# What type of gravel should I get?



## Jdh (Jul 5, 2010)

Hi all,
I'm currently reconstructing my aquarium/about to start cycling it and was wondering what type of gravel I should get. I think having a few live plants might be interesting and good for the fish, but nothing that would get out of control and become high-maintenance. Should I buy regular decor gravel, or get some Substrate?


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

If you are going to get gravel and use live plants then make sure the gravel is pea-sized this will make it easier to plant the plants  also I would like to add that smooth gravel is probably best for your betta since their fins are so delicate 

Easy to maintain plants would be.... Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias, Crypts. These are all low-light plants and grow slowly so you won't wake up one morning to the amazon jungle (If im wrong im sure someone will correct me) lol 

IMO a nice plant is Hygrophilia, I have it in my bettas tank and it does grow quite fast but its nothing to just trim it every couple of weeks plus under the right light it looks flourescent green, I love it 

Sand is a nightmare to keep clean especially if you have a lot of fish with a high bioload but if you are just having the one fish it should be easy to maintain. I use the siphon from my gravel vaccum and hover lightly just above the sand, it sucks up all the dirt and leaves the sand


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

I think it's pretty much personal choice. Although I don't know how those with sand vacuum it.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Personally, I prefer natural gravels. Ones that have been colored or painted artificially have given me problems in the past and they don't look very good either, in my opinion. I use either small natural round river gravel or Eco Complete in all my tanks. Eco Complete is good for planted tanks because it's enriched with iron and other nutrients for the plants to feed on--it's also naturally black and black gravel helps disguise messes and makes your fish and plants really pop.

Also, don't be scared of plants. Even the tanks I dose with Excel every day are low maintenance--I only have to prune maybe every couple of months.


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## Sicklidae (Jul 3, 2010)

Welsh said:


> Easy to maintain plants would be.... Java Fern, Java Moss, Anubias, Crypts. These are all low-light plants and grow slowly so you won't wake up one morning to the amazon jungle (If im wrong im sure someone will correct me) lol


Yea, those are all low light. 

The thing about crypts though... is that when you move them, they melt :-( but they usually come back.


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## Welsh (Apr 13, 2010)

Adastra said:


> Personally, I prefer natural gravels. Ones that have been colored or painted artificially have given me problems in the past and they don't look very good either, in my opinion. I use either small natural round river gravel or Eco Complete in all my tanks. Eco Complete is good for planted tanks because it's enriched with iron and other nutrients for the plants to feed on--it's also naturally black and black gravel helps disguise messes and makes your fish and plants really pop.
> 
> Also, don't be scared of plants. Even the tanks I dose with Excel every day are low maintenance--I only have to prune maybe every couple of months.


I agree black gravel really makes my betta pop and I dont mean to brag but he looks awesome  

I didnt realise you were supposed to fert everyday, I do it with every water change and use tetra plantamin, any wonder they dont grow much lol


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## Sicklidae (Jul 3, 2010)

Welsh said:


> I didnt realise you were supposed to fert everyday, I do it with every water change and use tetra plantamin, any wonder they dont grow much lol


It depends on your dosing method of choice.


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## Jdh (Jul 5, 2010)

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll look into those plants. (The Javas look really nice!)

I'm still a little confused to how Substrate is actually put into the tank. Do you put it under decorative gravel, or just make the whole aquarium bed out of it? (I'm looking at the peaceful river substrate on this page: http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+10742+21412&pcatid=21412)


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Good to know...now I need to go buy more stuff(fertalizer) cuz I just ordered some moss.


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Whole aquarium bed.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Substrate is whatever ends up on the bottom of your tank, the category includes gravel, soil, clay, sand, etc. It doesn't necessarily refer to capping off soil or enriched substrate with yet more substrate. That gravel should work well, but keep in mind that if you get rooting plants like crypts or swords, you'll probably want to put root tabs under the plants so that they can absorb nutrients that way. Plants like anubias, java moss, java fern, hornwort, etc, feed from the water column, so root tabs aren't necessary.

The reason why I dose Excel every day is because it's not the same as the micronutrients you're dosing--those only really need to be added once a week. Excel provides the plants with carbonates in liquid form, and these are consumed much more quickly, especially under moderate-high light. In this way I use Excel in lieu of CO2.


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## FloridaBettas239 (Jun 29, 2010)

The sand you can buy for fresh water aquarium's is so awesome. It is the same price as gravel where i live, And they have blue, black and white. Another reason sand is so awesome it makes your fresh water tank look like a salt water or even if not it makes it look 10 times better then some of the gravel on the market once i put black sand in my 55 gallon and white in my 10... my girl said she will never own gravel again lol...


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

how do you clean sand?


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## FloridaBettas239 (Jun 29, 2010)

Oh and she did put all kinds of rooted plant's. In both tanks and they do great. Thats the only thing i was worrying about is the plants coming un rooted and floating all the time but we have yet to have a problem.


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## FloridaBettas239 (Jun 29, 2010)

Sarada said:


> how do you clean sand?


 
We do it the same way as gravel, With the vacume thing you just be a little more carful


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

oh ok, i thought the sand would go right up through the vac


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## FloridaBettas239 (Jun 29, 2010)

So did i, Thats why i wasnt going to get it because i thought it was going to be a pain to clean but the guy at petsmart showed me on a tank he was cleaning he moved to the salt water tanks and just kept cleaning with the same vacume and everything so he won me over i bought it for both tanks. I kind of wish i would have got black in both tanks because the white gets dirty fast.

But its so cool to watch the cory catfish cleaming the sand they suck it up threw there mouth and blow black sand out there gill's they do a great job cleaning the sand.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Sometimes it does, I have fluorite black sand in one of my tanks which is pretty fine as far as sand goes, more fine than most--I kind of do a quick sweeping motion over the surface of the sand, enough to blow the sand around a tiny bit but not actually touch the sand with the siphon, this frees up a lot of the poop and other small bits of detritus without sucking up a lot of grains.

Keep in mind that when you use sand you should either stir the sand well regularly or use burrowing animals like malaysian trumpet snails to keep the sand from compacting. If the sand compacts, it can lead to pockets of anaerobic bacteria which can be really nasty.


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Cool, I'm tempted to buy a 3rd tank for my birthday...


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## SemioticSleep (Mar 31, 2010)

They are having a really good sale on tanks at petco


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

I wish I lived in the states, no petco here. Just Walmart and two small pet stores(smallish town).


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

Sarada said:


> I wish I lived in the states, no petco here. Just Walmart and two small pet stores(smallish town).



You have TWO small pet shops in your town? Lucky YOU!!! The nearest pet shop/fish store to me is 60 miles round trip!!!


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

Well one is two towns over but its like ten minute drive ;P They each house maybe 5-10 bettas each.


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

I would almost sell my soul for a shop that close - LOL!

Of course, I would always be there, never get anything done at home & spend all the husband's hard earned money there!!!


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

lol my husband isn't too impressed with my new infatuation either, but my birthday is coming up and he better get me fish stuff!


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

LOL - one year many, many moons ago my husband bought a beautiful baby koi angelfish for me (I picked him out, of course). Didn't know he was a male then, but once he matured he gave us LOTS of beautiful babies & lived a number of years. The one & only baby of his I kept (looked just like him) just passed on a couple of months ago.

So tell your husband to take you fish shopping for your special day or just give you the money - LOL!!!


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## Sarada (May 11, 2010)

lol I'll just take his visa


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