When we are preparing our aquarium we must know that there are elements that have an aesthetic function and another necessary for its operation. However, today we are going to show you an element that serves both to decorate and to be useful in this environment. It's about the gravel for aquariums. Gravel is one of the elements that serves both for decoration and for bacteria to thrive in an ideal ecosystem. In addition, this gravel helps make cleaning the bottom of the aquarium much easier.
In this article we are going to tell you what are the characteristics of aquarium gravel and which are the best on the market.
The best gravel for aquariums
Croci A4000100 White Quartz 1-3 mm
It is a type of white gravel for aquariums that is considered to be of a medium grain size. It serves as a natural substrate to adapt aquariums in a way that resembles a natural environment as much as possible. It is not toxic and does not release carbonates during use.
You can click this article to buy this gravel for aquariums.
Croci A4022203 Aquarium Gravel
This gravel is ideal for those natural aquariums like real plants. It serves to decorate the aquarium since there are types with their color treatments. It is primarily limestone and is not toxic at all during use. It is a somewhat larger type of grain since it has a size of 5 mm.
Click this article to get this type of gravel for aquariums.
Croci A4000132 Noa Gray 4-8 mm
It is a type of white gravel for aquariums that is mainly used to decorate and help in the cleaning of natural aquariums. It is not toxic and does not release carbonates in use. Unlike those mentioned above, it has a coarse grain size.
press this article to buy this gravel for aquariums.
Marina 12496 Gravel, Blue
This type of gravel has the capacity to create a waterscape with a better ornamental appearance. It is one of the best decorative gravels for marine aquariums. The substrate was covered by an epoxy resin that makes the gravel become an inert element in water. In this way, it helps the proper functioning of the aquarium. By making it inert, prevents any chemical alteration of the water.
It is ideal so that they can colonize beneficial bacteria for the growth and development of fish. In addition, it provides biological filtration and healthy water. click this article to get hold of this type of gravel.
Marine Decorative Gravel for Aquarium
This aquarium gravel comes in various quantities. It is dust-free and safe for the proper functioning of the aquarium. It is not toxic during use. Thanks to its composition, it can optimize the colonization of beneficial bacteria for the species. In addition, you can benefit from having clean and healthy water.
Click this article to get this aquarium gravel.
What is gravel used for in an aquarium?
The gravel in an aquarium has several functions that can help it to function properly. First, it helps in ornamentation. An aquarium with gravel has a feeling of being more natural and realistic. For fish it also means an environment more similar to their natural ecosystem. All this increases the aesthetics of our aquarium.
Another use of gravel in an aquarium is to have plants. Natural plants need a substrate to be able to fix and develop. Finally, thanks to the presence of gravel in an aquarium, there are beneficial bacteria for the proper functioning of the water and the general aquarium, which use this gravel to proliferate.
Types of aquarium gravel
There are different types of gravel that are used in aquariums. There are quartz and neutral ones that do not have the ability to alter the parameters of the water. You can also buy calcareous harrows that increase the GH and KH of the water and are ideal for use with African cichlids. Thus, With this gravel that increases these parameters, it is possible to avoid having to artificially increase the hardness of the water.
There are black, white and colored engravings. There are also those that are coated with epoxy. Some are used for freshwater aquariums and others more suitable for marine aquariums.
How to choose gravel based on the type of aquarium
We must choose a type of gravel that allows bacteria to settle correctly. In addition, it must have characteristics of not cracking with the passage of time in order to avoid the turbidity of the water. Another interesting feature when choosing gravel is that it can properly retain heat. However, at the same time, it must be able to dissipate heat to avoid a rise in temperature that could harm the fish.
It is necessary to know if the aquarium is for tropical or cold water fish. The depth of the tank must also be taken into account, since the greater the capacity, the greater the thickness of the gravel must be. Fish are usually more comfortable with loose gravel to stir in and other species prefer a more compressed substrate to rest on.
Which is better, aquarium sand or gravel?
It is one of the questions that people who start in the world of aquariums ask themselves the most. Silica sand is finer and is used for decoration. It must be taken into account that the sand has a grain size of less than 1 mm. Gravel is considered that grain size between 2 and 5 mm. The ideal gravel for aquariums is usually thicker in size. However, we must evaluate what type of aquarium we are going to decorate.
Sand is more decorative than gravel but can become overly compacted. If we want to have an aquarium with real plants, it is better to use gravel so that the plants can develop better. Sand is more suitable if we only want to improve aesthetics.
Calculate the amount of gravel needed in an aquarium
An easy way to calculate how much gravel you need in your aquarium is the following. Multiply the length by the width of the aquarium and by the number of centimeters thick you want to have gravel. I will live that Value within 1000. All the values used in this formula must be in centimeters. This will cause the main value to be given to you in liters.
How to wash aquarium gravel
To wash the gravel from the aquarium you just need to place it in a large and clean sieve and pour water over it. Next we gently agitate and rinse the gravel over a bucket instead of the drain so that it can slide stably. It usually requires several washes.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about gravel for aquariums.