Finally got black sand! Ditching gravel but i need help

[Fishandmusic81]

So after seeing how awesome it looks on planted tanks I am switching from gravel to some black sand!
But what's the best way to momentarily take my fish dw plants shrimp out while I put the black sand in?

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Got any clean buckets laying around?

 

[Fishandmusic81]

Two buckets ones full of anacharis that I'm putting in my goldfish tank

 

[George9]

Rip it all out, put the fish in buckets with tank water. Change the substrate quickly. Add fish back in. No néed for acclimation because the water should be the same. Unless it took you a while to replace the gravel and the temp in the bucket dropped a lot, then acclimate back in

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Well that has been the way I did it. I had to hustle though, didn't want my water temp to drop too much. The DW will be fine out of water though.

 

[Fishandmusic81]

Ok awesome I'll definitely hustle
What's the best way to clean the sand? Is it like gravel that you rinse it thousands of times in a bucket?

 

[blert]

Ok awesome I'll definitely hustle
What's the best way to clean the sand? Is it like gravel that you rinse it thousands of times in a bucket?

Use an old pillow case.

I rinsed mine with a pillow case in a neglected pool, much easier than a hose. Unfortunately the pool is now back in working order so no more sand rinsing in it for me, took a week to get it back after being down for four months.

Get your heater back in and running ASAP as the new sand is going to suck the heat right out of the water... Or warm the sand up first.

 

[Fishandmusic81]

Use an old pillow case.

I rinsed mine with a pillow case in a neglected pool, much easier than a hose. Unfortunately the pool is now back in working order so no more sand rinsing in it for me, took a week to get it back after being down for four months.

Get your heater back in and running ASAP as the new sand is going to suck the heat right out of the water... Or warm the sand up first.

Oh ok I don't have a pool to rinse it in if I use a pillow case won't it be spilling everywhere?
And oh okay I'll warm it up or once I clean it well can I let it sit in a bucket before I start the process of taking the gravel out and all that?

 

[blert]

Oh ok I don't have a pool to rinse it in if I use a pillow case won't it be spilling everywhere?
And oh okay I'll warm it up or once I clean it well can I let it sit in a bucket before I start the process of taking the gravel out and all that?

Put a batch of sand into pillow case, rinse well, dump into bucket, repeat until done. Put a squirt of dechlorinator into sand bucket and add warm water then proceed with the swap.

 

[Fishandmusic81]

Put a batch of sand into pillow case, rinse well, dump into bucket, repeat until done. Put a squirt of dechlorinator into sand bucket and add warm warm water then proceed with the swap.

Oh okay awesome I can do that