Thread: Gravel or Sand
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Old August 19th 06, 11:37 PM posted to rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc
Nikki Casali
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Posts: 10
Default Gravel or Sand
wrote:
Hi All,

A friend is setting up a fresh water tank he has been given. It's tall
rather than long and fits in a corner unit. He's not sure weather to go
for sand or gravel at the bottom of the tank. What are the pro's and
cons? Is sand easy clean?

Go with fine gravel and you have the best of both worlds. If you have a
planted aquarium, it isn't absolutely necessary to vacuum because all
the waste eventually becomes fertiliser. I have sand in all my planted
aquariums because I find plants easier to root and sand won't damage
delicate roots. Large gravel traps food and waste, requiring deep gravel
cleans. With no plants to aerate a sand substrate, pockets with no
access to fresh, oxygenated water can become anaerobic (as mentioned by
the other poster) and give off poisonous gas.

Nikki