Quality sand for the aquarium is the most important biochemical component of the artificial ecosystem. It acts as a substratum for green plantations, a natural filter, a habitat for numerous colonies of microorganisms. The right choice of soil is a very serious issue, the decision of which influences the fate of the entire underwater kingdom.
Sand in the aquarium - the pros and cons
In modern aquaristics, several types of natural or artificial soil are used - crumb from corals, depot, ready-made nutrient mixtures, soil from baked clay, sand with gravel. The main criterion in choosing the optimal composition for a home-made tank is what specifically fish and plants will inhabit the underwater world. The most widespread is accessible and simple sandy soil, in which most of the unpretentious exotic creatures live perfectly.
Many fans prefer the natural environment to a vibrant artificial mixture that turns the bottom of the tank into a multi-colored fantastic landscape. The question is whether sand in the aquarium is necessary, worries newcomers who decided to start a small tank with indoor fish in their houses. To better navigate in this topic, it is desirable to know the main disadvantages and advantages of this type of soil.
Than good sand for an aquarium:
- Water vegetation grows better and settles on the sand.
- It is easier to clean the sandy bottom, this process is easy to perform with a siphon , passing through the device near the surface.
- Soil from sand perfectly performs the biological functions.
- This kind of soil is ideal for benthic creatures, who like to dig in the light layers.
- Sand always attracts a natural view of the interior of the aquarium.
Disadvantages of sandy soil:
- Washing and preparation of sand for the aquarium is several long and laborious stages.
- This type of soil requires constant periodic withdrawals, otherwise it is rapidly covered with layers of debris.
- Separate types of sand are capable of changing the chemical composition of the aquatic environment.
- In a clean sandy soil, there are not enough nutrients for vegetation, so fertilizing with fertilizers is required.
Which sand is better for an aquarium?
For the normal operation of the ecosystem, the chemical composition of the soil, its origin, the thickness of the layers, the fraction of soil particles play a role. If you pay attention solely to the decorative component, then the aquarist will not achieve a good result at once. It is desirable to analyze the situation and set goals, choosing the appropriate composition correctly, which will cover the bottom of the glass container.
The main characteristics of sandy soil for the aquarium:
- Fraction of sand. Microscopic grains and large pebbles do not fit. Optimum is considered sand for an aquarium with a particle fraction of 1.5-2 mm. If there is less grain, then in the soil aeration is poor, stagnation, reproduction of pathogens is observed. From large pebbles the organic is washed out, the plants on it take root unsuccessfully or for a long time.
- The thickness of sand for the aquarium. A layer of 4-6 mm is suitable for most underwater plantations, soil of a different thickness is required for rare plant species.
- Types of sand for the aquarium. The color of the soil signals the chemical composition of its particles. Grains of red or yellow color to take for work is undesirable, they contain a large percentage of iron. It is desirable to remember that the use of crumb from limestone leads to a violation of the rigidity of water balance, which for many creatures ends fatal.
Optimal types of sand for the aquarium:
- river sand;
- quartz sand;
- sea sand;
- black sand;
- Aragonite sand for a home aquarium.
River sand for an aquarium
If you are looking for a cheap and simple primer for the aquarium, then sand from the river bottom is suitable for this purpose perfectly. Optimal use of the material recruited on the shallows, where the clay is the least. Otherwise, the amateur will have to work long, washing the composition to remove impurities. River sand for a large-scale aquarium normally passes water, it is good for feeding all underwater plants.
Sea Sand in the Aquarium
For freshwater artificial reservoirs, a coarse fraction of soil collected on the seabed is suitable, but before use it should be thoroughly washed, removing the salt residues and other impurities. The usual sand in the aquarium from the sea is excellent, it grows well and grows fish. For better calibration, you can sift it through a sieve, separating fragments of shells in passing. It is advisable to check the water for alkalinity after filling, using ready tests.
In marine aquariums, you can lay "living sand" with colonies of marine microorganisms that are not destroyed during transport. It does not go through the drying process and helps to adjust the water balance faster. In the air, this type of soil is forbidden, after a few hours the microflora is killed, the "living sand" for the aquarium becomes unsuitable. Often, ready-made marine substrates with bacteria are laid in a thin layer on a simple quartz or river bed.
Coral sand for aquarium
Aragonite soil is obtained from deposits on the seabed, where the crushed remains of corals and mollusks accumulate. In this soil, the high content of calcium, so decorative sand for the aquarium from the skeletons of living organisms increases the rigidity of the environment. Coral crumb is sold a diverse fraction, optimally apply it in the marine and pseudo-marine underwater world, alkaline ecosystems.
