To Keep Or Not To Keep Sand Substrate?

Hey all! So I have a 6 gallon with a betta and soon will be putting in my nerite snail that is in qt right now. I’m using caribsea supernaturals moonlight sand as my substrate but I’ve been accumulating green algae on my sand (I’m keeping the lights on for a bit longer intentionally to provide more algae on the glass for the snail).

I have tried to siphon out some of the algae on the sand to no avail so I’m thinking of changing it to smooth river rock gravel instead.

What do you all suggest? Should I keep the sand and hope that the nerite will clean it up or should I just take it out and use gravel? OR should I switch the white sand out for black and forgo the gravel? The only problem with black sand is that 1) it may make my tank look smaller and 2) I can’t seem to find fine grained sand like caribsea moonlight (I have heard their black sand contains lead so not sure about that).

I love the fact that everything sits on top of the sand but I’m hating how algae and debris is accumulating and turning my white sand into a murky tan color. I did a water change today and siphoned up as much algae and debris as I could as well as turning the sand some with a skewer stick but it’s still not clean.

 

Is this your betta? I remember the thread!! Did you ever pick a name? I think you should keep the sand, in my opinion, it looks great!! I also hear that gravel really is a pain in the neck.

 

Is this your betta? I remember the thread!! Did you ever pick a name? I think you should keep the sand, in my opinion, it looks great!! I also hear that gravel really is a pain in the neck.

Hahaha yes! That’s my betta! We named him Salem (actually my grandma did). He’s so cute, I can’t even stand it!

I am forcing myself not to change out the sand. I know that once I change it, I’m going to hate the gravel because of all the siphoning however, the amount I’m siphoning out now is ridiculous. I’m constantly removing sand that has algae on it. I just don’t know how to stop algae from growing all over my sand and turning it into a disgusting mess while growing enough algae on the glass and rocks for the nerite to consume. I heard turning the sand that has algae is really bad as it can decay and cause detritus worms (had that once in black flourite gravel and it was soooo disgusting... I told myself that I’d never use that again).


Here are some photos of my little dude... his personality is something else. He’s got a double face going on right now. My mom calls him Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde because one side looks like he’s mean (blue eye side) but his other side (black eye side) looks like he’s smiling lol

 

You do have a nice looking tank. Its been my experience that white substrate tends to wash out the fish colors, and show every speck of detritus.
I have a thick bed of small grain natural river gravel mixed with small grain white quartz gravel in my main tank. It does great.

 

You do have a nice looking tank. Its been my experience that white substrate tends to wash out the fish colors, and show every speck of detritus.
I have a thick bed of small grain natural river gravel mixed with small grain white quartz gravel in my main tank. It does great.

Thank you! It was a pain to scape (I have a love/hate relationship with my Fluval edge). And agreed 100% about the sand. However, I feel like the white really brings my Bettas colors to life because he’s mostly red and black with some blue going on (he’s a koi so it’s fun to watch him morphe into a different color pattern). I feel like if I were to change it to a darker substrate, his red coloring will be the only thing that pops but at least it will keep all this disgustingness disguised.

May I see a photo of your substrate? It sounds like something I’d love!

 

Salem is a Cutie! So funny Dr.Jeckyl/Hyde for sure. I hear you. Tank 1 is gravel, Tank 2 is sand. If only the fish wouldn't poop, etc.

Cycling sand tank now. Can't wait to get in there and syphon soon as week 2 is up! Or sooner if possible. Added water from Tank 1 so there is more on top of the sand than just the 2 new fish are producing. I think my next tank will be white/light sand again (or gravel) haven't decided. I do like the look. At least with the gravel though it hides at the bottom. Sand in tank 2 is for Kuhli's an frogs. All the best to you!

 

These are pics of my main tank with the noted gravel substrate.

 

Nice!

 

Just keep the white sand there's no need swap it out

 

These are pics of my main tank with the noted gravel substrate.

WOW! I love it!!!! This makes me want to change sand to something like this but I’m forcing myself not to do it. I’m crossing my fingers that this nerite will clean up the sand but I doubt it will. They’re notorious for cleaning rocks and glass but not sand (or so I’ve heard).

Salem is a Cutie! So funny Dr.Jeckyl/Hyde for sure. I hear you. Tank 1 is gravel, Tank 2 is sand. If only the fish wouldn't poop, etc.

