hi all
setting up a new tank at the moment as i mentioned in a previous post, was wondering tho about using sand as a bottom instead of stones as i have now.
i like the look of sand but am basicly wondering bout cleaning mantanince ect? will a syphon suck out sand to? will it affect my plants or fish or could it affect my water conditions?
hope this is'nt a stupid question, thanks for any advice

Sand does look nice but it is a bit higher maintenance than gravel. It needs to be thoroughly stirred weekly to prevent anaerobic areas from forming, and because any waste food/fish poo just sits on the surface you either end up syphoning it off daily or more frequently or having to put up with it not looking tidy.

There's a knack to syphoning the muck off without sucking up the sand. Basically you have to hold the syphon an inch or so above the sand and swirl it around to get the muck off the bottom. If you do accidentally suck some sand up you can rinse it and put it back.

Plants don't root as well in sand and there's less food for them so often people put a planting substrate underneath.

Whether to have it or not is down to personal choice really unless you intend keeping certain species' who need the softness it provides : Cories, catfish, Loaches, eartheaters etc.

thanks fishlady, i wouldnt mind the extra work and i do think it looks nicer and more natural so i think i might give it a try

From my experiences with sand, I'd really emphasise the need to stir it up thoroughly and frequently to avoid anaerobic patches. Some Malaysian trumpet snails will help with this too.