redoing substrate?

[cyris69]

I'm curious is it worth getting rid of fluorite for something like sand or gravel? my bottom dwellers and snails constantly stir up the fluorite dust and makes me need to do constant filter cleanings.

I have a dirt test tank that is thriving.it's just 2 inches of miracle grow organic and an inch of play sand. I just don't like having to poke the substrate often to release all the gases which are fowl.

Can I just use sand with root tabs and dry ferts or maybe use top soil not organic. I'm thinking about doing this tomorrow but not looking forward to replanting a very heavily planted tank.

Any suggestions or help would be great.also can I use 10 gallons of tank water with new water to avoid cycling since I have lots of fish

 

[cyris69]

Our should I just add another 1.5-2 inches of sand on top of the fluorite? I only have 1.5 inches of it in my 40B. Will play sand be fine our do I need pool filter sand and is the filter sand expensive?

Also since it's made of silica isn't that bad

 

[reefdiver]

Lots of people use pool sand includibg me. It cost about $5-$6 for a 50 lbs bag. You can use dry ferts and liquids to supplement your plants. I use root rabs and flourish. But i have low light plants

 

[cyris69]

Ok cool so just layer it to 3 inches and keep the fluorite? I guess I will drain the tank low remove fish and plants.fish in a 10 gallon and plants in a tub. Add sand replant and add fish right after. Does that sound like a safe plan to do in one day?

 

[reefdiver]

You can allways add sand little at time.

 

[cyris69]

Without removing fish but only plants? I'd like to not move the fish or shrimp if possible. Just be able to move the plants for trimming and cleaning and redoing scaping. Is filter sand dusty add if so can I just lightly rinse it m

 

[reefdiver]

You may have to rinse it a couple times. I rinsed mine like four times half at a time

 

[cyris69]

I love the look of pool sand quite a bit now.was a pain in the rear replanting but so much easier to seat and no dust!

 

[Rivercats]

About your dirt gas bubbles, they will pretty much subside in about 4-6 weeks. Once the plantings begin rooting and the heavy organic leeching slosd down so will the gas. While in the gas phase I took a long pair of planting tweezers and gave the soil alittle poking around the plants a couple times a day. That way the gas escaped and didn't get alot of smell as I was doing alot of poking not just letting big gas bubbles build up. Now I get an occassional natural release of a small stream of bubbles every once in a while. I know it's an irritating stage but it does pass.