Cycling sand tank now. Can't wait to get in there and syphon soon as week 2 is up! Or sooner if possible. Added water from Tank 1 so there is more on top of the sand than just the 2 new fish are producing. I think my next tank will be white/light sand again (or gravel) haven't decided. I do like the look. At least with the gravel though it hides at the bottom. Sand in tank 2 is for Kuhli's an frogs. All the best to you!

Thank you. Same to you! Since you have both, which do you prefer?

 

Unsure. Just put the sand in Tuesday night!? Not sure to laugh or cry. Also planning on Nerite and have been keeping blinds open to get some algae started for our future snail in new tank. It does a great job on the other gravel tank. So good I had to start opening the blind some to get some algae going again. Will see. I think so far I like them both for different reasons. My sister told me she has some in a tank and the filter kicked it up enough that it didn't stay on the bottom too much. Sadly my filter was so powerful (and probably because it's a 20 long and only 12 high) it was blowing craters in the sand. I had to place it so the overflow would spill onto a tall rock tower to keep the sand down. Ugh the things you learn by doing.

 

hi, I know nothing about the algae and whatnot, but oh my goodness salem is such a cutie. he has a beautiful tank, too. i'm quite fond of that white sand.

 

Unsure. Just put the sand in Tuesday night!? Not sure to laugh or cry. Also planning on Nerite and have been keeping blinds open to get some algae started for our future snail in new tank. It does a great job on the other gravel tank. So good I had to start opening the blind some to get some algae going again. Will see. I think so far I like them both for different reasons. My sister told me she has some in a tank and the filter kicked it up enough that it didn't stay on the bottom too much. Sadly my filter was so powerful (and probably because it's a 20 long and only 12 high) it was blowing craters in the sand. I had to place it so the overflow would spill onto a tall rock tower to keep the sand down. Ugh the things you learn by doing.

My lights give off enough to get algae. I think because my tank is so small, it grows pretty quickly. I’ll scrape it off and it will be back the next day. This is why I decided to get a nerite. I have gravel in my qt tank. I used that gravel 3 years ago with my previous betta. When I adopted an adf, I switched it to white sand and black flourite (for the plants). I like the gravel as it has some iridescent flecks but it’s not smooth and I don’t think my nerite will enjoy it much in the long run. Thankfully I don’t have an issue with my intake sucking up sand (that I know of or can see)... it just pushes it around so I’ve laid out rocks on the areas that moves the sand around and that has stopped my sand from getting pushed to the sides. I also put a shrimp mesh intake guard to keep my Bettas fins from getting sucked up. I used to use an intake sponge but that never sucked up debris. It just made the sponge get clogged faster.

Keep me updated on your preference of sand or gravel later on when you’ve had the sand for a bit. I’d love to hear your input on it as I have been using it for years and this is the first time I have had algae growing on it (thanks to my external lighting).

hi, I know nothing about the algae and whatnot, but oh my goodness salem is such a cutie. he has a beautiful tank, too. i'm quite fond of that white sand.

Aw thanks doll! I found him at petco! Sometimes you find gems there like my boy! I love him to pieces.

 

I love your tank
don't change it!!!
Looks like a gorgeous zen garden. There's not anything I would change (except maybe plopping in a couple more java ferns, but I'm a messy b)

 

I love your tank
don't change it!!!
Looks like a gorgeous zen garden. There's not anything I would change (except maybe plopping in a couple more java ferns, but I'm a messy b)

Thank you. I have two Anubias in my qt and I’ll be transferring that over when the snail is good to go. My java is growing... waiting for it to dislodge from the mother plant or loosen up enough for me to remove and attach it to the driftwood. I just hate the algae and detritus on the sand. I don’t know what else to do besides siphon it up along with removing some of the sand that is full of algae. Don’t want to use harsh chemicals to kill it off as I’m purposefully letting algae grow for snail food. I just wish it wouldn’t grow on my sand! So annoying.

 

Me personally on my quarantine tank I have white pool sand but larger tank pea gravel and flourite. I can't imagine how much work the sand must be for constant vacuuming. My gravel never gets vaccumed and looks great. I don't even have fish Iin the small quarantine sand tank and you can see ever little speck. Glad I never used white sand but your tank overall looks great and I love your fish.

