What Color Sand And Background For Cichlids

Whatsoever type of fish we go on, yet we determine to fix our aquariums, the one thing all of us more often than not agree on is that nosotros need substrate. Technically substrate is anything that covers the bottom of the aquarium.

The substrate can include gravel, sand, soil, crushed coral, crushed lava stone, laterite, dirt, and the list goes on.

For many of usa, aesthetic appeal (how the substrate looks) is the most important factor when choosing which substrate to use. Unremarkably, price is the next consideration. The funny thing about substrates is, that there are so many different substrates to choose from, and we all take a preference for something different.

In this article, I look at many of the different aquarium sands on the market, nigh of which I have used over the years, and I share my opinions on what makes them good, or in some cases bad.

Isn't Sand simply Sand?

This seems like a elementary enough question. Surely if it is sand, and so information technology is sand. Sorted!

However, the reality is in that location are different sands for dissimilar jobs. Some sands are fibroid, others are fine. Some sands have an effect on water parameters and some are totally inert. Some sands aren't even sand, they are fine, porous dirt gravel.

To have success with our sand substrate we need to make sure we pick the right substrate for the chore.

Best Sand Substrate for Aquariums

Below I look at 10 dissimilar types of sand that are suitable for aquariums.

1. Caribsea Super Naturals Sand

Caribsea Super Naturals Sand is probably my favorite aquarium sand. I have been using this sand for several years, and it works well in my African Cichlid tanks besides as a number of planted tanks.

Caribsea Super Naturals Sand comes in 4 unlike colors, Crystal River, Moonlight Sand, Dusk Golden, and Torpedo Beach. The grain sizes for these sands vary from 0.25mm to ii.0mm depending on which sand yous choose. Caribsea also supplies a range of gravels.

I currently use mainly the Super Naturals Sunset Gold. To my heed, it is the most natural-looking sand. The grains in Sunset Gold are not as fine every bit the Moonlight, merely they are still pretty small. Although I gave this sand a really good launder in a bucket before adding it to my tank, information technology did cloud the water, merely that cleared within about 24 hours or and then.

I accept used the Sunset Gold Sand in a number of different tanks, including some with plants, and the plants grew actually well. My Corydoras spend all twenty-four hours rooting around in it, and I accept a small group of Geophagus who are constantly sifting through the sand looking for things to consume. I am pleased to say my water remains clear even though the sand is being churned all mean solar day long.

The Caribsea range of sands is suitable for freshwater, marine, and brackish aquariums. They guarantee the sands will not affect pH or water hardness.

Caribsea Super Naturals Sand comes in 5-pound and 20-pond numberless. To give you some thought, a 20-pound purse volition give a 1″ (2.5cm) layer in a 29-gallon (109 liters) tank. You tin find out more than about how much substrate different size tanks will need in this commodity I wrote titled How much substrate does my aquarium need?

In my experience, Caribsea Super Naturals Sand looks corking and works well for planted tanks, however, information technology does make your water murky when showtime added.

2. Stoney River White Aquatic Sand

Whenever I desire to add bright white sand to my aquariums, Stoney River White Aquatic sand is the i I tend to go for.

The Stoney River White Sand is not the finest sand yous will e'er utilize. In my stance, the grains of sand are about the size of grains of salt. However, it does look astonishing when spread out in an aquarium. I have used this sand in a tank with black Angelfish and the contrast was stunning. I also use this sand with my blue Neocardina shrimp, again purely for the colour contrast.

Stoney River White Sand is manufactured by Estes who is one of the oldest manufacturers in the aquarium sand industry. They have been producing colored sands for the hobby for many years and their sands are used a lot past marine fish keepers.

This sand is suitable for both freshwater and marine fish tanks and in my experience information technology does non push the pH up.

I do take some plants growing in this sand, and equally far as I can tell they are all growing really well. The one downside with such vivid white sand however is that you can meet every piece of uneaten nutrient and fish poop that lands on the substrate. I am forever getting the hose out to siphon debris off the surface of this sand.

