An aquarium is not a new hobby but it has been around for a long time. A beautiful aquarium not only helps hobbyists to satisfy their passion, but it also becomes an eye-catching decoration for your living space.
However, there are many things that you must invest in your aquarium, one of which is the substrate. It may be gravel, marble or earth, but the most common is still sand.
The use of sand for aquariums has many benefits as it is common in many natural fish habitats and it also allows you to clean easily, and of course, it also provides an appearance. beautiful for aquarium.
There are so many sands for aquarium products on the market today that you may not easily choose the best one. So we helped save you time by preparing a list of best aquarium sand and how you can make the best choice.
Our Top Picks for the best aquarium sand 2021
Best Rated Aquarium Sand: Caribsea Super Naturals Aquarium Sand
“This is the best natural sand we can find on the market today, it converges enough factors to become the best aquarium sand such as quality, price, and flexibility.”
Best Filtration: Carib Sea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink Sand
“The product was created by zoologists focused on cleaning the living environment of the residents in the tank, containing dozens of beneficial bacteria to help filter the quality of the water in the tank.”
Best White Sand: Nature’s Ocean No.0 Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Live Sand
“If you are a fan of white aquarium sand, this product is a wise choice for you. It works very well in the role of a substrate.”
Best For Plant Growing: Flourite Black Sand
“This product is porous clay, which can provide a favorable habitat for the growth of plants in the tank, not only that but it also contributes to reducing other waste.”
Best Budget: Carib Sea Ocean Direct Substrates
“This is a good quality natural substrate, accompanied by a combo of coral and instant ocean sea salt for a price you can afford.”
Best For Small Aquarium: Stoney River White Aquatic Sand
“The product is packed in 5-pound bags, ideal for small-sized aquariums.”
Best Black Sand: U.P. Aqua Shrimp Sand
“This black sand not only gives a special appearance to the aquarium but also plays an important role in keeping the water in the tank clean and clear.”
Top 7 best aquarium sand Review 2021
#1 Caribsea Super Naturals Aquarium Sand
If you are looking for freshwater aquarium sand for your aquarium then don’t miss this product. Caribsea Super Naturals Aquarium Sand is versatile sand that can be used for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums.
Besides, this substrate is completely natural sand, does not contain any chemicals or dyes so that you can safely use it. This is a neutral pH product so you don’t have to worry about the pH of the sand affecting the fish’s habitat.
It also comes in a variety of colors for you to choose from, white sand with the Crystal River option to black sand from Tahitian Moon – a good choice when you’re looking for black aquarium sand. As mentioned above, these types of sand do not contain any coloring so it is very safe, you can freely choose the right color for the setup and decorations in your aquarium.
The product also comes with a variety of weight options such as 5, 20 and 50 pounds, of which each pound is a gallon of water.
However, this natural sand is not ideal for the growth of plants in the tank, so instead of living plants, you should use artificial plants for the aquarium.
#2 Carib Sea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink Sand
Carib Sea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink Sand is a type of sand that will help you solve the problems of marine algae and waste for your aquarium. It can be said that this is a good working product and designed in a quality way by zoologists.
This is an attractive product because it does not contain any toxic chemicals and always maintains at an average pH. Not only that but it also contains many beneficial bacteria, capable of reducing the waste of fish and other organisms. Therefore, it also contributes to keeping the tank environment clean and preventing the occurrence of algae.
This product also has the ability to create a good growth environment for corals and some other plants in the growing tank. However many people complain that this sand can create sand clouds every time you clean, but it only appears for a short time, not for long.
#3 Nature’s Ocean No.0 Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Live Sand
If you are looking for the best white aquarium sand for your saltwater aquarium, don’t miss this product. This is one of the best options available to you today that you can easily own for a reasonable price.
This is a completely natural white sand from the ocean and does not use any chemicals to clean it so that it does not affect the habitat of fish and other creatures. This also means that saltwater residents will live in the most natural-like environment.
This product also contains beneficial marine bacteria that prevent the growth of algae and pathogenic bacteria, and it can also destroy the structure of waste products. You can add fish immediately after the sand is added to the tank as it can operate immediately when exposed to water.
Nature’s Ocean No.0 Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Live Sand maintains a balanced pH, creating the best conditions for marine life to grow in the best way. However, it cannot be used in freshwater environments.
#4 Flourite Black Sand
Flourite Black Sand is one of the best black aquarium sand options available on the market today. This product has received much appreciation from consumers because of its high applicability and quality.