 

Hahaha yes! That’s my betta! We named him Salem (actually my grandma did). He’s so cute, I can’t even stand it!

I am forcing myself not to change out the sand. I know that once I change it, I’m going to hate the gravel because of all the siphoning however, the amount I’m siphoning out now is ridiculous. I’m constantly removing sand that has algae on it. I just don’t know how to stop algae from growing all over my sand and turning it into a disgusting mess while growing enough algae on the glass and rocks for the nerite to consume. I heard turning the sand that has algae is really bad as it can decay and cause detritus worms (had that once in black flourite gravel and it was soooo disgusting... I told myself that I’d never use that again).


Here are some photos of my little dude... his personality is something else. He’s got a double face going on right now. My mom calls him Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde because one side looks like he’s mean (blue eye side) but his other side (black eye side) looks like he’s smiling lol
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That is so cute!! And funny!! I just can’t stand the cute little guy!! Is he a plakat betta? And is a plakat betta, also a koi betta?

 

Absolutely keep the sand your tank looks amazing and so does your betta!!!. A nerite or 2 with a turkey baster sending the loose particles towards your filter will make quick work of the Algae issue. Honestly you didn't have to keep lights on to promote it as the nerites would have found plenty to eat in there. may want to drop the light time down a lil and add another couple plants so they out compete the algae... Godd Luck!!!

 

Thankfully I don’t have an issue with my intake sucking up sand (that I know of or can see)... it just pushes it around so I’ve laid out rocks on the areas that moves the sand around and that has stopped my sand from getting pushed to the sides. I also put a shrimp mesh intake guard to keep my Bettas fins from getting sucked up. I used to use an intake sponge but that never sucked up debris. It just made the sponge get clogged faster.

Wow thanks on all above! I may try the rock trick at some point. Again I think the 12 inch height is not helping there. Like the shrimp mesh idea too, because I do currently have an intake sponge which I have been leaving on/taking off depending on what's floating around.

 

That is so cute!! And funny!! I just can’t stand the cute little guy!! Is he a plakat betta? And is a plakat betta, also a koi betta?

Lol yes he’s a koi plaket. He’s starting to get that iridescent shiny blue you see in galaxy Bettas on his caudal fin. I’m excited to see how he changes throughout the months. Every day there is some type of morphe going on.

Wow thanks on all above! I may try the rock trick at some point. Again I think the 12 inch height is not helping there. Like the shrimp mesh idea too, because I do currently have an intake sponge which I have been leaving on/taking off depending on what's floating around.

Yeah the height isn’t helping you at all. Have you tried customizing your intake pipe? Some people buy another cheap pipe, cut the bottom to make it shorter or to get rid of the basket looking thing and attach a sponge or mesh to it. Maybe you can try getting one and cutting it so it doesn’t sit too close to the bottom of the tank. I purchased the mesh online on amazon but found it for a bit cheaper on eBay the other day.

I like this one because the bottom isn’t covered in metal like all the others I have found.

Absolutely keep the sand your tank looks amazing and so does your betta!!!. A nerite or 2 with a turkey baster sending the loose particles towards your filter will make quick work of the Algae issue. Honestly you didn't have to keep lights on to promote it as the nerites would have found plenty to eat in there. may want to drop the light time down a lil and add another couple plants so they out compete the algae... Godd Luck!!!

Thank you. Ah the turkey baster doesn’t help. I’ve tried doing that only for the debris to make their way into the rock caves which in turn makes more work for me because I have to undo those caves just to keep the debris moving. I have low tech plants consisting of java and Anubias. So far I have 6 plants in there with two more waiting in qt... even with 6, it’s still not enough. I used to leave my light on for 8 hours, I cut it down to 6.... at the rate this algae is going, I’ll probably never turn on my lights again lol

 

Nice idea! Thanks. I do have an extra pipe that came with the filter, so I could play around a bit.

 

No!! It needs a light!! Lol, my tank has a serious algae problem as well, just try to keep the lights on, for only 6-8 hours a day, and it should stop the algae grow, have you though about just removing the top layer of sand?

 

No!! It needs a light!! Lol, my tank has a serious algae problem as well, just try to keep the lights on, for only 6-8 hours a day, and it should stop the algae grow, have you though about just removing the top layer of sand?

