Gravel/Sand or nothing? (What is your preferred freshwater substrate?)

I plan on adding alot more male guppies later once my guppy has fry. I currently have mixed blue gravel and i dont feel like the tank gets 100% clean when i use the hand pump gravel vacumm. would sand be cleaner? Would maybe getting a sump system help? Im new to all of this and want my freshwater fish to have the cleanest tank possible every week. I have a breeding tank with no substrate and it allways is the cleanest of course. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated!

I have a 30 gallon community tank with the following:
- 2x Male Orange Cobra Guppies
- 1x Male Blue Dumbo Guppy
- 2x Emerald Cory Catfish
- 2x Panda Cory Catfish
- 1x Male Veiltail Blue Betta
(Fish listed so you can keep them in mind when answering this question)

 

I would do sand!

with sand you
- don't have to worry about it getting lodged in a fish's mouth
- poop rests on top, so it easy to get to
- it gives the fish something to play with (no substrate may make the fish feel a bit unprotected)

 

with sand you
- don't have to worry about it getting lodged in a fish's mouth
- poop rests on top, so it easy to get to
- it gives the fish something to play with (no substrate may make the fish feel a bit unprotected)

Well doesnt sand get caught in high flow filters?
And would a hand pump tear up the sand/water when i clean? Thats my biggest concern is when i go to clean how messy/hard is it going to be.

 

gravel has room for the debris and stuff to get in making u have to deeply gravel vac often. i base my substrate on what i intend to do with the tank and whats in it. with breeding i have bare bottom but with most fish that dont sift thru or dig into the sand ill put gravel in. u have to beware with sand tho bc wheb undisturbed it can build up pockets of air that have bits of waste decaying and it can be deadly for ur fish

Well doesnt sand get caught in high flow filters?
And would a hand pump tear up the sand/water when i clean? Thats my biggest concern is when i go to clean how messy/hard is it going to be.

u should be fine i dont see that being a problem honestly

 

gravel has room for the debris and stuff to get in making u have to deeply gravel vac often. i base my substrate on what i intend to do with the tank and whats in it. with breeding i have bare bottom but with most fish that dont sift thru or dig into the sand ill put gravel in. u have to beware with sand tho bc wheb undisturbed it can build up pockets of air that have bits of waste decaying and it can be deadly for ur fish

yeah-with sand i would suggest raking through it once every other week

 

I want to plant underwater grass and have sand. But i dont feel i know the proper care for that and would kill it.
I feel sand looks much nicer in the end because you can use it in freshwater or saltwater.

yeah-with sand i would suggest raking through it once every other week

Like with a little underwater rake? xD

 

I want to plant underwater grass and have sand. But i dont feel i know the proper care for that and would kill it.
I feel sand looks much nicer in the end because you can use it in freshwater or saltwater.

u cant just put like normal grass in water and it will have a hard time rooting into the sand. u could do a gravel bottom and asand top. u can put mesh over the gravel so it doesnt get too mixed together and the plants can root

Like with a little underwater rake? xD

just ur fingers will do

 

Like with a little underwater rake? xD

lol XD
I clean it out with my special trident lol XD
but fingers work!!

 

lol XD
I clean it out with my special trident lol XD
but fingers work!!

See my biggest problem here is i want it to be allways clean. Does a sump filter do that with an all sand bottom?
Or would i have to clean it regularly with my hand pump to keep it immaculate?

 

display tank = sand
breeding tank = bare

 

See my biggest problem here is i want it to be allways clean. Does a sump filter do that with an all sand bottom?
Or would i have to clean it regularly with my hand pump to keep it immaculate?

so i saw this thing on youtube where he had a bare bottom with a water pump blowing all of the waste into the filter which brought all of the waste to the basket where he had pothos which i thought was neat

 

display tank = sand
breeding tank = bare

I want sand, but when you go to use a hand pump wouldnt the pump steal the sand and think its waste or something?

 

so i saw this thing on youtube where he had a bare bottom with a water pump blowing all of the waste into the filter which brought all of the waste to the basket where he had pothos which i thought was neat

i have a display tank with gravel and it looks amazing imo. (ignore the sponge in the middle)

 

so i saw this thing on youtube where he had a bare bottom with a water pump blowing all of the waste into the filter which brought all of the waste to the basket where he had pothos which i thought was neat

that is genius!!

