Changing Substrate From Gravel To Sand

[Pleco]

I was thinking to change out my gravel in the 40g for sand. I have a few questions that maybe someone can lend some insight to.

1. How can i change over to sand and not have to worry about poisening my fish by starting another cycle?

2. Can i use the unused live sand i have leftover from my SW tank, or must i buy a special sand for FW aquaria?

3. Currently i have 8 neon tetras, 8 beacon tetras, 1 austrailian rainbow, 2 dwarf neon rainbows, 1 golden nugget pleco, and a mystery snail. Do you see any imcompatibilities with sand and these fish/invert?

4. I really would rather not harm the fish on this so if sticking with what i have is best then ill just do that. ( i know its not a question, but i care about my fish)

-Pleco

 

[Sicklid]

1. If your tanks established, DONT WORRY about changing substrates, you have plenty of bacteria everywhere else just dont do it when you clean your filter within several days either before or after....

2. If you clean the sand, this shouldnt be a problem providing:
a. You don't have any sand sifting species and the sand is not "sharp" but rather like smaller round gravel.
b. The sand is silica or something inert, and will not buffer your PH too much (make it more alk. like some cichlid sand substrates.

3. The pleco is the only one I question, since none of the others really sift sand or spend too much time at the bottom (and providing you have inert/quartz/silica sand as I think most of your fish will like neutral better than alkaline H2O). The snail will actually love the sand and help to aerate it by burrowing.

4. I did this and my fish lived through the changeover in my 55 gal. and they (my convicts) loved the sand... They would dig pits, sift it for bits of food, and build berms for hiding behind. Just make sure what kind of sand you have and make sure your species will not be harmed if you have a sand with Ph buffering capabilities.

 

[Pleco]

It's typical "live sand" that is used in SW reef setups.

http://www.simplifiedreefkeeping.com/faq/12.htm

-Pleco

 

[Sicklid]

This is what I meant... That sand contains aragonite, which really buffers up the ph and is intended for salt water. I wouldn't use it for fresh unless you were doing a hard water species tank like African Rift Lake cichlids or some South Am. cichlids... BUT some good news... I used play sand or "construction/all-purpose sand" from Home Depot for like $3 for a 50 lb. bag, perfect for your size tank. Some people say this is not good, but if you wash it well, you will have no problems other than an initial diatom bloom from the excess silicates. It is basically smaller grain gravel for freshwater tanks. BUT, some Home Depots get different sand, depending on your region... If it looks like little glass shards and not little balls of rounded gravel (if you need a microscope, then it's not the right stuff), I would go a different route: look in the Yellow Pages for sandblasting suppliers and ask them for "coarse grit" silica blasting sand. I got some in a 100 lb. bag for under $6. Very natural looking. Can't beat it... The guys at the sandblasting supply even said "Yeah, we sell this to people for that all the time".

 

[Guest]

another kind of sand that i used in my tank is called sweep sand. it has worked out very well for me and my bottom dwellers love it. you get it at landscaping stores, they use it to sweep between cracks when they lay brick decks. it cost about 4 bucks for 50 lbs. it's not as fine as play sand, but it does need rinsed well(like all sand) and you will get the same diatom bloom as mentioned above. do not get the black kind, it is very dirty, or any 'colored or dyed' kind. regular, plain sweep sand. looks like a natural place any fish would live.