If you are planning on adding sand to your tank, it’s important that you know how much you need. Obviously, the amount of sand you’ll need will depend on the size of your tank. In today’s article, I will discuss how much sand you need for a 75 gallon tank.
How much sand do you need for a 75 gallon tank?
Depending on how much depth you want, you will need anywhere from 40 to 80 pounds of sand to cover a 75 gallon tank.
40 pounds of sand for a 75 gallon tank
Once I got my 75 gallon tank, I went to Petco for sand. Since I could only buy as much as I could carry, I got two 20 pound bags. While aquarium sand is usually pretty expensive, I feel like mine was reasonably priced. The total cost of the two 20 pound bags was $50.
When I got home, I poured the sand into the tank and spread it across the bottom. Below you can see what a 75 gallon tank looks like with 40 pounds of sand.
As you can see, the 40 pounds of sand gave me about a 1/2 depth in my 75 gallon tank. Now if you are only keeping fish or a small turtle, I think a 1/2 inch depth of sand is enough.
While the sand does move around a bit, it never created an holes in the substrate so that I could see the bottom of the tank. It did create small little ridges (as you can see below), but I thought it gave my tank a cool aesthetic.
If you like the look of this sand, you can check it out in my article on the best sand for a turtle tank.
Was 40 pounds of sand enough for a 75 gallon tank?
While I probably would have gotten a little more sand if I could have, I do think 40 pounds was enough. As I mentioned earlier, it was enough to cover up the bottom of my tank completely.
Even when my turtle plays around in the sand, it is still enough to cover up the bottom. Here is a cute photo of my turtle Penny.
80 pounds of sand for a 75 gallon tank
If you are able to get 80 pounds of sand, it should be able to cover your 75 gallon tank with at least one inch of depth. This will make it a little easier to stick ornaments or plants into the substrate.
Things to keep in mind when adding sand
There are a couple things you should keep in mind when you add the sand to your aquarium. Depending on the type and brand of the sand, you may need to wash it before you put it in your aquarium. If you skip this step, it can cause your tank to be cloudy for a couple days. It can also cause damage to your filter.
Washing the sand beforehand can also help prevent your aquarium sand from floating.
Don’t put too much sand
While you can always add more sand, it’s important that you don’t overdo it. I suggest that you don’t have more than 3 to 4 inches of depth. This is for a couple reasons.
For one, since sand weighs more than water, adding more sand will increase the overall weight of your tank. This means you should make sure that your tank stand is able to handle the extra weight. Also keep in mind that it will be a little harder to move your tank if you ever need to.
Additionally, the more sand you have, the more maintenance you will need to do. Waste and uneaten food will find its way to the very bottom of the tank, so it will take longer cleaning the sand if you have more of it.
It’s also important to know that sand can effect the pH level and water chemistry of your water. For example, some types of sand can increase the calcium level in your water. The good news is that this usually only affects the water temporarily.
While this will probably be fine for a turtle, this can cause harm if you have sensitive fish.
Adding sand to a 75 gallon tank
As you can see, the amount of sand you need for a 75 gallon tank will depend on how much depth you want. If you want to go for the bare minimum, you can cover your 75 gallon tank with a 1/2 inch of depth with 40 pounds of sand.
If you want an inch of sand on the bottom, you will need around 80 pounds of sand.
