2007-02-21 13:00:01 · 13 answers · asked by butterfly 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
i have tiger barbs and a red fin shark
2007-02-21 13:12:47 · update #1
Yes you can. It won't decompose, it won't clog your filters, it does hold bacteria and I have to agree with bleed on this one, a vet?
Back to the question. I will warn you, it is verydifficult to "Clean". a typical gravel siphone, and I am sure anyone with a sand bottom in a tank will agree, will suck up a lot of sand. it isn't easy at all to clean. It will also swirl around your tank when you add your new water unless you are very careful.
Unless you are ready for extra maintenance, go with a river rock or regular gravel.
Remember if you go with sand, 1" in the front moving to 2" at the rear, it won't stay this way especiall after a water change. Putting more than 2" of sand can lead to bad bacteria collecting in air pockets.
2007-02-22 03:20:04 · answer #1 · answered by danielle Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can use sand, but.. it will be almost impossible to clean the tank without losing lots of sand each time.. so you would have to continually purchase more. using sand will not hurt your fish. also..sand will NOT decompose. there are many places where sand occurs natually in freshwater..the fish are fine.. someone else said there are advantages and disadvantages and this is correct. its true sand probably cant support as many helpful bacteria as rock but..if you have good filter media this should be a problem. im actually interested in sand aquarium myself..it makes a beautiful tank. you may want to consider...if you have a powerful filter and a shallow tank you may have a constant swirl of sand.. using sand will also depend on tdhe size of your tank.
2007-02-21 15:38:42 · answer #2 · answered by old wise one ;) 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't know what the heck kind of vet the person above me is...
Sand is great for aquariums. Especially if you have any catfish or loaches. Make sure you put the sand in an empty aquarium and let it settle overnight before you turn on the filter, that way you don't damage your filter.
2007-02-21 13:06:56 · answer #3 · answered by fish guy 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
sand is not recommended due to filteration problems, and sand does not oxidate well, so beneficial bacteria does not harbor in the sand. I believe salt water aquariums you can put sand in, but I dont recommend it for a fresh water aquarium.
2007-02-21 13:56:55 · answer #4 · answered by aNna 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sand makes a good substrate for certin types of fishes, but like any other substrate it has it's advantages and disadvantages. So yes, you can use it, but I would say unless you have certain types of fish that would benefit from it just go with basic gravel.
MM
2007-02-21 13:08:57 · answer #5 · answered by magicman116 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
yes you can. however it is harder to maintain. if you feed your fish with live/frozen/wet food then it might not be a good idea as it is messy. you should not use coral sand either as that alters the water qualities.
2007-02-21 16:53:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes u can but put lik an inch high because if its to low fish might not like it
but some fish like gravel like aggresive fishi like gravel gentle fish like sand.but if u have a mixture use thin rock smal gravel that looks like sand
2007-02-21 13:09:18 · answer #7 · answered by gce 360 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Make sure you boil the sand first.
this will remove any silica, and or bacteria in the sand that will mess with the ph and kill the fish..
2007-02-21 13:07:29 · answer #8 · answered by grant k 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No. Sand instantly begins to decompose as soon as the most minute droplet of water touches it. I would highly advise using something more practical.
2007-02-21 13:16:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
well i prefer not to cause the cleaning part is a headache.if u want u can.it will be beautiful and the fish may like it.
2014-12-28 20:17:35 · answer #10 · answered by Seon Martin 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