Sand sand sand.
- Thread starter briemol12
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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SpaceFish42
Aquarium Advice Addict
You have to move the fish out to change the substrate, otherwise they might get in your way, injured, or buried. Also, the water will be cloudy and sandy for a while, which won't be very fun for the fish.
All I did when I changed from gravel to sand was fill a bucket with tank water, put fish in bucket, take out all decor, take out gravel and put it in another bucket, put sand in, wait a little for the sand to settle a little, put fish, water and decor back in and ta da!
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NigelK8485
Aquarium Advice Addict
It'll be less stressful if you take them out.
As far as cloudiness though,
follow this guy's method and there won't be a cloud. I added about 25-35 lbs of sand to my tank using the way he shows and kept my fish in the tank. No adverse effects and water remained clear.
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As far as cloudiness though,
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JaysonS
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2015
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- 39
It is quite simple. Do a large water change and clean up the gravel. Then scoop out gravel. After I suggest filling a 2-liter bottle with the sand and unscrewing the lid when at the bottom of the tank. Will not cloud up the water at all. I did this about 2 weeks ago and took me about an hour.
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It'll be a bit stressful to your fish since its a small tank if you decide to change over with fish in it.
Get a 5 gallon plastic bucket, take out some water and put the fish in while you do the change, might also be a good idea to shut off filters while you do this to prevent sand going into them.
Once done, start the filters and put fish back. It will probably be cloudy for a day or so till it settles.
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Get a 5 gallon plastic bucket, take out some water and put the fish in while you do the change, might also be a good idea to shut off filters while you do this to prevent sand going into them.
Once done, start the filters and put fish back. It will probably be cloudy for a day or so till it settles.
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Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
You can put foam over your filter Intake, if your intakes are too close to the bottom. You do not want sand getting into your filter. I love my Sand tanks and will never go back to gravel. I use fluval prefilter sponges over my intakes and they fit perfectly.
And I agree, turn off your filters and possibly unplug your heater if you're going to be lowering your water levels at all. Just don't forget to plug everything back in and turn everything back on.
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And I agree, turn off your filters and possibly unplug your heater if you're going to be lowering your water levels at all. Just don't forget to plug everything back in and turn everything back on.
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SpaceFish42
Aquarium Advice Addict
Would sand mixed with gravel work?
NigelK8485
Aquarium Advice Addict
The sand would work itself under the gravel and would look like a mess.
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sydneypaige690
Aquarium Advice Regular
Off topic, but I thought bamboo plants needed their leaves above water?
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I over hear that if you keep them underwater you have to take them out once a week for 24 and then put it back and they would be fine. So I am trying that out for now.
Reeffrog
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2013
- Messages
- 18
I used beach sand. Rinsed it out with tap water for a few minutes and added it to the tank.
My freshwater mussels love it.
I'm not sure if there are good freshwater sand sifters to help out but my brother-in-laws has had a sand substrate for a few years longer than me and he gets gas pockets.
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My freshwater mussels love it.
I'm not sure if there are good freshwater sand sifters to help out but my brother-in-laws has had a sand substrate for a few years longer than me and he gets gas pockets.
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sydneypaige690
Aquarium Advice Regular
That's cool if it works haha. Good luck, very pretty tank
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NigelK8485
Aquarium Advice Addict
The leaves should be above the surface of the water on bamboo.
As far as gas pockets, malaysian trumpet snails are really good for burrowing through the sand. Or just raking your fingers through it weekly or biweekly.
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As far as gas pockets, malaysian trumpet snails are really good for burrowing through the sand. Or just raking your fingers through it weekly or biweekly.
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Reeffrog
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
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- Oct 21, 2013
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Had the sand for a little over a year now and haven't noticed any pockets but I also moved the tank from home to work about 3 months ago. Doing so shook up the substrate pretty good as you can imagine. I'll recommend the snails to my BIL
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NigelK8485
Aquarium Advice Addict
From what I understand, the gas pockets thing is blown way out of proportion. Apparently the gases people are worried about being trapped under the substrate become instantly non toxic as soon as they are exposed to oxygenated water. They can still look bad and create a mess by sending substrate scattering around, but not as dangerous as people make them out to be.
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