Changing to sand from black gravel???

[Gordinho80]

Hello all...

I have 2 tanks set up right now, a 55 gal and a 10 gal...i am running Aqua Clear filters in both with Undergravel filters...i have done much reading on here and have noticed that UGFs usually do more bad then good...i have decided to remove the UGFs...while doing this, I was also thinking of changing my black gravel to play sand from Home Depot...can i place this in my tanks with my Aqua Clears with and have no adverse effects? I have always loved the way sand aquariums look and I have wanted to do this for a long time...

my 55 gal is currently fish-less and my 10 gal has 2 African Dwarf Frogs, 2 Yellow Guppies, 1 Male Betta, and 1 pleco...

if there are no issues with doing this, how much sand would i need for each tank?

thanks in advance...
Mario

 

[penpitt]

I'm not sure how fine playsand is but the thing you need to worry about is finer particles of sand staying suspended in the water and your filters sucking it up and into the impeller.Make sure you rinse the sand real well and maybe put some pantyhose over your filter intakes. You could also run a sponge filter for a week or so prior to the change(to get it seeded) and then for a few days afterwards until all the finer particles have sunk.

 

[whitetiger_CJ]

I would not go to a hardware store to buy the sand, but if you choose to rinse them well, and when you add fish, choose a cheap fish to see if it is safe, one inch above the lip of the tank would be a good amount.

 

[Gordinho80]

pardon my ignorance in this matter...that is why i'm asking here...but how would i rinse the sand?

also, would Petco or Petsmart have the sponge filter? should i have the filter off while the sand settles? if i let the sand settle while the filter is off, i shouldnt have a problem with little particles getting sucked up, right?

How do you think African Dwarf Frogs would do in a sand tank? They are my main concern as far as the current residents...i dont think the guppies or the betta would have a problem as they are usually towards the top of the tank...the pleco should be fine considerring the LFS had sand in the tank that he was in before i bought him...

i have also read about mixing up the sand to prevent anerobic pockets and have read that burrowing snails can usually do this for you...what are these snails called so i can look for them at the lfs and online?

thanks again...
Mario

 

[Pufferpunk]

Although if rinsed well, playsand is fine to use in aquariums, I find that sand can be a PITA to keep clean in a large tank. It must be turned over weekly (even under all decor & plants), or toxic gasses build up in it. In a 55g, that's work.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Rinsing sand is best accomplished in a pillow case, just throw it in, run water into it and shake while the water is running through it. when it's clear running, then put it in the tank, try smaller batches of 25lbs or so at a time.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I have also run into problems w/my Aquaclear filters picking up sand when I stir it. (I only have it in 1 15g tank, for a puffer that likes to burrow in it.) When I stirred the sand to clean it, it got picked up by the filter & ruined the impeller. I now keep a sponge on the end of the intake.

 

[Gordinho80]

do you happen to have a pic of the sponge? i would like to see how this looks...thanks...Mario

 

[Pufferpunk]

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=24733;category_id=2565

 

[shawmutt]

As far as how much sand you need, check the link from this website:

Sand bed depth calculator

 

[Pufferpunk]

Is that for SW? Cause in SW sand beds, don't you need creatures to turn it over? In FW there are no such creatures, so you need to do this by hand, weekly.

 

[severum mama]

If you are worried about finer particles of sand and your filter, then you may want to scrap the play sand idea. I got a 50 pound bag of pool filter sand for 10 bucks at a pool supply store and it's great. The PFS has pretty large grains and it never gets near my filter (Emperor 400). It was super easy to rinse (not very dusty at all) and I didn't have to wait for it to settle at all (I did anyway just because it was a new tank, but it wasn't necessary). I just rinsed it in a bucket until the water ran clear. It looks great if you want a light colored substrate.

 

[Gordinho80]

thanks for the info...i picked up 2 50lb bags at a pool supply store today for $5.99 each! I will be rinsing it out tomorrow then setting up my tank shortly after...i cant wait to see how it looks...i have been thinking of adding one of those little 5" blue lobsters to the tank once this is done...i'm sure he'll love the sand...

i also picked up a sponge prefilter to place over the intake tube...gonna see how this works out...

i'll post pics as soon as its all up and running...

thanks again...
Mario

 

[Gordinho80]

quick question...regarding moving the sand around...i am most likely placing a blue lobster in the tank, the little 5" fella...would this guy help out as far as moving around the and to prevent the gas build up? also, what other fish or inverts could assist me in this manner?

thanks...
Mario

 

[Pufferpunk]

Sorry but in FW, you must do this yourself by hand, weekly. Why do you think I have been discouraging you?