a bucket and stir continuously while applying running cold water and letting the bucket overflow. Ensure the water is running off clean before draining and adding to the tank.Once in the tank: Use a gravel cleaner with syphon to draw water out of the tank and plunge the gravel cleaner deep into the gravel at the same time. The water will lift the gravel, swill and rinse it, then when the gravel cleaner is lifted it will drop back out. A battery or air powered vaccum will do a similar job, but less effectively. You’ll need to do this at least every two weeks, though weekly is considerably better.

Monitor how dirty the gravel is each time and adjust as needed.Pros The easiest gravel to clean by a mile. Inert in freshwater, rarely causes a slight alkaline elevation.Looks good in many settings.Hides obvious small particles of waste from view.ConsAwful rooting medium for most plants.Can harm catfish bristles and burrowing species.Improper cleaning will lead to nitrate spikes and disease hotbeds.Silver sandSilver sand is the choice for numerous biotopes, as it’s similar to substrates found in lakes and rivers the world over. It can be bought in almost any aquatic store, and similar looking substitutes like playpit sand are available where it isn’t. Despite some detractors claiming potential gut or gill problems associated with using it, it remains one of the most popular modern substrates going. How to clean itBefore going in the tank: Slowly, slowly is the key here. Place around 5–8cm depth in a bucket at a time, and stir continuously and vigorously while flushing with cold water.

Note, this stage may take a long time, but you need to be thorough as it is hard to remove sand dust once it is in the tank. Don’t try putting it in a sieve as you’ll lose the lot!Once in the tank: A gravel cleaner and syphon will just lift the sand out of the tank, though you can use that to your advantage. When particularly dirty, it may pay to remove some sand with a hose this way and rinse it as though going in the tank for the first time — just be careful to limit this to 25% of the total sand, in order not to disrupt filtration. Personally, I like to gently rake my fingers through silver sand on a weekly basis, allowing any muck to lift and drop back down to the surface. Then using a syphon hose, I skim just above the surface of the sand, removing the deposits. This method will result in a fractional loss of sand, which is cheap enough to replace as needed. Great for catfish whiskers and fish that burrow.Almost always inert, doesn’t affect chemistry.Many plant roots love it.

ConsCannot be used for deep substrates as it can turn anaerobic.Can look dirty very quickly.Can find its way into filters easily.Excitable fish may stir up a tank into a sandstorm.Strong filter flows may move it, leaving craters and sand drifts.Coloured gravelsLove them, hate them, ignore them, but coloured gravels are often part of the appeal for a new fishkeeper. Not all coloured substrates are the same, either in size, quality or durability, so even cleaning for the first use can be a disappointment.Before anything, get some of your proposed gravel, put it in a jug with some water, give it a couple of days and test for ammonia. Some coloured gravels are reported to leach ammonia compounds, and if they do, I’d personally bin them — or you can soak them until it goes away. How to clean themBefore going in the tank: Rinse gently in a colander or sieve under gently running tapwater. In many cases, some of the colour will run off, leading the aquarist to panic and stop rinsing. You need to keep going until the water runs clear, but do be gentle!

The same problem will arise if placing the gravel in a bucket and stirring while gently flushing. Note that some gravels come coated in a resin that will hold in the colour, and for these you can be vigorous, though paradoxically they’ll be amongst the cleanest out of the bag. Once in the tank: Gravel cleaners and syphons will need to be used at least weekly to keep coloured gravel clean. The lighter the colour, the quicker algae will start to smother it, and you may find that white gravel only lasts one or two days before needing syphoning again. Be particularly careful with black gravel as it can harbour a lot of solid waste without you noticing, and may turn your tank into a ticking time-bomb of sewage.ProsPretty, if you like that sort of thing. Easy enough to clean once in place.Cons Some fish will freak out over bright substrates.Some types may contain ammonia sources.Colours may bleach over time.Coarse grains will affect catfish and burrowing fish.Can get dirty very fast.Coral sandCoral sand has a limited use these days, being restricted to marine set-ups, and hardwater tanks (usually African).

It’s actually the product of fish that eat corals, and pass the tiny coral ‘sand’ fragments out in their faeces. Because it is riddled with calcium carbonate, it will make soft water hard, and subsequently alkaline. Never be inclined to use it in acidic tanks!How to clean itBefore going in the tank: Place around 5–7cm of sand in a bucket and flush with cold water while stirring vigorously. Ensure all the sand is turned over as you do this. When the water eventually runs clear, the sand is ready for use. Once in the tank: Use a gravel cleaner and syphon weekly or fortnightly and clean as though you would fine gravel (see previous page). In between syphoning sessions, waste from the surface can be removed with a battery powered gravel vacuum, or by wafting a fine net above it and lifting out any waste.ProsActs as a buffer in hardwater tanks.Fine enough for some burrowing species such as eels.Very attractive in the right setting.Cons Intense light will cause algae growth.Useless in acidic and softwater tanks.

Some grades can be very dusty initially, requiring prolonged cleaning.Fine particles are sometimes implicated in gill problems in some fish.Top tips for healthier substratesNever leave the roots of plants behind when extracting them, as they’ll decompose and churn out nitrates. Rather than pulling plants out, try digging them out. When cleaning substrates before adding them to your tank, use cold water instead of hot. Some substrates can give the illusion of cloudy run-off water when hot water is used, when in reality they are clean. Microbubbles may be a culprit hereUse nets to remove uneaten food and debris rather than letting it settle on the base.For marine tanks, lay your sand out thinly on a tray and run over it with a powerful magnet before use. It’s rare, but occasional metal fragments in substrates are not unknown. The joy of snails! While poorly managed snail populations can become epidemics, having a few Malaysian trumpet snails among the substrate can help turn it over and prevent stagnant patches.