Can I Just Add Sand To My Gravel?

I have a gravel bottom tank and was recently told I need more plants in my rank and I am not fond of silk plants. Can I just mix sand in with the gravel for the plants or can I grow in just the gravel? Or total tear down and redo? I have read so many conflicting things I'm lost..I read gravel os harder but do able..please help with your experiences!

 

Plants do fine in both sand or gravel, except they both inert which can lead to adding root tabs to keep some plants happy. If you want, you can mix them but ultimately the sand falls to the bottom, while the gravel stays on top.

 

You can, but it will do exactly what was mentioned above.

 

Adding sand to a full tank is tough. Removing gravel is easy by comparison. If your gonna add sand why not just remove the gravel first?

 

Adding sand to a full tank is tough. Removing gravel is easy by comparison. If your gonna add sand why not just remove the gravel first?

Ok I know this sounds stupid but it is because I like the color of the gravel

 

Ok I know this sounds stupid but it is because I like the color of the gravel

Not stupid at all. You can stick with it. Plants do fine in gravel.

 

Dave said it........you can do either or.....plants do fine as long as they have light and food aka liquid frets and or root tabs.

Your doing fine don’t doubt your self!!!!!

 

I would put the betta in a bag for a while if you're going to put in any sand.

 

Yes you can! I combined sand (for looks), gravel (for color) and active substrate (for live plants)

 

Yes you can! I combined sand (for looks), gravel (for color) and active substrate (for live plants)View attachment 509709 View attachment 509710

Oooooo prettys!!!! I like that!

I would put the betta in a bag for a while if you're going to put in any sand.

Thank you!! I am going to put him in his little bowl for Quarantine and will do the tank then

 

Adding sand to a full tank is tough. Removing gravel is easy by comparison. If your gonna add sand why not just remove the gravel first?

I don't intend on hijacking the thread, this just interested me... may I ask why its tough to add sand? That's something I was thinking of doing in the next couple of weeks.

 

I don't intend on hijacking the thread, this just interested me... may I ask why its tough to add sand? That's something I was thinking of doing in the next couple of weeks.

Changing substrate is tough altogather. If you plan on leaving the fish in your gonna get ammonia/nitrate spikes. Then there's the cloudy water. If you leave the filter running it will get clogged with sand.

I remove my fish first. Completely drain the tank and set it back up as if it were new. Either way you do it it's no easy job with a large tank. Even the small tanks can take a few hours.

 

I would just change the substrate plants are a nightmare in gravel when you vacuum the gravel it will up root the plants and tear them up.

You could try these I have used them before in gravel and had decent results.

 

I remove my fish first. Completely drain the tank and set it back up as if it were new. Either way you do it it's no easy job with a large tank. Even the small tanks can take a few hours.

ok ok, that makes a lot of sense thankyou, I do prefer to err on the side of caution so this changes my entire plan

Thank you as well Ann Daniel for asking a question I didn't think of

 

if you are adding sand just to have plants I would say don't even bother, plants do well in gravel and adding sand would be a lot of work unnecessarily honestly.

 

if you are adding sand just to have plants I would say don't even bother, plants do well in gravel and adding sand would be a lot of work unnecessarily honestly.

I actually wanted to hide the aquarium stone things that came in my tank, a nice coloured sand or gravel I feel would be way better than the white stones I have but I think if I'm taking fish ect out then I'll completely remove the stones instead of just hiding them

 

I don't intend on hijacking the thread, this just interested me... may I ask why its tough to add sand? That's something I was thinking of doing in the next couple of weeks.

Hijack away I wanna know too lol

 

what about adding sand to like....a small corner of the tank...I have eco complete and i'm curious about putting a beach in for the fish... purely for looks. is this possible without disrupting the whole ecosystem? dumb?