White sand in the aquarium
Lovers often use to decorate the tank, both white soil and color mixtures. The primer for an aquarium of white sand can have different origins, which has a lot to do with the chemical properties. This color is often found in nature, therefore it is necessary to use the acquired soil carefully, after careful familiarization with its composition.
Types of white sand for the aquarium:
- river sand;
- sand from the seabed;
- Aragonite sand from small white corals and shells;
- quartz sand, obtained by artificial crushing of milky white quartz.
Black quartz sand for aquarium
This color gives the soil ilmenite, magnetite or hematite, which in different proportions is present in its composition. Black sand in the aquarium can be used without restrictions, it does not change the characteristics of the environment, so the aquarist may not worry about the arbitrary increase in water hardness. In comparison with the snow-white ground, the dark background for the underwater world is more profitable, on it all kinds of living organisms look brighter. To reduce the contrast, it is desirable to use not purely black sand, but a substrate with a slightly grayish hue.
Colored sand for the aquarium
Multicolored mixtures help to decorate the interior of the underwater kingdom unusually, easily creating a diverse and vivid fantastic landscapes at the bottom to match your exotic pets. In the question of what kind of sand is needed for an aquarium, it is advisable to be guided by security measures. Colored soil should be harmless for fish, do not influence the percentage of stiffness and acidity of the environment. Suitable quartz substrate of high quality, which it is desirable to rinse before filling.
How to prepare sand for the aquarium?
It is advisable not to trust advertising booklets and prepare the soil on the eve of filling it in a container with fish. Large sand for an aquarium with a normal composition should be subjected to several basic operations that will make it safe for aquatic inhabitants. The process of preparing the substrate is simple and powerful for any newcomer.
Stages of preparation of sand for the aquarium:
- Washing is carried out by running water in a convenient container. Frequent work with sand in enameled basins or buckets leads to damage to the coating.
- For convenience, sand is divided into portions of 3-4 kg.
- We wash the soil to a state where the flowing liquid does not become completely transparent.
- Remains of sand dust rise up and are removed.
- Disinfection is carried out by boiling for 15-20 minutes with constant mixing of the sand mixture.
- After boiling, the soil is washed again.
- Other methods of disinfection - calcination in ovens, treatment with 10% chlorine solution.
- Make the light sand darker helps soaking it in a solid solution of manganese.
- Removal of excess carbonates from the sand for the aquarium produce a 30% solution of citric acid. The treatment ends after the bubbles with air cease to be released into the water, then the soil is washed.
How to pour sand into the aquarium?
It is more convenient to work with a plastic spatula, it helps to spread the mixture evenly, without breaking the delicate glass. A substrate or peat with nutrients is often placed on the bottom to accelerate the start-up of the water system. Heavy stones should be placed on a foam mat, which prevents splits. We fall asleep simple or decorative sand for an aquarium in a container without water, we keep a scapula at the bottom, any pebble from a height is capable to break a surface.
The slope is made to the front wall, the composition with a large fraction is poured from below, and fine sand is laid on top. A common option is a layer of sand behind up to 8 cm, at the front wall - up to 2 cm. If desired, the spatula gives the soil a unique shape or make a layer of soil for the aquarium level. Multilevel compositions are easier to create with the help of stones, dividing the bottom into zones.
How much sand do you need in the aquarium?
It is easy to calculate the amount of soil for the aquarium from the sand by the averaged formula. First, determine the volume of the tank in liters, and then divide the resulting number by 10. It is convenient to weigh the first liter of dry sand to get the desired weight of the soil in kilograms, when you have to buy it in the store. These calculations are approximate, but they help determine the amount of soil in the aquarium needed for fish and growing in the sand of plants.
Care of sand in the aquarium
Fish waste, plant remains and feed contaminate the soil, releasing toxins into the water. For the first time, a siphon is cleaned 30 days after the start of the ecosystem, the rest is done monthly. Muddy water from the sand in the aquarium will not prevent the fish, they do not have to be evacuated. All the sediment can be cleaned with a complete cleaning, but for this purpose you have to remove fish and plants, and wash the sand in running water. A thorough cleaning of the reservoir and soil is carried out once a year.
How to rinse sand for an aquarium?
The task of how to clean the sand in an aquarium is solved by a simple siphon. The tube with the funnel loosens neatly the soil, sand and gravel settles down, and dirt is sucked into the tube. After a few seconds the siphon moves on and the cycle of work repeats. It is necessary to add liquid to the container to restore the desired volume. The turbidity of the water at first may disturb the amateur, but this process is normal and soon the ecosystem is restored.