sand

[treaxy11]

I am changing my tank substrate and im down to 2 choices. sand or black gravel. can someone tell me a little about the sand, do i clean it the same as gravel? also, if i choose the black gravel, what is a good brand, i do not want the dye to come off? Do you recommend one type over the other?

[VoidParadigm]

I'd go with sand, honestly. As for cleaning differences (if you do vacuuming) hold it an inch over the sand as opposed to rooting into substrates like gravel.

Sand won't get debris stuck underneath it, making it a safer choice for one reason because food won't accumulate and rot. Some people claim you need to stir it every few weeks or so, though.

Many people use pool filter or play sand in their aquariums.
As for gravel, if you're going to go with that, I use Stoney River brand. Nice variety of colors.

[MCHRKiller]

How about black sand? Tahitian Moon sand is a great choice:

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[treaxy11]

thank you to you both. sand it is.