3. Seachem Flourite Black Sand

I dear Flourite Blackness Sand. I take used it in so many tanks. It merely looks stunning every fourth dimension. The great thing about using black sand is that it doesn't bear witness any of the poop! I have used this sand in a number of my Fantail Goldfish tanks, and they are messy fish, but with this sand, the substrate never looks dirty.

Seachem Flourite Black Sand isn't really sand, but rather a especially fracted stable porous clay gravel. This sand has been peculiarly developed for use in planted tanks, and in my feel, plants grow really well in it.

This sand has been developed specifically with the freshwater fish keeping hobby in mind, and it is non recommended for use in marine tanks. Information technology is naturally black and has not been coated or painted like some color sands.

According to Seachem, this is a production that does not dethrone over fourth dimension and does non demand to be replaced. Certainly, I have had it in some of my tanks for almost 10 years, and there is no sign of it breaking down.

1 thing to exist enlightened of when using Flourite Black Sand is that is a very dusty product. I plant information technology needs a lot of washing before you can use it. In fact, I spent an eternity washing saucepan load after bucket load. Even one time you place it in the tank, it seems to give dust off. However, I did find that my water cleared within a day or 2.

four. Landen Namale Aquarium Sand

Namale Aquarium Sand is another natural-looking sand that I take used in a few different tanks in my fish room.

The grains of Namale Aquarium Sand are a little coarser than some other sands, just this is good when information technology comes to planting. Even plants with strong root systems like Amazon Sword and Vallisneria can struggle to push their roots through very fine sane. I found my plants grew well in this sand.

As this sand is a natural product it hasn't been painted or dyed, which ways it never loses its color. Like and so many natural sands, however, it can suffer from algae growth if the light is as well bright. This problem can be overcome either past reducing the calorie-free or adding fish that disturb the substrate like German Blue Rams or Geophagus. Corydoras also seem to enjoy rooting around in this sand.

five. Pool Filter Sand

When it comes to bang for your buck, you can not beat pool filter sand. Compared to other aquarium sands, pool filter sand is actually inexpensive. I recently bought a 50-pound bag for less than $ten.

Pool filter sand has a actually nice natural colour, although it tin on occasions exist a little lighter than I might similar.

One of the major downsides to pool filter sand is the amount of cleaning it requires before information technology tin go into your tank. It tin take gallons of water to run through a bucket of pool filter sand before the water runs clear.

Ane of the other downsides I have found with pool filter sand is considering the grains are very fine, information technology does sometimes meaty, making it difficult for plants to grow in. Sands that compact can also exist harder to clean every bit they sometimes clump upwards with detritus.

The other major outcome with puddle filter sand is, that due to the small grain size, it can piece of work its way into the filters. If yous have fish that continually disturb the sand, pool filter sand has a tendency to get lifted up into the water cavalcade where information technology can exist sucked into the filter. This can clog your filter and also crusade additional wearable and tear on the filter impellor.

Pool filter sand does not touch h2o pH.

half-dozen. Aqua Terra Sand

This is another sand that looks really natural and is slap-up for using in planted tanks. I utilise this sand in some of my Shell Dweller tanks, especially my Neolamprologus multifasciatus. I besides apply Aqua Terra Sand in my Kribensis tank, and those guys are similar little bulldozers, always moving the sand around.

The grain size of this sand is neither fine nor coarse, information technology is somewhere in the middle, just it does tend to be adequately compatible. I take a number of different plants growing in this substrate, and they all appear to be doing well.

Aqua Terra Sand is made in the Us and does not alter the pH or chemistry of the water. I found this sand fairly cheap to buy. However, it but comes in 5-pound numberless, which is bang-up if you only accept a pocket-sized tank, but if you wanted to fill a 75-gallon with this sand, you will need dozens of bags!

One major positive I plant with this sand was that it really didn't need much cleaning. I done it using my regular bucket method, but I probably could have just poured information technology into the tank.

7. Caribsea Cichlid Mix

This is the second sand from Caribsea on my list, and it is one that I use in a lot of my African Cichlid tanks. This sand has been developed specifically with African Cichlids and other fish that similar their water hard with a higher pH. Caribsea Cichlid Sand volition aid increment and maintain both your pH and water hardness.