Yeah I’ve been cutting the lights back to 6 hours. It used to be on for 8 hours but reduced it because of this stupid green algae. And that’s exactly what I do. I try to swirl the siphon above the sand but sometimes I have to remove the top layer of the sand because the algae is so stubborn. At this rate, I won’t have any more sand left lol. Ugh.

Nice idea! Thanks. I do have an extra pipe that came with the filter, so I could play around a bit.

You’re welcome. I’ve experimented quite a bit and found that placing rocks and using the mesh is a better option. In your case, I’d cut the pipe to leave a few inches between the end of the pipe and the bottom of the tank, then insert a mesh cap and put some flat rocks right underneath it and on the sides to stop your sand from shifting around.

Here is the way I did it. I no longer have sand pushing to the sides. My intake is also about 3.5 inches from the bottom so it doesn’t suck sand up into the motor

 

I use a giant plastic syringe with a filler tube on the end, the kind used to fill several test tubes. You can get them on Amazon and it works great. I have the black CaribSea substrate for my three nerites and it can get messy. I can maneuver the tube around the bottom, into the tiny spots and then a gentle pull on the plunger and it sucks up the mess while the substrate falls back out because it's so heavy.

Your little guy is adorable!

 

If you do want to change to a darker substrate I'm a fan of Black Diamond Blasting Sand at $7.99/50 lbs. I have it in my planted tanks; you can see one in my profile pic. Paired with a black background, it really makes fish and plant colors stand out. It's cheap, inert, safe for bottom-dwellers, doesn't show waste or algae, and looks nice.

But I think your tank looks great as is. If you're looking to change something you might consider a cheap background, which would hide cords behind the tank and help camouflage equipment inside the tank. You could tape up construction paper or a garbage bag behind the tank to see if you like the aesthetic.

 

Oh my gosh your betta is adorable! I say keep the sand. my nerites cruise on my sand as much as they do the glass so they will get it!

 

I use a giant plastic syringe with a filler tube on the end, the kind used to fill several test tubes. You can get them on Amazon and it works great. I have the black CaribSea substrate for my three nerites and it can get messy. I can maneuver the tube around the bottom, into the tiny spots and then a gentle pull on the plunger and it sucks up the mess while the substrate falls back out because it's so heavy.

Your little guy is adorable!

Thank you!

You know, I wish I didn’t have a permanent top lid on my tank. I’m tempted to remove the glass top off my Fluval edge just so I can get into every nook and cranny like everyone else. I’m going to look into that syringe. Thanks for the idea!

If you do want to change to a darker substrate I'm a fan of Black Diamond Blasting Sand at $7.99/50 lbs. I have it in my planted tanks; you can see one in my profile pic. Paired with a black background, it really makes fish and plant colors stand out. It's cheap, inert, safe for bottom-dwellers, doesn't show waste or algae, and looks nice.

But I think your tank looks great as is. If you're looking to change something you might consider a cheap background, which would hide cords behind the tank and help camouflage equipment inside the tank. You could tape up construction paper or a garbage bag behind the tank to see if you like the aesthetic.

Thank you! I have a Fluval edge so there are no cords showing as it’s housed in that white box behind the glass in the middle of the tank. I was thinking of using blasting sand but heard it’s not as fine grained and soft... is that true?

Oh my gosh your betta is adorable! I say keep the sand. my nerites cruise on my sand as much as they do the glass so they will get it!

Ok that makes me feel a bit better... I wasn’t sure if the nerites would eat it off the sand... as you can see I’ve accumulated a lot debris on my sand, especially in the corners where I can’t reach. It’s why I purchased the snail in the first place. A couple of people told me that they wouldn’t eat anything off the sand bed so I started to worry about my choice of purchase after the fact lol.

 

Ok that makes me feel a bit better... I wasn’t sure if the nerites would eat it off the sand... as you can see I’ve accumulated a lot debris on my sand, especially in the corners where I can’t reach. It’s why I purchased the snail in the first place. A couple of people told me that they wouldn’t eat anything off the sand bed so I started to worry about my choice of purchase after the fact lol.

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I have white sand in mine and the only places I get build up is actually underneath along the glass if that makes sense.

