One of the most common varieties of aquarium soil is coarse sand. Its popularity is due to the fact that it not only carries an aesthetic load, but also serves as a nutrient substrate for underwater vegetation. After reading the article, you will learn about the main features of this material.
Existing varieties
Modern pet stores offer a wide range of similar products, so fish lovers have the opportunity to choose the most suitable option. To date, several types of aquarium sand can be purchased, including quartz and river sand.
In addition, the so-called aragonite can be found on sale. It is an unusually spectacular white natural material obtained from mollusk shells and coral fragments. Its main value lies in the ability to automatically maintain the normal acidity of sea water. During the dissolution of aragonite inthe aquarium receives a high concentration of strontium, magnesium and calcium.
Another fairly popular type of soil is black sand. The composition of this material contains the smallest grains of heavy minerals. This sand has no effect on the hardness of the aquarium water. It appears due to the natural washing out of light light rocks.
The main advantages and disadvantages of such soil
It should be noted that coarse-grained sand, often used as an aquarium substrate, contributes to the creation of favorable living conditions for fish. The use of this soil allows you to recreate the environment as close to natural as possible.
In addition, this material greatly facilitates the process of cleaning the bottom of the aquarium, protecting the substrate from the penetration of organic waste. Also coarse-grained sand contributes to better rooting of algae. Plus, it provides greater softness of the water. It is also important that many fish like to dig in loose soil located at the bottom of the aquarium.
Before backfilling such soil, it must be pre-treated. As a rule, it comes down to a fairly long rinse with clean water. Due to the fact that all debris will float to the surface, you will need to clean the aquarium frequently. In addition, when choosing a substrate, it should be taken into account that some of its varieties affect the chemical parameters of water.
What requirements must sand meet?
Rivercoarse-grained substrate should be approximately the same size. Otherwise, you will not be able to avoid its caking. It is important that the diameter of the grains is more than one and a half centimeters. Smaller grains of sand will slow down the metabolic processes that take place in the soil. As a result, acidification of the substrate or rotting of the roots of aquatic plants may occur.
It is very important that the coarse sand you choose is safe for the inhabitants of the aquarium. In addition, many experts recommend purchasing a dark substrate, as fish become less expressive against the background of a spectacular white substrate.
How to disinfect natural material?
It should be understood that coarse sand extracted from a quarry or from a natural reservoir is subject to mandatory processing. This will protect the inhabitants of your aquarium from the ingress of pathogenic microflora. To date, several methods of disinfection are known. This can be done by baking the sand in the oven.
Water and potassium permanganate are added to a bucket filled with natural material. This must be done until the liquid acquires a dark red hue. After forty-eight hours, the contents of the bucket should be rinsed under running water.
Helpful tips
Do not use in the aquarium any natural substrate that releases various soluble substances into the water. Such soils cannot fully replace coarse-grained sand. There should be enough plants in the aquarium tothey provided a comfortable existence for other inhabitants, but they may not be satisfied with the shell rock or marble that is at the bottom. The fact is that these minerals contain a large amount of calcium carbonate, which eventually dissolves in a mildly acidic environment and increases water hardness.
In the process of cleaning the substrate, you must proceed with extreme caution. Otherwise, there is a risk of inadvertent destruction of the colony of beneficial microorganisms, as a result of which a sharp increase in the concentration of nitrites and ammonia in the aquarium water can occur.
It is important that the size of the sand be commensurate with the parameters of the fish. In modern practice, there are cases when the inhabitants of the aquarium swallowed too small particles of the substrate.
If you plan to breed not only fish, but also algae, then when laying the soil, it is recommended to add fertilizers necessary for the normal life of plants.
