Im considering doing the same, on a side note does anyone have any easy ways of getting the gravel out and putting the sand in.. on a well established tank.
I switched to sand a couple of months ago and I'm loving it. It's not too difficult. First, check out some tanks and decide what color you want. Pool filter sand comes in a natural light beige and it has a slightly larger grain...this can definately save your filter. Plus, it's only about 8 bucks for 50 lbs at Home Depot. I put pfs in one of my 29g's and I love it.
Next, drain out some tank water in a 5 gallon bucket or clean plastic tote and put your fish in there. Remove decor and plants next. Drain out as much water as you can. I drained mine all the way to the gravel. I used a clean small dust pan to scoop up and remove the gravel. I already had my sand pre rinsed. Then simply put your sand in your tank, arrange it how you like, then add some water. Arrange your decor and plants, then add more water.
I added the water and fish from my bucket to the tank for the last step. (the ph out of my tap is a little higher than the tank water because of dw, and I didn't want to shock the fish. That's the only reason I used so much old tank water.)
Anyway, It didn't tank too long, and I never had a mini cycle.
Now cleaning is a breeze.
If you like black sand, you can find black blasting sand for much cheaper than the pet store sand. I'm going to use that for my next tank.
Be sure to rinse whatever you choose very thoroughly.
Good luck and keep us posted
