Starting a sand bed in an established tank

[amesdrew]

Today, I am going to go look at Meijer for Pool Filter Sand, I have heard about a grade of 20 so it is heavy and my loaches will be able to play in it. With that said I would like to know the best way to remove gravel and replace it with sand??

I plan on doing a PWC before starting any of this...

I ask because I have a 2 week old aquaclear 50, that should be pretty well cycled by now.(Which I will turn off while adding sand but how long?)

But I am still nervous about removing the gravel due to losing so much bacteria surface area.

If anyone can shoot me advice on this to help me not lose any fish or plants, I would appreciate it.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Effectively all of your nitrtifying bacteria are in your filter, not in your gravel.

I wouldn't use PFS at all, it is not made for aquariums and I have talked to too many people who have had problems with it.

Vacuum the gravel very well today and again tomorrow. After the vacuum tomorrow, turn off your filters, remove the gravel, add the sand, get the sand to settle, refill the tank, and start the filters back up. Be ready to do water changes every day if it is really cloudy. Be ready to change the media in your filters.

 

[amesdrew]

Ok, I didn't find any today anyhow.

What would you suggest then Fishguy? I just want to find something that the loaches can play in, the lowlight plants I have will grow in, and isn't to light to kick sand into my filter and ruin the media. I have back up sponges just in case too.

 

[amesdrew]

Ok, I didn't find any today anyhow.

What would you suggest then Fishguy? I just want to find something that the loaches can play in, the lowlight plants I have will grow in, and isn't to light to kick sand into my filter and ruin the media. I have back up sponges just in case too.

 

[Fishguy2727]

I only use and recommend Estes' Ultra Reef. It is not a true marine sand (not calcium based) so is freshwater safe. It comes in black, white, blue, and beige. I prefer either solid black or the black and white mixed. Most shops don't carry it but can get it in, ask for it by name (aka Estes' Marine Sand) and offer to prepay for it and they should not turn down money.

 

[Little Stinkpots]

i have sand from lowes in my tank with my turtles and 2 catfish. i know hundereds of people that use sand from lowes or home depot. all you do is rinse the sand in a bucket out side. take a bucket fill it from 1/3 to 1/2 of full sand and stick a hose in to the bottom of the bucket and let it run for 20 min or so. every 5 min stir the sand around with the hose. do that with every bit of sand you put in the tank its a pain in the butt, but it looks good. i put the sand in the tank before the water then ran the hose from outside so i didnt have to pour it in if you can use a hose then the water wont be cloudy

 

[mommytron]

I wouldn't use PFS at all, it is not made for aquariums and I have talked to too many people who have had problems with it.

i'm curious as to what kind of problems you have heard of with PFS? everyone i have talked to with it loves it. myself included. it's incredibly inexpensive, looks great, is a large enough grain to be vacuumed like gravel and doesn't cloud up whatsoever (just make sure to rinse very well before putting it in your tank!) i haven't heard any problems or complaints concerning pool filter sand. i would 100% recommend it.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Not all sands are equal, it isn't made for aquarium use so you don't have quality control (one brand or type can be very different from another, and even the same type could vary from batch to batch). I have had some people try to clean it for hours and hours, give up, put it in the tank, and after a week of looking at a cloud they pulled it back out. Others have had the silica from it increase the silicates in the water column and give them brown algae worse than any algae outbreak they have ever had.

It also only comes in effectively one color. The type I prefer gives options. It is nice and cheap, but the aquarium sand I prefer runs about the same cost as gravel, so it does cost more, but is far from expensive. I have it in my 150, 75, and every other tank. It also requires no cleaning, just dump it in.