The 10 Best Aquarium Gravel 2022: Reviews & Guide

If you have a water tank in your house, you will know that a great aquarium cannot be made without the help of ideal best aquarium gravel. The gravel helps beautify, arrange, and nourish either your plant or fish. Whether you are looking for gravel perfect for your plant growth, or gravel that colors your fish, there are lots of aquarium gravel to meet your need. We are here to show you how to find the perfect ones and give you a quick list of them.

Factors to Be Considered When Choosing an Aquarium Gravel

Suitable environment

There are different water environments and gravels made for each environment. Although there are gravels that can work in both fresh and salt water, you can choose to buy the one that works specifically for your water. Putting gravel that works in freshwater, in salty water can cause some harsh chemical reaction. Ensure that your chosen gravel suits the water environment.

Gravel design

Aquarium gravel is basically used to beautify the water tank or support life growth in it. If you want your aquarium to be colorful, choose gravel that has different colors and polished smoothly. There are natural and artificial stones. Artificial stones might be so colorful and fascinating but it is mostly coated with a chemical. There are natural stones that are fascinating and beautiful; it is rarely coated with chemical and will not change the water acidic level. In essence, ensure that gravel complements your water tank and not just make it congested.

Gravel depth

After choosing the gravel to buy, you need to know the depth of the gravel need in the water tank. When purchasing gravel, keep in mind the quantity of gravel needed for each gallon of water. So, look at your tank size to know how much water gallons it can hold; then determine the number of bags of gravel to purchase. However, in determining the depth of the gravel, you need to consider the size of the gravel stones. Gravel with bigger stones will not require many bags as those with smaller sizes.

An additional thing to consider is your budget. There is expensive and cheap gravel out there. I know you will want to choose gravel with the lowest price, however, do not compromise quality because of cost. You can still afford relatively cheap and good-quality gravel. Also, it is recommended to choose gravel that is non-toxic. Go for natural gravel; it is safe and does not harm the life in the tank.

Top 10 Best Aquarium Gravel You Can Purchase in the Market

Seachem Flourite Black Clay Gravel

This stable permeable clay gravel suites a natural planted aquarium; its appearance suites planted aquaria but can also be used in freshwater aquarium. You do not need to add gravel modifiers like laterite to your aquarium. It is more suitable when used alone as a basic substrate bed but, at will, can be mixed with other gravel. Setting it up is quite easy: fill water slowly into the aquarium to avoid scattering the gravel laid as a bed. You can place a bowl in the aquarium and pour water gently into it to allow it to flow smoothly into the aquarium. It does not soften nor decompose in the tank.

Pros

• Will not alter the pH of the water
• It does not need to be replaced
• Last long

Cons

• Needs rinsing

Pebbles Aquarium Gravel River Rock [18 Pounds]

This natural gravel is lightly polished for smooth effect; the polishing makes it resist fading and ensure durability. It displays different colors of stones in the water tank. It comes in varieties of color; a different touch of brown, black, white, and off-white. It beautifies the aquarium. It can be used in place of pebble coverings- it is soft on the feet and has no shape edge. You can call this gravel “the natural.” It can be used for indoor and outdoor beautification. Good for any decoration you can think of in the home.

Pros

• Natural stones
• True beauty
• It can be used to touch-up decorations.

Cons

• Might be broken

Carib Sea ACS05820 Super Natural Moonlight Sand

White feels natural in the water. To make the aquarium more beautify, you can add other colors of stones to the tank. Adding this gravel to an existing aquarium or adding other stones to this, creates a great contrast. Beauty, they say is in the eye of the beholder. Its color gives it a natural look, just like the moonlight; that’s why it called the moonlight sand. It can be used in salty and freshwater.

