When we choose to have an aquarium we must take into account certain recommendations to ensure that life within it is the most appropriate for the subsistence of our small fish.
Within these recommendations, is the type of substrate for your aquarium , taking into account if it will contain plants, size and type of fish, since these have characteristics that are specific to each one of them.
Type of substrates.
There are different types of substrates but in this case we will refer to sand and gravel due to their low cost and because they are the easiest to use, however both have their pros and cons, you should have a wide knowledge of the characteristics, properties and benefits offered by each of them when deciding on either of them.
Characteristics of the sand.
The sand has the advantage of keeping the plants alive and giving your aquarium a tropical look, because the roots of the plants remain fixed, preventing them from moving, which allows them to survive.
The sand becomes difficult when cleaning, since the sand particles are made up of grains as small as a grain of sugar, when cleaning with a siphon , an approximate distance of 1 inch should be maintained above the sand, because direct contact with it would cause clouds of sand that could cause the death of the fish.
When the substrate is sand, debris has the advantage that it does not sink to the bottom since there are no spaces for water to circulate or for bacteria to settle.
This substrate is useful if you have bottom sweepers, as it is very soft and does not hurt their mouths and appendages as they dig for food. It is also recommended if you have invertebrate fish species, which burrow for cover, or for sea cucumbers, which ingest substrate to extract nutrients.
Types of sands:
There are several types of sand for your aquarium on the market, each with specific characteristics depending on the varieties of fish and whether they are freshwater or saltwater.
There are the play sands or silver sand, silica sand or filter sand, aquarium sand, sea sand, beach sand
Characteristics of the gravel.
It has the advantage that it does not have sharp edges or points that can harm the fish. The ideal size of the gravel is 3-4 mm. Which allows the circulation of water through it for biological filtering by bacteria
The largest stones do not allow the settlement of bacteria, so when choosing the substrate for your aquarium you should choose the small stones. Likewise, it is advisable to acquire them in light colors or white, which makes it easier to observe the state of dirt or cleanliness of the aquarium, in addition, the filter must be installed under the gravel and not under the sand.
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