New Tank - Questions

[rhansme]

My main question is about the substrate. In my 55 gl I am using a natural color gravel and lots of rocks/slate for my fishy friends. They have been doing just fine and the Blue Kenyi female is on her 3rd set of juvies. I am approaching the max bio load I want to put on my 55, so I have been looking and found a new home. It is a 125 gal tank I think .(72L x 18W x ?H) and I am thinking about putting a sand substrate in this new home. I have heard about pool filter sand, and that it can be purchased easily from the likes of Home Depot or Lowes, etc. My main question is how hard is it to gravel/vac the sand substrate without having a sink full of the substrate after each cleaning?

Current inventory of fish are:
2 adult Blue Kenyi
2 juvie Blue Kenyi
4 Kenyi Fry - 1/2" long now
1 Big ole Bumble Bee Bully
2 Yellow labs
2 Tiger Barbs
1 Pleco

I am going to leave the 2 tiger barbs in the 55 and put the rest into the new tank after it has cycled. The 55 will become my wifes tank and she likes less aggressive critters. So more fake plants and tetras, silver dollars
etc.

So what say forum?

[Voodoo Chilli]

IMO, sand is much easier to clean than gravel. Simply hold the end of the gravel vac near the sand's surface; the waste will get sucked in and the sand stays put.