Setting up a tank with sand

I am upgrading my 10 gallon and 20 gallon to a 100 gallon tank and want to make sure I do it right and cost effectively. I have lots of live plants in my 20g. I used smooth river rock with that ugly red flourite stuff. I am planning on using sand in the new tank. Do I need to have some plant substrate under the sand, if so which kind is cheapest? Can I get away with using supplemental tabs? I use flourish tabs and they really helped my plants. I am thinking of using pool filter sand because I can't seem to find any of that quartz around where I live or online to buy. If you know of a place please let me know.

 

I don't know much about plants, but I used pool filter sand in my 55 gallon. It looks just like a beach and I love it! It is also course enough that you can vacuum it without sucking it up. Here's a picture of my tank


That is an old picture. I have a background now, and there are no fish in there right now either. The rest is pretty much the same though.

 

That looks great! Where did you get your rocks?

 

That does look great! I would love to use sand in a tank, but I always worry about the cleaning part of it. I'm paranoid it's gonna be a disaster, like when those glass stones would get stuck in my vacuum.

 

Thank you! pink mermaid That is actually petrified wood, and I found it on a backroad in a ravine type thing. Really my siblings found it. They were going around picking all this up and we were like "Really, what are you going to do with it?" It sat in a box until I remembered it when setting up my tank. So it didn't go to waste after all.
Shellebelle This type of sand really is no problem at all. You can run the vacuum over it and even if you stick the vacuum right into it, most of it still falls back down. Very easy, and it doesn't get dirty stuff stuck in it like gravel.

 

I will be using Pool filter sand as well, but I am using dirt under the sand for live plants.

 

I was going to do that to but after several hours researching I found that it's fine to plant in sand as long as you use a supplement to feed the roots.

Has anyone else done that? I read it on planted tank and massive fish.

 

That is what I am going to do in my 55 gal is just use sand for now but it will be planted.

 

I put in black diamond blasting sand. It looks real cool. It was 8 dollars a 50 lb bag. It took a long time to clean 150 lbs of that stuff. You can get it at tractor supply.

 

I use dirt as well did not want to spend all that money on root tabs Miricle grow organic potting mix is only 6 $ a bag and lasts for years

 

My sand is in and it looks awesome! I'd rather buy root tabs than deal with layering substrate. I thought about using dirt too but I love the sand look. My fish are going to be so happy in their new home.