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ok i have this idea of making a sandbox and put it on my 40 gallon tank, i'll make it about an inch deep and a 12"long &6"wide. i wondering if this would work since i don't want to use sand as a substrate, the rest of the substrate on my tank is fine gravel.
what do you guys think?

This will probably not work since the fine sand would sift between the larger gravel and disappear to the bottom of the substrate, possibly compacting and causing anaerobic pockets. It could possibly work if you created an actual box to sink into the gravel and then fill it with sand, but that would stop water flow underneat the box, which could cause a stagnant area that would be just as troublesome.

In some aquascapes, I've seen a path or river of sand through an otherwise gravel substrate, and it it usually edged with large pieces of wood or rock. That might work, but the sand would have to go all the way to the glass below, and cleaning the sand and the gravel around it could be quite a pain.

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I agree 100% it will not work at all as adventually the sand will filter through the substrate and could cause problems with substrate. Also sand is known to do some damage to filtration systems especially the impellers.

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there would be a plastic border so the sand and gravel won't mix together.

Will there be something under the sand to seperate it from the gravel?

Otherwise, it still wont work

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