ryan herbst

hi i have a 30 gallon and is hoping to buy a 75 gallon. Would sand or gravel be better. And if i get sand, what fish will stir it up enough to keep gas pockets away, and what snails can i use thx

ryan herbst

oh and hoe can i prevent gas pockets from happening

gmen4life

what type do you want?

pepetj

Hy ryan:

Sulfuric gas pockets are a natural phenomena ocurring in the anaerobic (oxygen deprived) spots in our tanks. A needed one to keep healthy tanks, as far as I know.

The "right" choice for substrate depends on the type of fish you intend to keep (e.g. shell dwellers) among other variables as going planted and in some cases even the type of filtration used (e.g. Under Gravel Filter).

That said, a very shallow substrate, say under 1" thick, is not likely to produce sulfuric gas pockets in sand but is likely going to create more problems than not (e.g. hosting large colonies of potentially harmful aerobic bacteria that could take your tank by surprise -happened to me twice).

I don't like using gravel since a lot of organic solid waste ends up trapped within it. Here the problem might not be sulfuric gas but methane gas (which can accumulate under hollow decor). Regular gravel vacuum and/or reverse flow UGF address this problem that is, as with the previous scenario of thin sand layer, maybe more dangerous than sulfuric gas pockets.

Malaysian Trumpet Snails are good substrate diggers and seem to aid in keeping gas pockets in check. I believe some bottom dwellers aid in this as well (e.g. corydoras, loaches).

Occasional stirring of the substrate also works to prevent this phenomena to get out of hand. In non planted areas, or areas with somewhat mid or large sized rocks I do this every two or three months.

Keeping plants with dense root systems is another way (my favorite method since I love planted tanks).

Pepe
Santo Domingo

quinton webb

i have gravel in my new tank but I'm also not sure about the size, what is the best size to prevent faeces and food becoming trapped and how do you keep it clean

Sam Livingston

Yea very much depends on what kind of fish you plan to take. I have sand because kept dojo loaches in my tank and they enjoy burrowing and also have no scales. My brackish tank was also sand because I had puffers in there. Mussels and clams are great for keeping sand clean, i found them very cheap on ebay. I moved all my snails to a gravel tank because they had hard time moving in sand.

Nutter

Not a huge difference between gravel & sand. IMO the decision should really be decided by what livestock you want to keep. If you have things like Khuli Loaches, Corys or Shelldwellers, then sand is definitley the go. On the other hand if the fish you want to keep don't require a sand substrate then gravel is perfectly acceptable. You do have to do slightly more maintainance with sand but it's not too bad once you get the hang of it. I like using gravel with a 3mm diameter for planted tanks because I don't need to worry about anerobic conditions forming as much as with sand & because liquid or powdered ferts can much easier penentrate gravel than sand which compacts much more. The minerals from fertilizers applied directly to the substrate will spread more easily through the sand substrate though. Then again the mulm that gathers between the gravel is good for the plants as they will utilise it for the nutrients that it contains. Plants with fine root systems can get a better hold in sand & the roots penetrate sand easier than they do gravel. All in all it really just comes down to personal choice for the aquarist or is defined by what fish the aquarist wishes to keep.
Giving the sand a gentle stir right down to the bottom glass is about the best way to keep the gas bubbles at bay. Do this every week & you shouldn't have any problems. Khuli Loaches & Malaysian Snails are also good for helping stir through the sand. For ornaments that will trap air under them in the substrate, always make sure you turn them over as you put them in & let all the air pockets fill with water. If at all possible, drilling a small hole or two in a discreet place can allow gases to escape as they form.