 

I want sand, but when you go to use a hand pump wouldnt the pump steal the sand and think its waste or something?

no it typically doesnt really suck up sand. look up videos on how to gravel vac/clean sand in an aquarium and it will show u

 

no it typically doesnt really suck up sand. look up videos on how to gravel vac/clean sand in an aquarium and it will show u

Awesome. I might have to try out sand sooner or later.
Cause eventually im going to venture into saltwater fish and sand is a must!

 

I want sand, but when you go to use a hand pump wouldnt the pump steal the sand and think its waste or something?

I must have enough flow that I never have to clean my sand, it never gets very dirty. I'm also glad my filter doesn't suck up any of the sand either.

 

I must have enough flow that I never have to clean my sand, it never gets very dirty. I'm also glad my filter doesn't suck up any of the sand either.

im sorry what? u donthave to clean ur sand?

 

I must have enough flow that I never have to clean my sand, it never gets very dirty. I'm also glad my filter doesn't suck up any of the sand either.

See i want a tank like that. Regular filters cant do that with guppies and bettas in the same tank

 

this is an amazing sand- because

basically it’s clay ground to a sand-like consistency. But unlike regular sand, this clay is able to provide nutrients to your plants. (Without making a perpetually cloudy mess of your tank’s water like a fine-particle clay or dirt would.)
Another benefit is that the stuff doesn’t ever compact like dirt, which can make it difficult for some plants to root properly.
Flourite sand is a much smaller grain size than regular Flourite, which is more similar to gravel.
also...
It never needs to be replaced because it doesn’t break down over time!

I am in love with this sand, lol

 

this is an amazing sand- because

basically it’s clay ground to a sand-like consistency. But unlike regular sand, this clay is able to provide nutrients to your plants. (Without making a perpetually cloudy mess of your tank’s water like a fine-particle clay or dirt would.)
Another benefit is that the stuff doesn’t ever compact like dirt, which can make it difficult for some plants to root properly.
Flourite sand is a much smaller grain size than regular Flourite, which is more similar to gravel.
also...
It never needs to be replaced because it doesn’t break down over time!

I am in love with this sand, lol

I killed my plants because i didnt give them nutrients. I might have to check that out.

 

I killed my plants because i didnt give them nutrients. I might have to check that out.

yeah plants need nutrients too lol. root tabs r nice (i dont use them) but i do use easy green by aquarium co op i highly recommend

yeah plants need nutrients too lol. root tabs r nice (i dont use them) but i do use easy green by aquarium co op i highly recommend

thing i never understood abt the fluorite substrates is how they always r able to provide nutrients theoretically it cant be an infinite supply? so like how is it able to be marketed as giving nutrients to the plants when it only has nutrients that last so long yet doesnt need to be replaced

 

Clean sand is good, but you don't have to do a REALLY deep clean. A weekly hover vac is sufficient, and little bits of poop leftover is normal(can't 100 percent get rid of it). Unless you find it ugly, theres no need to aggressively clean the sand.

 

I killed my plants because i didnt give them nutrients. I might have to check that out.

please do!!! It is AMAZING!!! i have a goldfish who munches on the plants 24/7 and I couldnt get my plants to live until i tried this

 

yeah plants need nutrients too lol. root tabs r nice (i dont use them) but i do use easy green by aquarium co op i highly recommend

See i was being stingy cause i just spent $500 on a freshwater setup and a breeding tank setup.
Maybe when i have some savings again i might splurge on some fancy plant sand and tank decorations. Im hesitant to even spend $60 on a sunken ship right now... lol

please do!!! It is AMAZING!!! i have a goldfish who munches on the plants 24/7 and I couldnt get my plants to live until i tried this

Yeah my guppies love to eat my plants also. But i was not giving them any nutrients, so the plants likely died from that...

 

See i was being stingy cause i just spent $500 on a freshwater setup and a breeding tank setup.
Maybe when i have some savings again i might splurge on some fancy plant sand and tank decorations. Im hesitant to even spend $60 on a sunken ship right now... lol

haha totally agree with u i spent so much money on these dang fish so now im taking it VERY easy haha

 

See i was being stingy cause i just spent $500 on a freshwater setup and a breeding tank setup.
Maybe when i have some savings again i might splurge on some fancy plant sand and tank decorations. Im hesitant to even spend $60 on a sunken ship right now... lol

60 on a ship?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? i get stingy if anything is above 20 dollars T-T my pets make me broke lol. I mainly fashion my plants in certain manners lol

 

60 on a ship?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? i get stingy if anything is above 20 dollars T-T my pets make me broke lol. I mainly fashion my plants in certain manners lol

I want to make homeade tank decorations, i thought about getting some kids water toys and spiffing them up lol!