 

TheBettaSushI Nice. Thanks for the pics! I will try something. However the bigger issue is the outflow. That's what created the crater. So that's where the "rock" tower is - water hits it before hitting the bottom of the tank. I am guessing more rocks would help. Will see. Of course any changes need to be approved by the Master of the Tank.

Glad to hear about the snail. I heard the same and maybe also that the sand is nicer/less potential for damage for them? Planning to get one as well after cycle finishes.
Hope that snail helps you!

 

TheBettaSushI Nice. Thanks for the pics! I will try something. However the bigger issue is the outflow. That's what created the crater. So that's where the "rock" tower is - water hits it before hitting the bottom of the tank. I am guessing more rocks would help. Will see. Of course any changes need to be approved by the Master of the Tank.

Glad to hear about the snail. I heard the same and maybe also that the sand is nicer/less potential for damage for them? Planning to get one as well after cycle finishes.
Hope that snail helps you!

Ah I had the same exact problem... my outflow... I too had to build a rock tower... that’s why the rocks in my tank are in the middle as I can’t move the filter anywhere else but in the middle thanks to the Fluval edge design. My uses for this tank are limited. I had to baffle my filter too so I ended up having “craters” towards the back of the tank near the heater and intake but the rocks I put there (in the photo) completely stopped my sand from shifting.

Let’s hope this nerite cleans the entire house from top to bottom lol

I have white sand in mine and the only places I get build up is actually underneath along the glass if that makes sense.

Yeah it does that’s pretty interesting. I get buildup everywhere. Especially in places where I, or a turkey baster can’t reach.

 

Ah I had the same exact problem... my outflow... I too had to build a rock tower... that’s why the rocks in my tank are in the middle as I can’t move the filter anywhere else but in the middle thanks to the Fluval edge design. My uses for this tank are limited. I had to baffle my filter too so I ended up having “craters” towards the back of the tank near the heater and intake but the rocks I put there (in the photo) completely stopped my sand from shifting.

Ha how deceiving. Your tank is so pretty. One would never suspect some of it was due to problem-solving! Well done!

 

Thank you everyone for all of your help. Looks like majority rules and I’m going to keep the sand... for now... and hope that the snail will clean it up.

Now I have another problem... if you all could help me out with that, Salem and I would greatly appreciate it.

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/threads/great-i-think-i-have-worms.401014/#post-4099410

 

Thank you. Ah the turkey baster doesn’t help. I’ve tried doing that only for the debris to make their way into the rock caves which in turn makes more work for me because I have to undo those caves just to keep the debris moving. I have low tech plants consisting of java and Anubias. So far I have 6 plants in there with two more waiting in qt... even with 6, it’s still not enough. I used to leave my light on for 8 hours, I cut it down to 6.... at the rate this algae is going, I’ll probably never turn on my lights again lol

Hi. great tank and really cute Betta.
I had a similar issue with my tank and the tan algae and eventually put it down to a Diatom Bloom. It was much worse than your problem so it may not be that but it's worth a thought. I had to manually clean everything each water change for about 6 weeks until it died away.
Also I noticed you have that green hairy algae which can be a pain if you let it get out of hand. If it's not there for the snail I'd scrub it off before it gets into the plants.
I'm pretty new to this so I could be totally wrong but as they are problems I've had in my tanks I thought you may want to look into it.

 

I once added some IALs for a leaf litter. I let them disintegrate and it left this organic matter attached to the sand. It was almost impossible to clean and I ended up totally removing the top layer.

I'll just suggest if you wanted to mask the algae on the sand, you could add a sprinkle of pea gravel. The pea gravel is a larger granual size so it stays on top IME.

But as mentioned, the nerites will get it!

 

Hi. great tank and really cute Betta.
I had a similar issue with my tank and the tan algae and eventually put it down to a Diatom Bloom. It was much worse than your problem so it may not be that but it's worth a thought. I had to manually clean everything each water change for about 6 weeks until it died away.
Also I noticed you have that green hairy algae which can be a pain if you let it get out of hand. If it's not there for the snail I'd scrub it off before it gets into the plants.
I'm pretty new to this so I could be totally wrong but as they are problems I've had in my tanks I thought you may want to look into it.

