Looking for substrate recommendations

[Mrs. Crabtree]

I have read about the species that like to burrow in the sand (that is where I would like to go) but also about anaerobic "spots" and vacumming issues? I would like to have a few real plants as well. So what are pros/cons of sand vs. gravel? Please make suggestions. Thank you.

[Lady Hobbs]

Substrate all depends on the type of fish you wish to have. Cichlids should have a substrate that's crushed coral shells which will keep pH higher. Community fish are fine with other types.

Fine gravels aren't as good for planted tanks as they get packed too hard around the root systems so a med should be used in planted tanks. (No under-gravel filters in planted, as well.)

Bottom dwellers like the smoother round stones as it doesn't hurt their bellies as much as the coarser types so, as you see, it all depends on what you want to have in the tank.

[cocoa_pleco]

plants like smaller substrate, not big stuff

[Chrona]

Also, when considering the substrate for a planted tank, you should account for the cation-exchanging ability of the material in question. Basically, a material with a high CET will be able to hold more nutrients. Materials such as kitty litter, or specialized planting substrate such as Flourite, Eco-complete, Aquasoil, etc, all have extremely high CET (the latters also contain iron and trace elements) that will help your plant grow. Gravel on the other hand, has very little CET, making it a poor choice for a planted tank.

I recently switched out my gravel substrate and replaced it with Flourite and there was a noticeable change within 2 days since all of my plants are heavy root feeders.