Aquarium Sand Calculator Tool

Our aquarium sand calculation tool allows you to quickly determine how many liters or kilograms of sand you need for your aquarium. Simply fill in the required fields and click the “Calculate Sand” button.

Aquarium Sand Calculator

How To Use The Aquarium Sand Calculation Tool?

To calculate how many liters and kilograms of sand you need for your aquarium setup, follow the steps below:

Select the type of sand: Assuming you will use gravel, select the gravel option from the choices available in the calculator.

Enter the dimensions of your aquarium: Measure the length and depth of your aquarium. Let’s assume the length is 50 cm, the depth is 30 cm, the desired sand height is 3 cm, and the sand type is gravel.

The aquarium sand calculation tool determines the required amount of sand: Given the measurements and sand type mentioned above, you will need 4.50 liters (7.65 kg) of gravel.

What are the Types of Aquarium Sand?

There are many different types of aquarium sands available, allowing you to choose between various substrates. The choice of aquarium sand is crucial for a beautiful appearance, clean water values, healthy plants, and fish. The most common types of aquarium sand are:

Active Plant Sands: Clay-based plant sands are specifically designed to support the growth of live plants. Such sands help plant roots breathe and balance the water’s pH. Some of these sands also contain elements that can meet the needs of live plants. Examples include; Jbl Manado, Tropica Aquarium Soil.

Silica Sands: Silica sands have a fine-grained and dense structure. Silica sand is particularly ideal for bottom-dwelling fish. For example, fine quartz sand.

Gravel and Stones: Gravels and stones are larger-grained and typically have flat or rounded shapes. Such substrates provide better circulation at the bottom and promote the growth of beneficial bacterial colonies. Examples include; coarse river sand, lava fragment sand.

Shell and Coral Fragment: Shell and coral sand are carbonate-based substrates commonly chosen for marine aquariums. These kinds of sands help support the water’s pH and calcium levels. Broken shell sand and coral sand fall under this category.

Aquarium Sand Calculation Formula

Determining how many liters and kilograms of sand you need for your aquarium is essential for a correct setup.

The formula to calculate the amount of sand for an aquarium is: 1000/(L×W×SH)

Where:

L = Length

W = Width (or Depth)

SH = Sand height

For example; for an aquarium of 50 cm in length and 40 cm in depth, if you want 3 cm high silica sand, using the formula above, the result would be 6.00 liters (9.00 kg) of sand.

The result will vary depending on the type of sand. There are both volume and weight differences between silica sand and gravel. Therefore, for accurate calculation, you should choose the type of sand you will use from the options provided.

FAQ

How High Should the Water Be in a Planted Aquarium?

While the height of the sand can vary depending on factors like plant type and design, as a standard, there should be at least 4-5 cm of sand height.