FishProfiles.com Message Forums

i have a couple fish that like to burrow and a pleco that likes to eat the lrft overs of my fish what would be better,
for referance the burrowing fish are my peacock eels and my banjo cats.

Sand is better in a lot of situations, and most fish would appreciate it, not just your burrowing fishies.

Sand comes with special considerations, however. It needs to be 'raked' at least once a week to get fresh water moving through it, so it doesn't stale and produces anaerobic bacteria that will foul the tank.

When you vac it, you can't get too close, or you're gonna suck it up. You kinda hover over it and let it come off the bed.

Also, the filter intake has to be moved up off the bottom of the tank or you'll shred your impeller and clog the filter.

All that in mind, it just takes a little bit of extra effort, but it's worth it.

Crazy_Coyote,

Your listed options are actually not mutually exclusive. You could cover most parts in the back and sides of the tank with gravel (for your plants) and the front section with sand (as a playground). I was considering this option myself when deciding how to lay out my tank, but in the end went all gravel.

If you have any interest in doing so, you could use a cardboard that outlines the border between gravel and sand and then fill the individual areas with the respective substrate.

Hope this helps,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

i went sand a little while ago, never looked back! IMO it's easier to keep taking into account the considerations mentioned above... i don't rake my sand, but i have MTS to do that for me

also i think it looks nicer!

Id go with sand over gravel, in a relatively hygeinic situation there are less large gaps between the particles of sand than gravel , meaning much less potential for detritus to be caught in the gaps. Sand is much better for giving most plants good footholds and will help prevent fish from uprooting them.

Im not big on sand and gravel areas in a tank as what typically happens is that the gravel and sand become eventually dispersed and trying to keep the two substrates seperated can be a hassle. Often the gravel will eventually cover the sand, especially if you use a gravel vac. Make sure whatever you choose that the sand isnt abrasive and the gravel isnt too sharp. Sometimes a combo of a thinnish layer of sand and a few large pebbles can be good, as it provides both burrowing and browsing areas.

Bear in mind that your choice of source for either gravel or sand may chemically affect ph and water quality.