# Substrate for tanks need help



## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

So I want a more natural looking tank to start doing live plants but not to natural but I can't decide what to look for. Natural colored gravel, dirt or sand. I think dark dirt will make my tank to dark and my room is pretty dark as it is. I have a dark green sheet over a large door that leads outside and a curtain blocking the entrance to the livingroom that is a lot of time pulled down by my wonderful one year old sister... I have some concerns about doing sand though. My tanks are already stocked with fish and I heard bubbles of some kind of gas can build up in it? That freaks me out. And depend on what I decide I need to figure out where to get this stuff. It would be my safest choice to do gravel but then does that offer much for plants that go in there? Maybe I could mix dirt and gravel? Like a layer of dirt and just sprinkle a thin layer of gravel in certain spots? I have rocks to add to give a bit of something else.


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## brandy3392 (May 15, 2016)

What about a really fine gravel? I use a mix of Caribsea Peace River and Torpedo Beach in my planted betta tanks. It gives you (sort of) the look of sand, without the drawbacks. It's large enough that it doesn't float around and make a mess like sand, but is still really easy to plant in. It also doesn't compact like sand, so I don't think gas pockets will be an issue in a planted tank. You can easily clean it with a small gravel vac or turkey baster. My plants seem to be doing well in it with the addition of some root tabs.


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## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

I like that. I'll look it up. Thank you!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

CaribSea sands are not messy as they are wet in the bag. There is a really nice variety. Lilnaugrim uses some of them in the tanks shown in her Journal. Here's a variety of CaribSea substrates. PetCo is giving up to 50% off with $5.99 shipping. I use the Tahitian Moon; PetCo calls it a gravel but it is sand. Go figure? :dunno: So double check to make sure which you are getting.

Search Results


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## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

I'm going to meijers today to see if they have anything. I doubt they will but no harm in checking. Well there is the harm of walking past the fish tanks and giving into temptation for another betta but yeah XD I shall work hard at resisting.


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## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

They had black gravel and the mixture of brown gravel. But it was all big. I asked my dad if we could check our bait and tackle and pet store sometime.


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## brandy3392 (May 15, 2016)

Here are a couple photos of my substrate. The white stuff is Caribsea Torpedo Beach. I originally had only that in the tank, but it got dirty looking really fast because of snail poop and algae. So I added the darker Caribsea Peace River to it.


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## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

I like the CaribSea Super Naturals sand. It's white and comes in a 10 lb bag at petco for $7.99. (at least in Mn it does.) I have it in 3 tanks currently.


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## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

Oh wow brandy! I thought it would look a bit dull but I think if I did what you said mix the two and add in larger rocks I think it would be what I'm looking for. Not to dark and not to dull. The best I can describe it is that it looks like salt and glass with chunks of mini river pebbles. I love it I'll definitely have to search for those both. My dad said once we get our camping stuff back to the house he will take me to the petstore to see if they have anything. It's rare we get to petsmart so I might have to wait for my mom to get money in the bank and have her order from a site. I wonder if the petstore could order them? Hmm I also wonder what size I should get... Should I do all three of my tanks or should I do that in the ten and use the 5's to try dirt and sand. Test tanks I guess you could say. Hmm I hate deciding which tanks I should do which. I think I would get tired of looking at it in every tank though.


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## FishyBets (Jan 4, 2016)

Is the caribsea sand cloudy when you put it in?

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## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

My mom said if I keep hard at chores well go to traverse and stop at best buy and maybe my dad will buy me a new laptop. Maybe go to petsmart to. So I can see what they have hopefully it's not hugely expensive cause I only have $27 and I also need a new laptop mouse and batteries. And those can get expensive. I may end up not getting gravel cause I really need a mouse. That or go with something like dirt or sand but then I'm worried cause arnt you suppose to wait to put fish in using them? I can't keep all my guppies in a 5 gallon for to long


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

I put the fish in directly after I added my sand >.>


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## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

I heard you weren't supposed to lol I dunno another reason I wanna stick to gravel. To many rumors for sand and dirt


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## FishyBets (Jan 4, 2016)

just make sure that the gravel doesnt have sharp edges. I had rainbow gravel in with my new Betta, who ended up being a digger. Tore his fins to heck and back  I replaced it with large glass pebbles.


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## AccaliaJay (Feb 5, 2015)

Right now my ten has a rainbow colored gravel but iv always adored a natural look. One 5 gallon has blueish green gravel and the other 5 with my betta in it has rainbow to. And I know I heard stories about sharp gravel. Makes me cringe.


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