This product is porous clay, which not only creates the safest natural habitat for freshwater fish but also creates the best conditions for plant growth. As the name says it all, the substrate is porous enough to help the roots of plants attach to as well as enough nutrients to provide essential nutrients for plants.
You can also mix this black sand with other substrates like stone and gravel to reinforce the structure of the aquarium without affecting the growth of the organisms at all.
And like the sand above, this product also maintains a stable pH so it does not affect the environment in the aquarium. However, you cannot use this best black aquarium sand for saltwater aquariums.
#5 Carib Sea Ocean Direct Substrates
Yes, and another Carib Sea product continues to appear on this list. This proves that this is the brand that brings the best quality products to users.
Carib Sea Ocean Direct Substrates is one of the best aquarium sand for saltwater tanks. This product is ocean sand and is packed with seawater to best preserve the beneficial bacteria. Therefore, you will feel the sand is quite wet when you open the bag.
The well-preserved bacteria in the sand will play a good role in preventing algae growth in the water. Besides, it also plays an important role in removing waste in the tank, maintaining a clean living space for organisms.
And of course, it does not contain any toxic substances and maintains a stable pH like previous products of Carib Sea. This product comes with corals and instant ocean sea salt as a very affordable combo.
#6 Stoney River White Aquatic Sand Freshwater and Marine Aquariums
This is aquarium sand that can be used in freshwater tanks and can be used in ocean tanks, so it is a flexible choice for those who want to find versatile sand. And this sand is the natural sand taken from the Stoney River, which is naturally white completely without any detergent.
This substrate consists of silica and does not affect the pH of the water so fish and other organisms do not die. Besides, Stoney River White Aquatic Sand has a safe coating so it does absolutely no harm to fish.
Although white may not stand out in other colors, it is quite safe and a basic color for you to easily set up other accessories.
This product is packed in 5-pound bags so it is extremely suitable for small size aquariums, this is also an economical option for beginners.
#7 U.P. Aqua Shrimp Sand
U.P. Aqua Shrimp Sand can be said to be one of the best black sand for your aquarium. These black sand grains are uniform in size, quite light and can last a very long time. It also has the ideal texture to keep plants in the tank.
This substrate is not easily destroyed structure like some other types of black sand, but you should not be exposed to it too rough. Pour sand directly into the tank after opening the bag without using your hands to pick the sand. This will minimize damage to the structure of the sand.
This product also does not cause blurring of water or dust clouds when acting on it.
What to consider when buying the best aquarium sand?
Before buying any item, the first thing you should do is list the criteria you should consider before buying. Doing this will not only help you choose the best one but can also prevent your wasteful investment in worse products.
For aquarium sand, we have listed out some of the criteria that you should consider before buying:
#1 Types
The aquarium sand is also classified and each has its advantages and disadvantages. The three main types of aquarium sand are:
Play sand:
This is the most common type of sand used for aquariums. The play sand is usually finely textured to avoid hurting the tank residents when exposed to it.
However, not all play sand products have a quality texture to ensure fish safety. So you should choose the type of play sand has a smooth texture when touching does not cause irritation, and the product should not create dust clouds when fish go inside.
Specialty sand:
This type of aquarium sand is of the best quality and is specifically designed to keep tank creatures safe while maintaining the tank at a stable pH and having the ability to clean the tank.
However, this is the most expensive aquarium sand of all.
Pool sand or White sand:
This type of white sand has good structure, sand grains are uniform in size and do not affect the habitat of the fish. However, it is not appreciated by the simple white color, unable to accentuate the aquarium.
#2 Size
The aquarium sand has its own size and you should also choose the size of sand particles based on the hobby of the tank residents.
Some species prefer to burrow into the sand to burrow or hide, but some prefer larger sand grains. You can also mix different sized sand to please the residents of the tank.
#3 Filtering ability
You should choose aquarium sand containing beneficial bacteria, capable of removing the dirt, waste in the aquarium. Such products will make the cleaning of your aquarium a lot simpler.
Aquarium sand with such good water filtration will usually cost slightly more than regular sand but it is worth your investment.
#4 pH balance
The pH is a very important factor and directly affects the tank living environment of residents. Not all species require the same pH, so you should research this information carefully before buying aquarium sand.
Some types of sand can raise the pH, some types can lower the pH and some do not cause any effect on the pH. Therefore, you should choose the type of sand suitable for the pH in the tank you need.
Conclusion
The aquarium sand is one of the indispensable elements for your aquarium. It also plays a huge role in maintaining a clean and stable living environment for tank residents.
Choosing the best aquarium sand is a job that requires serious research, so you should learn and consider a few factors before deciding to avoid wasteful investments.