what else can I use instead of gravel for my fish tank?

Question

Atm have gravel rock but im looking for something that helps keep the tank cleaner and when it comes time to siphon it is easyier to filter the waste out of the bottem.

why have anything at the bottom of the fish tank?

Answer 1

I don't know how muche easier it would be to clean, but you could use sand. Gravel is kind of pointy, pebbles might work better. The kind that are river washed so they are all round and smooth.

Answer 2

To be honest, whatever you put in other than gravel is gonna be harder.

If your gravel is rough, try getting a smooth kind.

Sand will be harder to syphon than gravel, as will marbles.

I don't know if this will work for you, but in breeding tanks many people glue a thin layer of sand to the bottom of the tank. However, if you have any bottom dwellers such as catfish, plecs or loaches I wouldn't recommend this.

Answer 3

Gravel is a standard substrate, but you're right, it does tend to collect waste at the bottom, making it very difficult to remove... Sand looks much cleaner, and can be MUCH cheaper... Sand also compacts, allowing detrius to collect on top of it, often being picked up by the filter. If you are gonna use sand, do NOT use play sand... it is very dusty and clouds the water even after a number of washings... If you want sand, use pool filter sand (diatomaceous earth). You can get 50 pounds (enough for a 55 gallon tank) for about $25 at any pool supply store... To remove the waste from the top of the sand, use a siphon (without the vacuum attachment) to hover above the sand, removing detrius, but not sand... Because sand compacts so tightly, it often becomes anaerobic in areas (where there is no oxygen). In these anaerobic areas, bacteria decay waste, producing hydrogen sulfide, which is toxic in large quantities. To prevent this from building up, each month, poke around in the gravel to oxygenate it. A great way to help you oxygenate is to add Malaysian Trumpet Snails. They reproduce rapidly, but you will rarely see them as they burrow around in the sand, naturally aerating it (they will NOT replace your maintenance or manual aeration). Contact me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: Marbles are a horribly idea for substrate because they make it very difficult to clean as they allow waste to get very deeply imbedded in them...

Answer 4

either decorative gravel or small rounded pebbles.
You can get sand but it will all suck up when you siphon
You can get colored glass pieces but they are too big to siphon and you wont get any gunk out.
You could try marbles. If you can get the tiny ones they should be fine, not sure about regular size, might be too big

Answer 5

Do not use layers of coloured Marbles. They are not actually marble at all and are actually made of a glass waste biproduct which leaches toxins into the water and can cause long term ailments in fish.

They also form abnormally symetrical layers with tiny gaps inbetween which trap food and wastes which rot down without being broken down by the filter and bacteria.

If you use sand, use playpit sand from a toy store, which is thoroughly rinsed, or better still buy silver sand from a pet store, again rinse it well. The only issue with sand is that using a syphon will suck it out of the tank. The grains are not heavy enough to stay and you end up sucking the whole lot out with the water. Its better to just stir up the sand a bit with your fingers, then use the syphon to suck up the debris off the surface, trying not to take too much sand with it.

Another alternative is to use fine grade particle pea gravel which is three times the size of sand grains, and is naturally rounded as it is collected from river beds. It holds plant roots well, is soft and moves about like sand and can be picked up by fish and spat back out without problems, and can also be used with a syphon as it does not get sucked up, but churns itself around in the syphon, releasing dirt.

Answer 6

Wash some stones that you get from a lake or stream bed and use them. I used to collect them from different lakes and streams. It's free and you can collect many different shapes and colors. When you wash them use a brush and water only, no soaps or detergents.

Answer 7

I was going to say live sand, but you want something easy to clean, and marbles would be your best bet.

Answer 8

Use marbles. They are smooth and since glass pose no problems to the fish or water.

Answer 9

I use small white pebbles, you should keep them small because they filter better.

They are available at all pet stores.

Answer 10

different color marbles work great in my daughters fish tank , they give it color and lots easier to clean