This sand is really closer to crushed shells and coral than sand. The grain size is larger than almost, typically coming in at between 4.0mm and 10.0mm.

In my experience, the shape, size, and color of the sand in this bag help recreate a really natural-looking tank. Certainly, my ain African Cichlids look proficient confronting it and they happily dig and root around in information technology with information technology clouding my water.

I believe using this sand has helped reduce the take a chance of the pH in my African Cichlid tanks dropping over fourth dimension, which information technology will do, particularly in overstocked tanks. Caribsea Cichlid Mix comes in 5-pound and 20-pound bags, and whilst it is non the cheapest sand on the market, to my mind it is worth the investment.

This sand does crave a lot of washing before it tin can exist used. I know others just dump it directly into their tanks and leave the filter to clean information technology up, just I'd rather spend an 60 minutes or ii washing it now and not have my filter clog upwards with debris.

8. Caribsea Fiji Pink Sand

Caribsea Fiji Pink Sand is fabricated from crushed aragonite. Aragonite is a naturally occurring, calcium-rich substance that is essentially derived from biological and physical processes, including precipitation from marine and freshwater environments.

Typically Caribsea Fiji Pink Sand is used by marine fish keepers thanks to its power to help recreate natural marine conditions including stabilizing pH and raising hardness levels. Personally, I use this sand in my African Cichlid tanks and with some of my other fish that similar hard water environments like guppies and mollies.

It is said that this sand helps add beneficial bacteria to aquariums, even so, I take never really noticed any deviation using this sand compared to other sands.

One important aspect to exist aware of if you lot have acidic water is this sand will dissolve over time as the acidic water breaks it down, albeit slowly.

In my experience, although this sand is called 'Fiji Pink' it definitely seems to be virtually white in colour. I followed the communication and didn't wash this sand before adding it to my tank (apparently washing it in water that contains chlorine will kill the alive leaner contained within the sand) and I accept to admit it did non requite off much fine dust.

Caribsea Fiji Pink Sand is a little more spendy than some of the other sands on my list, but if upkeep is of import, yous can always place a base layer of more than budget-friendly sand downwards in your aquarium get-go, then add the Fiji Pink Sand on top. I did this in a 125-gallon (473 liters) tank and I only used about half every bit much Fiji Pink as I would have done. The other one-half was only regular play sand.

ix. Aquanatural Oolitic Aragonite

Much like the Caribsea Republic of the fiji islands Pink Sand, this sand is made from aragonite. The sand in Aquanatural Oolitic Aragonite is sourced directly from the Bahamas and information technology has the virtually wonderful, natural sand wait you could promise for. This sand tends to be used more in the marine fish keeping hobby as it is specially good at maintaining a stable pH, something marine hobbyists seek constantly.

The manufacturers of this sand guarantee information technology to have no harmful tar, organics, or impurities and they say it is the ideal substrate for marine tanks, reef tanks, and African Cichlids.

Although I personally practice not have any marine tanks, I do have this sand in a couple of my African Cichlid tanks, and I love the expect of it. The color of my male Peacocks against this sand is outstanding.

This sand does come in both fine and coarse grades. In my feel, calculation both grades to a tank in a ratio of 2 of i class to i of the other course gives the near natural wait. Information technology doesn't matter if yous accept more fine or more coarse, merely having a mix gives a natural feel.

In my experience, this is sand that requires A LOT of washing before adding it to the tank, but in one case done and it, the effort is worth it.

If y'all are looking for brilliant, but natural-looking sand, this might be the best option for you lot.

10. Play Sand

Number 10 on my list is play sand. Play sand is one of the cheapest sands y'all tin can utilize in your aquarium. Play sand tends to be extremely fine sand, and considering information technology is safe for children, you know information technology has been sieved and graded and there will exist no foreign objects in it at all.

I have a number of tanks that uses play sand as their substrate, and I tend to use it for small Dwarf Cichlids like High german Blue Rams and Bolivian Rams. Both species of fish beloved to dig around in the substrate looking for food, and play sand seems to work really well for them.