Pros

• No dye or paint
• Made in the USA
• Does not alter the acidic level of water

Cons

• Flows to the water top easily

Spectrastone Shallow Creek Pebble for Freshwater Aquariums

Imagine having some stones that you will normally find in a lonely or not-too-crowded place in your house. This natural gravel is fascinating to the eyes, it has stones with different touch of brown. This aquarium beauty has varieties of stones such as several brownish stones, off-white stones, and kind of black ones too. It is quite rough on the edge: this is to make it feel natural. It’s not coated in chemical so, will not change water pH. It is recommended to be used in a tank with freshwater.

Pros

• Feels natural
• No additive required for water
• Free of dust and debris

Cons

• Big stone size

Imagitarium Snowy River Aquarium Gravel

Imagitarium made this gravel to help stimulate the natural environment for fresh and salty water. The gravel is well treated and meets up standards for safety and health. It helps promote healthy bacteria which breaks down water waste. It’s safe to use- it does not alter acidic levels in the water and does not make an aquarium cloudy. It helps fight and reduce unhealthy debris in the water.

Pros

• It is safe
• Helps fight debris
• Cool colors

Cons

• Quite big stones

Pure Water Pebbles Nature’s Ocean Aquarium Gravel

Have you ever had ‘as white as snow?’ this gravel has stones that are as white as snow. It makes the aquarium have a purely natural feel- as clear as seeing through the water itself. It’s suitable for freshwater and your fish will strive well, living in an aquarium beautified with these stones. Pure Water Pebbles has a 100% acrylic coating. It is non-toxic, colorfast, and will not alter water pH. It’s a good alternative to artificial plastic and rubber ornaments.

Pros

• Safe for fish
• Heat sanitized
• Can come in different color touch

Cons

• Can be dusty

Glow in The Dark Decorative Gravel

We have seen gravels but this is quite different in operation. It glows in the aquarium, whether the light is on or not. The Dark helps to make an aquarium lively even in the dark. It can be used in various ways which include, to make terrazzo, to decorate bar, pool, fish tank, vase, to mark paths, and to set a border for plant bed or ponds. When you receive the package, ensure you put it in the sun for about 30 minutes; this is to charge the stones. After a full charge, it can last up to two or three hours in a dark room.

Pros

• Light up the aquarium
• Can be recharged
• Non-radioactive

Cons

• Harmful for a young child

CNZ Polished Gravel Black 5 Pounds

Black beauty! This product is suitable for interior and exterior decoration, it can be used for vase fillers, walkways, water features, swimming pool, and so on. You can use this gravel as an accent to water gardens, aquariums, pools, and terrariums. It is recommended that you rinse properly before setting in a water tank. Guide: use 2 lbs for one gallon of water

Pros

• Natural blackness
• It is smooth
• Good size and color variation

Cons

• It can make the aquarium cloudy

Activ-Flora Floracor for Aquarium

This gravel is suitable for a plant aquarium. It does not contain artificial dyes or additives. It’s healthy for the proper growth and development of your plant. It does not alter the pH of the water. The active-flora gravel is rich in iron and does not need laterite. These natural spherical grains promotes maximum diffusion.

Pros

• Creates a unique and colorful environment
• No laterite needed
• Easy to use

Cons

• Not easy to get the residue out

Pure Water Pebbles Aquarium Gravel, 5-Pound

Blue is a cool color that beautifies things- It is a sign of creativity. The gravel is made to suite well in pure or freshwater. It is one of the best gravel for premium freshwater substrates. Its color is blue; decorate the aquarium well. You will be glad to have this gravel in your water tank. Pure Water Pebbles does not have a chemical coating, that is, it will not alter the pH of the water. It has a 100% acrylic coating. It can be used in the following environment: ponds, freshwater, vases, ashtrays, gardens, terrariums, and so on.

Pros

• Non-chemical coating
• Beautifies the water tank
• It is versatile

Cons

• Dye washes off

Conclusion

Create a good base for your aquarium by decorating it with good aquarium gravel. Aquarium gravel can be used for all forms of decoration. Your fish can live comfortably and can give your plant a healthy environment to grow. You can consider the buying guide above when choosing gravel to fill your aquarium.