i currently have gravel in my oscar tank but am thinking of changing over to sand.
what i want to know is what do you use, gravel or sand and what are the benefits from this?
thanks

My preference is definitely sand. Here's why. Any debris/crap will actually lay on top of sand, rather than getting embedded underneath. The only drawback of this is if you are using white sand, obviously you will see the any debris a lot easier than if you are using normal gravel. But I actually think this can also be an advantage, it makes it easier when you are cleaning the sand. You don't need to push the gravel vac into the sand like you do with gravel, so it doesn't take as long to clean sand either.

The drawbacks are sand probably will not harbor as much bacteria as gravel because the surface area of sand is obviously much much smaller than gravel. However, this is hardly going to make a difference to your tank so I shouldn't worry. Also, with sand, it can sometimes get into the filters if the intake pipes are too close to the bottom of the tank, and sometimes the fish can kick stand up.

Sand also comes in different colors and grades as well, if you go to your fish store, they will have all sorts of different type.

I absolutely love sand, I wouldn't have anything else in my tanks. Sounds almost certainly makes for a healthier and cleaner tank because it's so easy to miss debris in gravel. If you use some very good filtration, because the debris sits on top of sand, the filters suck it out that much easier, this does not happen with gravel.

i agree with ofl on this one. i myself have sand in all my tanks and i find it much easier to clean. i also like the look of sand over gravel.

Now im a gravel man myself seeing as Oscars like to dig around in the stuff. Biologically its superior to sand as it can hold lots of friendly bacteria to deal with the waste that Oscars provide. Use it with an under gravel filter in reverse flow and you shouldnt have a great build up of debris in the tank. Oscars digging around in the sand could end up with it in their gills which could become a problem and because sand compacts their is no flow of water through it which could lead to problem areas in the tank. But at the end of the day if its a choice of looks then its up to the individual choice. However if the Oscar had the choice i think he/she would choose gravel.

Gravel for me. I have sand in my discus tank. Some say it is easier to clean than gravel but im not so sure. Put a reverse UGF in and gravel is easier. The good thing about sand is that any fish waste sits on the top so you know you have got it all when cleaning the tank. The bad thing about sand is that fish waster sits on the top of the sand and the tank starts to look dirty a couple days after cleaning the tank

eventually i would like to switch from gravel to black sand. i like gravel but have seen tanks with sand in and i prefere the look:)

i love the look of sand over gravel thats why i want to change, i just wanted to see what other people use and why before i go ahead and change then dont like it lol.
so sand or gravel?

sand

I prefer gravel myself
and I think my Oscars do too...
but I really never asked them
I like watching them dig in the gravel
And my older Oscar makes some pretty neat gravel pyramids

I am using mixture 70% gravel & 30% sand. Sand is my gauge when cleaning the substrates. Once the sand stay on top of the file, it show i fully sucked the substrates & removed dirt/impurities in it. Eventually, as my oscars dig around, gravel will be on top again.

I'd like to use sand too with gravel but whats the best way to keep the sand from clouding the tank and keeping it looking clean and great?

Put first the sand in a basin or bucket, wash until the cloudy effect is gone, put in a plastic bag, fill with water, and slowly submerge it in your tank, then flip up the bottom of the plastic to let go the sand in your tank. The remaining cloudy effect will eventually clear down.