 

im sorry what? u donthave to clean ur sand?

yer. heres a typical pic, the sands never been cleaned.

 

thing i never understood abt the fluorite substrates is how they always r able to provide nutrients theoretically it cant be an infinite supply? so like how is it able to be marketed as giving nutrients to the plants when it only has nutrients that last so long yet doesnt need to be replaced

i am very sorry if i use the wrong terms, but from what I remember ---- they absorb certain chemicals from water and spew out the things that are helpful for plants-i think it is an automatic process-so it can continue forever.

DONT TRUST ME-I AM PROBABLY WRONG

 

I want to make homeade tank decorations, i thought about getting some kids water toys and spiffing them up lol!

wouldnt recommend that bc the plastics or whatever they use in it typically rnt fish safe. honestly some of the decorations ppl sell for fish tanks rnt supposed to go in there

i am very sorry if i use the wrong terms, but from what I remember ---- they absorb certain chemicals from water and spew out the things that are helpful for plants-i think it is an automatic process-so it can continue forever.

DONT TRUST ME-I AM PROBABLY WRONG

hahahahaha idk man its confusing. i have fluorite in one of my tanks, gravel tho

 

I want to make homeade tank decorations, i thought about getting some kids water toys and spiffing them up lol!

Unless you research a lot about the plastic and chemicals beforehand, I would suggest using your own wood and rocks as a cheap alternative. Ofc, if u r doing wood and rocks, there are things you need to do to make sure they are tank-safe. i can send some sites if you want

 

Unless you research a lot about the plastic and chemicals beforehand, I would suggest using your own wood and rocks as a cheap alternative. Ofc, if u r doing wood and rocks, there are things you need to do to make sure they are tank-safe. i can send some sites if you want

can u send some for me too look at?? i could totally be in the market for some wood and rocks lol

 

can u send some for me too look at?? i could totally be in the market for some wood and rocks lol

totally-gimme a sec....

Test Outdoor Gravel and Stones Before Using Them in an Aquarium

Safe & Unsafe Rocks to Use in an Aquarium

10 Best Rocks for Freshwater Aquarium Reviewed & Rated 2020

if u need some more- please ask! i am sending some good links for wood in a sec...

Adding Rocks and Wood to Your Freshwater Aquarium | RateMyFishTank.com

this one is a thread that has a lot of helpful answers:
Is it possible to treat "Found" wood to be safe for the aquarium? | Driftwood 156092

How to Find and Prepare Driftwood for Your Aquarium

again, if u would like some more links, please ask!!!

 

I have beautiful light gold sand(see Monterey beach) that I love. The sand is round beaded and the fish forage in too. My flow is strong enough that the majority of detritus is blow away and a rarely vacuum.
I also have different varieties ofgravel that I like too. Gravel is easier to keep plants in then sand. I’ve picked gravel from our local beaches so I have several different kinds and sizes.
I prefer a sand and gravel combo that accents the landscape of the tank.

 

Adding Rocks and Wood to Your Freshwater Aquarium | RateMyFishTank.com

this one is a thread that has a lot of helpful answers:
Is it possible to treat "Found" wood to be safe for the aquarium? | Freshwater Beginners 156092

How to Find and Prepare Driftwood for Your Aquarium

again, if u would like some more links, please ask!!!

thanks so much i will check them out tmrw

I have beautiful light gold sand(see Monterey beach) that I love. The sand is round beaded and the fish forage in too. My flow is strong enough that the majority of detritus is blow away and a rarely vacuum.
I also have different varieties ofgravel that I like too. Gravel is easier to keep plants in then sand. I’ve picked gravel from our local beaches so I have several different kinds and sizes.
I prefer a sand and gravel combo that accents the landscape of the tank.

yeah!!! tried mixing fluorite red gravel and sand. doesnt look too good

 

- 2x Emerald Cory Catfish
- 2x Panda Cory Catfish
(Fish listed so you can keep them in mind when answering this question)

Those guys would prefer sand.

 

Black Diamond Blasting Sand.

 

I'm a sand and BB (as in bare bottom) kind of guy

 

Sand would be better for cory's