substrate

[agerv]

what is the easiest way to switch from gravel to sand in a 29 gal fw tank?

 

[vitacrux]

Ive heard of people using a pillow case to rinse the sand, with a lot of success, otherwise it can be kinda difficult to get all the cloudiness out.

 

[fort384]

YouTube - ‪How to clean new aquariumsand the easy way.‬‏

This seems like a pretty good way to add sand without it causing too much of a mess.

 

[agerv]

thank you guys

 

[vitacrux]

Wow that bottle method is pretty interesting. I think I would up the scale to a two liter bottle or something though because cleaning roughly thirty pounds of sand with a 16oz bottle would take forever haha

 

[agerv]

yea that would take forever, but a pound per gallon is the general method?

 

[vitacrux]

Yea right around there, some people prefer more or less. I have 60 lbs in my 55 gallon, mostly because it was sold in twenty pound increments, and sand can be really expensive >.< So if you don't mind the look of a little less you could save some money. Start with less and then if you don't like it you can always buy more. Got any colors in mind?

 

[fort384]

You can use PFS. It is very cheap. No need to buy the fancy aquarium stuff. I think you can find PFS for like $5-10 for a 50lb bag at Lowes, HD, or pool supply stores.

 

[agerv]

im new so i dont kno wat pfs sand is but i just want natural color to go with the theme of my tank

 

[fort384]

PFS = pool filter sand. Sorry about that. We get acronym crazy.

It is brownish in color, and works well for aquariums. Crystal Sand 50 lb. Pool Filter Sand - H10782 at The Home Depot

 

[agerv]

yea i know soo many acronyms haha but that sand is safe and stuff right?

 

[fort384]

Absolutely. Hundreds on this site alone use it in their FW tanks.

 

[agerv]

great, thank you so much ill be getting some tommorow haha, but how should i get my gravel out of my tank before putting sand in? do i need to take my fish and plants out?

 

[jetajockey]

great, thank you so much ill be getting some tommorow haha, but how should i get my gravel out of my tank before putting sand in? do i need to take my fish and plants out?

Yes, remove everything first. I use a 5 gallon bucket to rinse sand in.