# Deciding on a substrate



## Alegretto (Mar 21, 2021)

I know there are already several threads on substrates, but I’d still like some chiming in and insights. I have me a 5-gallon tank that I’ll be working on next week to set up for my first betta fish. At the moment I’m not sure if I want live or fake plants— I prefer the look of live plants, but I also have what I call a black thumb. Despite my best efforts, I’ve proven to be remarkably good at killing plants in the past.

Being that I’ve not yet decided on what to go with in the end, which option do you more experienced folks prefer: gravel or sand? I keep going back and forth between the two, but can’t reach a satisfactory answer on my own. Thank you in advance!

(Also my apologies if this is probably better suited for the planted tank forum)


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## Feanor (Nov 13, 2020)

Which look do you prefer?


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## Alegretto (Mar 21, 2021)

Honestly I like the super fine gravel best, but it doesn’t seem to be easy to find... the pea-sized gravel is a bit too big for my tastes, but I also read that sand is harder to maintain. Something in between would be ideal if possible, but I’m flexible in the long run.


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## Mbpoppy (Nov 3, 2019)

Hi!
Since you sound like you're going with silk plants, what about a bare-bottom tank?


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## Alegretto (Mar 21, 2021)

Honestly I don’t much care for the look of a bare bottom tank, but thank you!


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## Feanor (Nov 13, 2020)

For a 5 Gallon I would personally also go for something fine.
Biggest gravel size for my taste would be 2-4 mm.
Anything below is called sand and works fine. 
Both materials are good for planting and look good with artificial plants aswell.
Gravel has to be vacuumed deeper and sand keeps the dirt more on the surface as it is denser.
So simply a question of personal taste then .


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## sylo (Sep 20, 2020)

How about Flourite Black Clay Gravel substrate? It's smaller than gravel but bigger than sand. It is what I used in my 10 gallon tank. It's beneficial for live plants and with its smaller grains, it's easy to plant in also. It would be fine to use with artificial plants too.

I took a quick snap so you could see the size. Sorry it's so dark. My camera is crappy.



















https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-Flourite-Black-Clay-Gravel/dp/B0019J0ISU/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=fluorite+black&qid=1616618455&sr=8-1



Edited because I can't spell.


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## Alegretto (Mar 21, 2021)

Love the look of that.. but the price tag makes me a little wary.

However! In doing more digging I found a small gravel that I think I like.. anyone have any experience with Pisces USA gravel? Link is below:






PISCES USA Silver Pearl Aquarium Gravel, 10-lb bag - Chewy.com


Buy Pisces USA Silver Pearl Aquarium Gravel, 10-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com


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## sylo (Sep 20, 2020)

Ohh, I just thought of another option if you're looking for something in between gravel and sand. 

Check out Pisces USA aquarium gravel available on chewy.com. It's a very small. The description says it is 2-4 mm. In the past, I used the Pisces USA midnight pearl and loved it until I decided I wanted to go with an all black substrate and switched to the Flourite Black. I grabbed another quick picture to show you the size of the midnight pearl.

































It comes in other colors too: silver pearl and gold pearl.

This what it looked like in my tank -- quite a bit lighter than I was expecting based on the picture on the bag.















PISCES USA Midnight Pearl Aquarium Gravel, 10-lb bag - Chewy.com


Buy Pisces USA Midnight Pearl Aquarium Gravel, 10-lb bag at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!




www.chewy.com


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## sylo (Sep 20, 2020)

HaHa! Jinx! You owe me a coke!


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## Mr. B (Nov 6, 2020)

sylo said:


> Ohh, I just thought of another option if you're looking for something in between gravel and sand.
> 
> Check out Pisces USA aquarium gravel available on chewy.com. It's a very small. The description says it is 2-4 mm. In the past, I used the Pisces USA midnight pearl and loved it until I decided I wanted to go with an all black substrate and switched to the Flourite Black. I grabbed another quick picture to show you the size of the midnight pearl.
> 
> ...


I use something like that.


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## MABetta (Jan 10, 2021)

I thought you were making a joke, suggesting what he found. Laughed harder when I realized you didn't see his post first. Sweet! Problem solved.....I am guessing 😉


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## Alegretto (Mar 21, 2021)

sylo said:


> HaHa! Jinx! You owe me a coke!


Hah! Deal! This is absolutely perfect— thank you all so much!!!


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## sylo (Sep 20, 2020)

LOL  I am old and slow and was writing my post apparently when Alegretto made their post! I couldn't believe it when I saw it!


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