Gravel Calculator

Home / Aquarium

How Much Gravel for a 75 Gallon Tank?

A standard 75 gallon tank measures 48 × 18 × 21 inches. A 2-inch gravel bed takes about 105 lb. Change the depth or gravel weight below.

in
in
gal
in
Aquarium Nexus recommends 1 to 2 inches.
lb/cu ft
Engineering ToolBox lists dry gravel at 105 lb per cu ft.
lb

Enter your numbers and press Calculate.

Gravel for a 75 gallon tank by depth

DepthGravelVolumeLb per gallon
1 in52 lb15 qt0.70
1.5 in79 lb22 qt1.05
2 in105 lb30 qt1.40
3 in158 lb45 qt2.10

Footprint × depth, at 105 lb per cubic foot of dry gravel (Engineering ToolBox).

Aquarium Nexus recommends 1 to 2 inches of gravel, which it puts at about 1 to 2 pounds per gallon. For this tank, 1 to 2 inches works out to 0.70 to 1.40 lb per gallon.

Working it out

Pounds = length × width × depth (in) ÷ 1,728 × 105

The 48 × 18 inch footprint is 864 square inches. At 2 inches deep that is 1728 cubic inches, or 1.00 cubic feet, which weighs about 105 lb. Sand and fine gravel weigh more per cubic foot; plant soils weigh less.

Common questions

How many pounds of gravel for a 75 gallon tank?

About 52 lb for 1 inch or 105 lb for 2 inches.

What are the dimensions of a 75 gallon tank?

48 × 18 × 21 inches for the standard size; brands vary slightly.

Sources

  • https://topshelfaquatics.com/pages/aquarium-size-chart
  • https://www.aquariumnexus.com/?p=2960
  • https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/dirt-mud-densities-d_1727.html