Because play sand is and then fine, I do find that it compacts a lot, which tin can make information technology difficult for plants to grow. Compacted sand also creates dead spots in the sand where anaerobic bacteria tin can form. Yet, I usually just add a scattering of Malaysian Trumpet Snails to the tank as they travel through the sand, stirring any expressionless spots up equally they go.

Play sand is available all across the state and fifty-fifty if y'all don't have a practiced local fish store near you, there will be dozens of other retailers that sell play sand in your local area.

Is Sand or Gravel Better for a Fish Tank?

The reality is, that it doesn't generally matter. If you lot prefer the wait of one over another, get with it. There are some species of fish that volition require sand, especially the likes of Geophagus species, and to a lesser extent the mikrogeophagus species like German Blue Rams. The give-and-take Geophagus translates from the Greek geo, pregnant 'world', and phagos, meaning 'to eat'.

Geophagus species tend to spend their entire solar day sifting through the substrate looking for things to eat. They can't sift through the gravel in the same style.

Typically, sand can affect the pH and hardness of your aquarium water, whereas gravel tends to be more than inert and will accept little to no effect on your h2o chemistry.

There are many fishkeepers that will tell you sand is bad for plants, but in my experience, providing the correct plants are selected, sand can be just equally good for growing plants as gravel. Others volition tell you that sand compacts and cause Hydrogen Sulfide gas to be released into your aquarium killing all your fish!

Permit me clinch you from personal feel this just isn't the case. If sand were likely to cause your fish to die, would those in the marine hobby who typically keep thousands of dollars worth of fish in their tanks employ sand?

What Dissimilar Types of Sand Are Available?

We equally hobbyists have never had access to a wider range of sands for our aquariums. Some sands are especially produced for the hobby, others, like puddle filter sand, are produced for a dissimilar purpose, but work well in many of our tanks.

If you cull to get for sand that isn't particularly designed for aquarium use, you lot naturally do so at your own risk, but over the years I have used almost every sand on the marketplace, and to the all-time of my noesis, none of them take ever killed my fish.

Puddle Filter Sand

This sand is designed specially for use in swimming pool filters. It tends to exist made up of varying grain sizes and typically the color tin be highly variable. If using puddle filter sand in your aquarium, my advice would be to open all the bags and mix the whole lot together, otherwise, y'all can end up with an odd-looking substrate because the colour varies so much, even across a single tank.

Play Sand

Play sand tends to be very fine sand that has been sieved and graded and certified rubber for children. Play sand is typically very cheap and very soft. It does have a tendency to meaty. I have likewise found play sand is more likely than other sands to endure from Cyanobacteria algae growing on it.

Blasting Sand

Blasting sand also tends to be very cheap. Different pool filter sand, blasting sand does tend to have a very uniform grain size. Diggings sand is typically also available in different colors.

Crushed Coral

As the name suggests, crushed coral is exactly that, coral that has been crushed up to create a sand-like material. Crushed coral is often used when fish keepers accept soft, acidic water, but they desire to keep difficult water-loving fish like livebearers or African Cichlids.

Crushed coral will have a positive effect on both hardness and pH.

Live Sand

Live sand is typically sold in bags with a little water to keep the sand moisture. It is called live sand considering it is full of beneficial bacteria that help control waste in your fish tank.

Live sand just remains alive in marine setups every bit the leaner chop-chop dies when added to freshwater. Live sand must not be washed in chlorinated water either as the chlorine volition kill the live leaner.

Considerations Before Choosing Which Sand To Apply

At that place are many factors to consider before deciding which sand to utilise in your aquarium. Budget, fish type, and aquascape should all exist considered before making a concluding purchase.

Fish Species

As mentioned higher up, some fish do best when kept on sand. Those species that sift through the sand looking for food, or that use the sand when spawning mostly practise meliorate when they are kept on sand rather than gravel.

Others, similar Fancy Goldfish, practice better when kept on gravel rather than sand as they tend to be compacted internally when they eat sand whilst eating.

Fish like African Cichlids are frequently kept on sand, not because they necessarily interact with the substrate, but because they appreciate high pH and more minerals in the water, both of which typically result from using sand.

