# Sand VS Gravel Wich should I Choose????



## donrusso1478 (17 Feb 2009)

I am new to this forum and first of all I just wanted to say this is by far the best forum for planted tanks out there... I am getting ready to switch my tank to a planted tank. I have never done a planted tank before so I am completely new to all of this, I Have a 105 gallon tank it measures 48in Long 18in Wide and 30in tall. My light is ordered and being shipped i have my DIY CO2 reactor all i need basically do is start looking at plants. I used to have South American Cichlids in my tank 3 very large oscars a bunch of others needs less to say my nitrate levels are off the charts. I would like to start a planted tank and i was considering switching from gravel to sand. What would be the better choice for a beginner?


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## Ed Seeley (17 Feb 2009)

Both sand and gravel are inert and don't add any nutrients for the plants.  This is fine as long as your dosing is up to scratch so the plants don't run out of nutrients but you could use a substrate that will supply nutrients to the plants and IMHO the best of those is Aquasoil.  It is more expensive but a really great substrate.


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## donrusso1478 (17 Feb 2009)

Thanks for the advice... I have another question now I had considered using substrate but i was told i cant have fish in the tank if i do. My goal is to have a planted discus tank so should i not use substrate is i want discus in the tank?


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## Ed Seeley (17 Feb 2009)

That's probably advise from discus keepers who keep their fish in bare tanks for hygiene reasons.  Look at James's journal with discus in and see what you can do!!!  Just don't feed too heavily with things like beefheart (though I wouldn't use this to feed to any fish as it feeds saturated mammalian fats to fish that cannot utilise them properly) and keep on top of your tank maintenance.


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## a1Matt (17 Feb 2009)

Substrate and fish together are no problem.

Some substrates can introduce ammonia into the tank for a short amount of time when first added, so the advice could have been related to that.

It sounds like you do not currently have any fish in the tank and are setting it up from scratch. If this is the case you will be going through an ammonia cycle anyway which needs to be completed before adding fish.  So a bit of ammonia from the substrate will not make any difference to the startup process for you.


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## Dwarf-P. (1 Mar 2009)

if it were me, sand, as long as you have good filtration imo it will be clean and look better than chunky gravel


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