# Sand vs. Gravel



## i love planted tanks (Apr 27, 2008)

i think sand is better for root systems of the plant and it is a lot easier planting plants.no you dont have to use just the stuff at the fish stores i use silica sand it is preety much roofing sand but it is completly safe for fish you can get this at home depot in the roofing area of the store and make sure to get the 30 gritt for only about $7 for a 100 pound bag just rinse it out in a bucket the water in your tank will get cloudy but will clear overnight or in 2 days. some people say that silica sand is not good to use as substrate but i highly disagree and my plant are lush and green and very healthy and so are my fish.....if you want i can post some pics of my sand substrate and of my tank to see how healthy everything is


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

sand works but if it too fine a grain it can be a real PITA. another option to play sand is pool filter sand it also comes in different colors


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## i love planted tanks (Apr 27, 2008)

the stuff i use is not powdery at all. the 30 gritt is perfect size not to big not to small/fine


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## thepresidentsdaughter (Aug 7, 2008)

Is this a viable choice for substrate? http://www.acehardware.com/product/...w=sand&parentPage=search&searchId=30334434833


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

thepresidentsdaughter said:


> Is this a viable choice for substrate? http://www.acehardware.com/product/...w=sand&parentPage=search&searchId=30334434833


What exactly is it?

Sounds kind of like mulch to me... in which case, no.

I'd certainly at least test it for a week or two in a bowl with some water to see what happens.


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## praxis5624 (Apr 2, 2006)

I have success using sand and small bit gravel. But remember smaller grit gravel for better root support. I recently purchased some colored quartz gravel black from Petsmart and will advise against it since the color has faded 50% in the last two weeks since it's set up.


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