Can I mix sand and river rocks for substrate?

K

kimberlynns

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Dec 1, 2005
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I am setting up a 54 gallon corner tank and I've decided to not try to grow live plants in it because the cost for new lighting would be too much. I want a community tank. I have two big bags of river rocks..they range from large to pea size stones...the larger stones are not good (I think I read that right) because debris can fall down inbetween the rocks and cause trouble. Can I mix it with sand so that I can still have the river rocks but the sand will keep things from falling down underneath big rocks? Then I can just gently syphone off the icky stuff? If that is ok, do I still need to stir the sand/rock mix sometimes to keep pockets of gasses (?) from forming? TIA,

Kim
 
Stirring every now and then is a good idea. I have a 75 gallon of sand mixed with standard pea size gravel. The gravel was laid down first and then the sand on top so it appears as mostly sand and in some places I mixed the two together. I think it looks much more natural that way. Especially if you use gravel of similar color to the sand, IMO.

Why no live plants though? It could be done with some plants. Java fern and moss as well as Anubias. You wouldn't need to upgrade your lighting, maybe just buy a full spectrum bulb from Home Depot or somewhere (~$5). The fish would really appreciate the live plants...again...IMO!! Good luck with the tank. Keep us updated.
 
Hi :) Well I had asked questions over in the planted tank forum and my strip light that only fits a 20W bulb also only covers a small middle portion of the tank because its a corner tank...sort of like a 1/4 of a circle. So thats not enough to grow any plants well, I thought. I'd love to have some ..but can't spend the money on flourite and a custom made light. Tell me more about it if you think I can have some in there. :)

You have sand over the rocks? Eventually, with cleanings, does that sand get mixed equally with the rocks? Is there a benefit over having the sand on top vs mixed all together?

Kim
 
My friend grows java moss and fern on an open guppy tank with no lights!! It's in his office at work. The only light it sees is from a window (no direct sunlight) and the lights in the office. Not much at all. The moss is out of control and the fern keeps producing baby ferns. He doesn't even fertilize. Just overfeeds slightly. Seems to work good for him.

I think it can be done...but you may not get the results you wanted and then...you'll end up spending money for the upgrade!! LOL! It's really a disease!! ;)

With java fern and moss...you don't need laterite or flourite. They don't feed through their roots. Only by the leaves.

Will the tank get any indirect light from the room? Near a window or anything? Fern and moss really don't need much.

As for my sand...it won't mix that much because I have much more sand than gravel. About 40 lbs of gravel and 100 lbs of sand. The tank is fairly new (I upgraded my 29 gallon) so it may become mixed better in the future. It wouldn't bother me if it did though because the gravel is light brown in color and looks really cool where it's mixed with the sand. :clap:

Mixed together is probably better than sand on top. This would probably prevent or at least help to prevent anaerobic conditions.

What do you plan on stocking the tank with? Just wondering.
 
That sounds promising then because the tank is right next to a window but its not direct sunlight. So hopefully that will grow well. Do those type of plants grow tall? If they don't maybe I will mix plastic w/ those live plants to get a balanced look. :)

No I don't know yet what type of fish I will put in there. I'm excited because tomorrow I'll be going to my LFS and writing down the fish they have, then researching them , then planning the tank out. Yes I feel like a geek, lol. My hubby and children will enjoy helping plan it out also. I am going to cycle my tank first, before I get the higher price fish, of course.

If it were your tank, would you put down sand and then just put some rocks on top, or would you mix it together, with most of it being sand? I'm just wondering which will look and work the best... :)

Kim
 
I just realized you answered that last question already...I like that idea...all sand in some areas and mixed w/ rock in others... sounds good! Do you stir your sand w/ a chopstick every once in awhile?

Kim
 
Long term, it won't matter if you mixed the sand or put the sand in the bottom because the smaller particale sand will eventually sink below the larger gravel so you'll end up with a sandy bottom anyway. You can prevent the anaerobic pockets (deadly gas) by using only a thin layer of sand, under 2" deep, in conjunction with some heater pads below the tank to promote water circulation.

If I were to use a sandy substrate at all, I'd also go with mostly sand and only a few rocks/gravel as accent. That way I don't have to deal with gravel vacs if I have too much gravel.

Java ferns, moss, and anubias are suitable with very low light tanks. Java fern has 3 common variety (regular, narrow leaf, frilly) and they all tend to have long leaves that grow from a rhizome, a root structure that isn't meant to be buried. Anubias comes in assorted shapes and sizes, but all tends to have broad leaves also attached to a rhizome. These plants do not need to be planted, hence no need for fancy plant substrate. They can be grown floating, weighed down to the substrate, or tied to rocks and driftwood. A trick to have a lush looking background in a low light tank is to use styrofoam or corkboard and attach lots of java ferns and anubias (especially the b. nana) to them.
 
Thanks :) I have just put sand in the tank with some rocks...I rinsed it really well but I can't really see much in the tank right now...hopefully that is normal and will settle overnight? Thanks for the help w/ the plant suggestions. I'm looking forward to getting some.

Kim
 
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