Aquarium Gravel

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The most common place you will find aquarium gravel is in freshwater fish tank setups. Saltwater tanks on the other hand usually comprise of different types of sand and large rocks. Either way, the substrate supports other things that you put in the tank such like plants and decorations. In fact, for live plants it not only provides them a place to anchor their roots in to but it supplies them with other types of nutrients found deep below. With that being said, let’s look at some things you need to think about before you rush off to the store to buy some aquarium gravel.

If you are new to the aquarium hobby then you probably won’t be familiar with some of the more scientific and chemical side of things. There are many bacteria that live on the bottom of your fish tank that provide a vital role is keeping things in check. These bacteria will eat waste and break down more harmful chemicals that are created by other living organisms in the aquarium.

To be beneficial it is important to have a couple of inches of aquarium gravel so that the bacteria can thrive. The recommended amount of gravel per liter is usually about 3kg for every 10L of water. Of course this is not going to be completely accurate and should only be used as a guide. Also depending on the fish or other life you have in your aquarium, some will require a deeper bed of gravel to burry themselves in or build nests.

If you have live aquarium plants you may want to put extra gravel around them so that their roots have a good chance to extend and grow out. Not only will the plants be healthy but they will also provide more oxygen and cleaning ability for your aquarium.

As I mentioned in the beginning, there are different types of gravel for your tank. Sand is not usually used for freshwater aquariums because it is more difficult to clean and take care of. More commonly, quartz and other synthetic gravels are used. These types are coarser than sand and allow for better water flow all the way to the glass bottom. One thing to keep in mind is that you really should use aquarium gravel and not gravel you buy at a home improvement store or from outside. Even when buying gravel for aquariums you will have to make sure it is fully rinsed off before using it. Any sort of dust and other harmful things may get mixed in the water. Not to mention that over time some of the other types of gravel will leech chemicals in to the water killing all life inside it.

Buying aquarium gravel isn’t difficult because it is pretty fool proof. When you are comparing gravel in the pet store be sure to read the directions on how to use it and the types of setups it’s used for. If you are unsure, ask a pet store salesperson. Using the wrong gravel may end up costing your pets lives.