Budget

The part upkeep plays in deciding which sand to choose should not be disregarded. If yous are scaping a large tank you could hands need 150-pounds to 200-pounds of sand, which for a premium brand could cost you in backlog of $300.

Some of the more budget-friendly sands, like puddle filter sand or diggings sand, can look just equally good every bit the premium brands, peculiarly if you add together 1 purse of premium sand to three or 4 bags of budget sand. This mix can create the effect of high-quality sand for a fraction of the cost.

Particle Size

The particle size of the sand you choose can take an consequence on the success of your tank. If the private grains are too fine, the sand tin clump together and compact, preventing plant roots from penetrating. Sand that is likewise coarse may be also large for small fish that want to create breeding pits or sift through it looking for food.

Maintenance

There is no doubt, that the twenty-four hours yous set up your new tank up with a sandy substrate information technology is going to look superb. Sand e'er does. However, information technology can accept a lot of work to keep it clean, especially if you are using bright white sand.

I know in the by information technology has driven me crazy when I set upwardly tanks with pure white sand. They look stunning for about an hour, so a fish will poop and it looks terrible.

If you are the kind of person that likes their aquariums to wait immaculate, cull sand that is less likely to show the dirt up.

Sand tin can be vacuumed merely like gravel, merely it does tend to throw dust into the substrate, making the h2o cloudy for a 24-hour interval or ii later on.

Which Fish Adopt Sand Substrate?

There is a huge selection of fish that will happily live with sand. In fact, it would be quicker to write a list of fish that do not do well with sand. In my experience, in that location are a pocket-size number of fish that really interact with the substrate on a regular basis, and therefore have a preference every bit to which substrates in the aquariums.

Corydoras

Anyone who has kept Corydoras knows they spend their days swimming along the lesser of the tank looking for food. Their downturned mouths are perfectly designed for seeking out small worms and crustaceans that are lying just below the surface of the substrate.

When Corydoras are kept on a sandy substrate they can easily motion the sand effectually to access whatever lies below it. Whilst they can also shift fine gravel, larger pea shingle tends to be difficult for them to maneuver.

Corydoras are schooling fish that like to stick together in large groups, working together to turn over the substrate in the search for nutrient. This natural beliefs really becomes apparent when they are kept on sand.

Shrimp

Shrimp like Amano Shrimp and Red Ruby Shrimp spend all twenty-four hour period combing the substrate looking for nutrient. They are mostly bottom-dwelling shrimp that similar to exist able to motility substrate around to notice whatever might be underneath it.

Shrimp find it much easier to search through sand than they do gravel.

Ane other bonus of keeping shrimp on sand, especially lighter colored sand, is the shrimp will clean up much of the uneaten nutrient and poop that lands on the sandy, helping keep it looking cleaner for longer.

German Bluish Rams

German Blue Rams are well known for turning the sand over in search of food. They also dig pits when they are set to spawn. Although these pits are shallow, the Rams find it much easier to dig them out of sand than they do gravel.

Sand Frequently Asked Questions

Is sand condom for aquariums?

In my experience, yes, sand is prophylactic to use in an aquarium providing information technology is washed thoroughly earlier adding information technology to the tank.

How much sand does a fish tank require?

There is no unproblematic answer to this question. It volition depend on how large your tank is and how deep you want your sand substrate to be. I take written a whole article on the subject which includes a table to work out roughly how much sand your tank will need. The article is titled How Much Substrate Does My Aquarium Need?

How long does sand accept to settle?

In my experience, providing the sand is well done earlier calculation information technology to the tank, the cloudiness of the water should only last for 24 to 48 hours before immigration, and often the tank becomes clearer much quicker than this. Once I take added sand to my aquariums I just get-go running the filters straight abroad. That manner the water clears much quicker.

In Conclusion

I have dozens of aquariums in my fish room and between them, they use many different substrates. I call up sand has to be my favorite substrate because to my mind it gives a natural feel to the tank that gravel doesn't seem to requite.

I accept tried many different types of sand, and at that place is certainly a type of sand to suit all budgets and all setups. It is just a example of deciding which 1 is correct for you.

Article Sources:

https://www.seachem.com/flourite-black.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragonite