Bettas and sand

I have a small "lake" of sand in my tank. I would like to make my tank all sand but I am a bit worried about Patton (my betta) eating it and dieing. I have cories in the tank with Patton and I think that sand would be better for the cories.

<---- This is Patton

My brother has a 30 gallon with all sand and I love how it look and my mom is slowly make her tank all sand too.

When I first got him he did nibble it once but I have not seen him do it since then.

What do you think,will Patton be OK?

 

Sarah, my white female died from eating EcoComplete that was like a sand type substrate. They cannot digest it for sure and it will constipate them and they cannot pass it and I am not sure that peas will be enough to work it through them. I would seriously suggest getting it out of Patton's tank if he has been noshing on it. It will eventually be very bad for him if not fatal. I am sorry to put this out there like that but it is not a good death and hard to watch so I do not want this to happen to you both.

Rose

 

I wouldn't recommend sand for a Betta tank. They're just too curious.

 

I went ahead and took the sand out.

Thanks for the advice.
O and Patton LOVES his peas.

 

Good for Patton! Most bettas do love them when you can get them to try them. They are so funny sometimes and won't try them, but when they do, they go ape for them.

I love it when they think it is candy and it is good for them....

Rose

 

yeah, Patton ATTACKS the dropper when I feed him peas.

 

I love when they attack the baster!

 

I've seen it mentioned in a couple places that you should'nt use sand with Bettas, but it didn't mention why.

So I guess my question would be.........why ?

 

People have report sand causing constipation issues with betta's. We all know the little porkers learn pretty quick to hunt around in the gravel for any extra treats that might have sunk there. The sand is small enough that they can eat it to and they aren't quite as well adapted as bottom feeders to filter it out.
At least that's my understanding of it.

 

Yep they tend to eat the sand along with whatever goodies they find on the sand.
Carol

 

Thanks for the answers,

I was kind of toying with the idea of redoing one of the betta tanks with white sand, and would never have thought about them eating it.

Better to find out now before any damage is done.........x

Randy

 

I've seen it mentioned in a couple places that you should'nt use sand with Bettas, but it didn't mention why.

So I guess my question would be.........why ?

I keep both of my bettas with TMS - never been a problem.

 

I keep both of my bettas with TMS - never been a problem.

Glad it's working for you. Bet the bettas look good against it.
I believe we have had several here die from eating the sand so the Bettas would have to be watched closely in my opinion.
Carol

 

Glad it's working for you. Bet the bettas look good against it.
I believe we have had several here die from eating the sand so the Bettas would have to be watched closely in my opinion.
Carol

I feed floating food though, so it's not often they are feeding off the bottom.

 

I feed floating food though, so it's not often they are feeding off the bottom.

AHH I imagine that would make a difference.

 

I was going to say...none of mine (males or females) pick off the bottom at all. If feed floating food as well, but some does fall to the bottom just from the current of the filter and such. My female guppies I have with the female bettas will pick off the bottom, but the female bettas just stare at them like "That is beneath us!" and stick their noses in there air. I have weird fish, though.

 

I have sand in my tanks with my Bettas. To tell the truth I like it much better than gravel. I bought a giant bag of sand and I don't want to not be able to use it now because my Bettas might eat some of it and die. I try to mostly feed my Bettas through a syringe, so they are used to coming to the syringe for food. I rarely just dump food into their tank. I hope this means that since I'm feeding them this way that I can keep the sand. It is so much a easier for a tank with live plants. When I used gravel the plants kept uprooting. I'd really like to keep the sand for this reason also. My Bettas have been in a tank with sand for a few months now and nothing has happened. That doesn't mean anything won't happen, and I'm still worried. And I don't want people attacking me and telling me that I've done a horrible thing by keeping them in a tank with sand. Thanks

 

Your bettas should be fine with sand. I have two bettas with sand as the substrate. It's easier on their fins which can get caught in gravel and tear them.

 

+1 to the above

That and, honestly, in the end sand is easier to clean fish poop out of (as you know), but no, you are safe since most aquarium sand sold is far softer and easier on fins then the gravel. I just recently converted some of mine over to sand and I'm loving it a lot more then the old gravel they had.

 

Thanks so much. I was worried because I saw a post about how they shouldn't be kept with fine substrates. Everyone has their opinion I guess. I love the sand though. It's so much easier. It's a pain when siphoning though I always end up sucking sand down the tube

 

I have a mostly sand substrate, with some gravel in there. I like the sand too, and haven't had any issues with my Bettas trying to eat it. I do have the same problem with siphoning though, thankfully not too much gets sucked up.

 

Yeah sand is hard that way. Thanks for responding. Sometimes people on this forum make me feel so bad but this time has been good. Thanks for the reassurance

 

You can reduce the amount of sand sucked up if you don't put the siphon tube into the sand. Hover it about an inch or so above the substrate and you should have less issues!

 

Thanks. I'm so used to going deep into the substrate from using gravel, since so much stuff gets stuck under it. I wish I could have sand in with my ADFs, I probably could but again, eating sand is an issue with them.