I have a 10gal running with gravel substrate.
Got some black diamond (blasting) sand washed.
First problem is that there is a very small percentage of greenish/grey particles in the sand. Washed for a looooooong time and have not been able to get it all out. Does not look great because it settles on the top surface, but I mixed it in to look better. Hopefully it is nothing detrimental, other than appearance.
I planned to put the existing fish into a bucket while I removed the gravel installed the sand. I am using only a sponge filter on the tank and do not have access to a canister.
Now I am starting to wonder if I have to wait more than a few hours for the tank to settle before returning the fish. I did a small test tank (2gal) and without aeration it seemed like it was just a few hours (or less, forgot to watch the clock) before it settled.
Is there anything else that needs to stabilize, other than the sand to settle?
I expect a bit of an issue with the loss of BB, but am hoping it would be OK to put the fish back in after a few hours. I have 4 bloodfin tetras.
Got some black diamond (blasting) sand washed.
First problem is that there is a very small percentage of greenish/grey particles in the sand. Washed for a looooooong time and have not been able to get it all out. Does not look great because it settles on the top surface, but I mixed it in to look better. Hopefully it is nothing detrimental, other than appearance.
I planned to put the existing fish into a bucket while I removed the gravel installed the sand. I am using only a sponge filter on the tank and do not have access to a canister.
Now I am starting to wonder if I have to wait more than a few hours for the tank to settle before returning the fish. I did a small test tank (2gal) and without aeration it seemed like it was just a few hours (or less, forgot to watch the clock) before it settled.
Is there anything else that needs to stabilize, other than the sand to settle?
I expect a bit of an issue with the loss of BB, but am hoping it would be OK to put the fish back in after a few hours. I have 4 bloodfin tetras.