Can someone help??

[NoFishingAllowed]

My tank has been up and running for 9 weeks. After seeing everyones response on my clown puke gravel (idk what the big deal is??) but I am thinking of switching to sand. I like the look of the sand. Can I do that or will I have to go thru the cycle thing again?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

It would remove some of the bacteria in the substrate, but it shouldn't impact it that badly. Usually it's all in the filter.

 

[librarygirl]

It shouldn't have that much of an impact, but it might throw you into a mini-cycle for a few days. You could change out half, test the water for a few days and if it's OK, do the other half. Or you could do it all at once but just test the water daily for a week to be sure there's no spikes in ammonia or nitrite. It should be fine though. Just rinse the sand very well before you put it in. Even then you may get some temporary cloudiness; it's normal and the sand will settle after a bit, but the more you can rinse it beforehand the less issue you'll have once you get it in there.