Hi. Thank you and yes I’m leaving the algae on purpose for the snail to eat it off the glass and the plants. The tan looking thing on my substrate is debris. I’m pretty sure it’s left over remnants of cholla wood or the driftwood that’s in there now and is starting to disintegrate. I can’t physically get to because of the way my tank built. The top of my Fluval edge doesn’t come off. There is a really small opening to get one hand in at a time... so imagine trying to clean the corners of the tank. I have a love/hate relationship with this tank. I will say though, getting green algae off of sand is just as bad as getting diatoms out. This is why I purchased a snail lol

I once added some IALs for a leaf litter. I let them disintegrate and it left this organic matter attached to the sand. It was almost impossible to clean and I ended up totally removing the top layer.

I'll just suggest if you wanted to mask the algae on the sand, you could add a sprinkle of pea gravel. The pea gravel is a larger granual size so it stays on top IME.

But as mentioned, the nerites will get it!

Won’t the pea gravel just accumulate algae on that too? As long as the nerite gets it off the sand and keeps everything clean, I’m ok with it.

 

Hi. Thank you and yes I’m leaving the algae on purpose for the snail to eat it off the glass and the plants. The tan looking thing on my substrate is debris. I’m pretty sure it’s left over remnants of cholla wood or the driftwood that’s in there now and is starting to disintegrate. I can’t physically get to because of the way my tank built. The top of my Fluval edge doesn’t come off. There is a really small opening to get one hand in at a time... so imagine trying to clean the corners of the tank. I have a love/hate relationship with this tank. I will say though, getting green algae off of sand is just as bad as getting diatoms out. This is why I purchased a snail lol

Omg if you ever got a pleco, you'd see crazy wood debris! I guess that's why I have a sprinkle of gravel!

Not a sprinkle. I meant one darker or colored piece here and there, but it sounds like you worked it out

 

Omg if you ever got a pleco, you'd see crazy wood debris! I guess that's why I have a sprinkle of gravel!

Not a sprinkle. I meant one darker or colored piece here and there, but it sounds like you worked it out

I wish!!!! I’ve always wanted a pleco (and other cool looking fish) but I just don’t have space and don’t plan on getting a bigger tank because I just don’t have the room for it. So for the time being, my little 6 gallon will do. Thankfully, it hasn’t been hard keeping it balanced for the 3 years that I’ve been in this hobby. Some people have a tough time keeping their parameters stable because of having such a small tank. I hope I didn’t just jinx myself lol.

I’ve heard that snails chomp on driftwood... is that true?

 

I wish!!!! I’ve always wanted a pleco (and other cool looking fish) but I just don’t have space and don’t plan on getting a bigger tank because I just don’t have the room for it. So for the time being, my little 6 gallon will do. Thankfully, it hasn’t been hard keeping it balanced for the 3 years that I’ve been in this hobby. Some people have a tough time keeping their parameters stable because of having such a small tank. I hope I didn’t just jinx myself lol.

I’ve heard that snails chomp on driftwood... is that true?

Oh maybe they do, idk? Plecos do for sure! My 5.5g is stupid stable. Been going for more than 7 years, maybe 10! My trick is a soil base substrate and lots of plants. Lots of plants alone can obtain a similar result. But yeah, my large tanks are even more stupid stable.

 

Oh maybe they do, idk? Plecos do for sure! My 5.5g is stupid stable. Been going for more than 7 years, maybe 10! My trick is a soil base substrate and lots of plants. Lots of plants alone can obtain a similar result. But yeah, my large tanks are even more stupid stable.

That’s what everyone says... “the bigger the tank the more stable and less maintenance it will be”. I just don’t think it’s true from my experience alone. As long as you keep up with weekly pwc (I do 30% every Sunday), keep live plants (I have 6 plus two more in qt), and keep a light feeding hand, there shouldn’t be any problems.

I’m debating on whether or not I should let the snail out of qt as it will be two weeks on Sunday... I want to see if what people say about snails eating driftwood is true.

 

I guess it's all relative. I have more bioload in my large tanks. If I can fill my large tanks with enough plants to match bioload, then it's the same. Just harder to fill up a larger tank. There are ways to work around that too though, like using emersed plants. I guess a large tank will maintain a more constant temp, but ime, I change just as much water sometimes as my smaller tanks depending on params.