What are the pros and cons of having pool filter sand as a substrate + I need some ideas for changing the substrate without making the tank re-cycle. I was thinking of doing it in sections using plastic dividers while dosing seachem stabilize.
Changing substrate to pool filter sand
- Thread starter Atreyu
- Start date
I doubt the tank will re-cycle as long as you have the same filters running. My one suggestion is to rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse and rinse the pool filter sand before you put it in. One con is scratches to your glass. If one grain gets between the glass and whatever you are using to clean the inside of the tank, you'll have scratches. I have scratches everywhere on my 125 from when I hand sand in there and it was the eventual reason I switched back to a bigger substrate.
Using the same filters and same decor in the same tank will prevent "re-cycling"... you may have some little mini spikes, but a water change the day after the substrate change should keep that in check (and that's probably not "needed"). Just watch your numbers for a day or two after any big change to ensure everythign is healthy.
The Pros/Cons to Pool Filter Sand and other options are available in countless other threads... help yourself...
I'm a huge fan of Pool Filter Sand... good choice
The Pros/Cons to Pool Filter Sand and other options are available in countless other threads... help yourself...
I'm a huge fan of Pool Filter Sand... good choice
Hmm, I know a guy who games under the tag "Whitechapel"
Sand:
Pros - keeps pood and detrius on top for easy cleaning. Looks nice. Fish don't get plugged up if they swallow some.
Cons - you can always see the poop (it gets old when your fish crap right after you do a cleaning). Can screw up impellers on filters. Sucks to rinse before putting in the tank.
Sand:
Pros - keeps pood and detrius on top for easy cleaning. Looks nice. Fish don't get plugged up if they swallow some.
Cons - you can always see the poop (it gets old when your fish crap right after you do a cleaning). Can screw up impellers on filters. Sucks to rinse before putting in the tank.
I am not a big fan of pool filter sand and have mixed gravel and regular sand with mine. It works better for me and looks better.
You don't need a deep layer. Stir it up when you change the water though.
Your canister shouldn't be damaged by the sand, because they are made different. An HOB filter sucks water out of the tank, through the impeller, and then through the media. So any sand it sucks up will go through the impeller. In a canisters (I think they are all like this, anway) the water is sucked out of the tank down into the filter, and it goes through all the media before going through the impeller.
Your canister shouldn't be damaged by the sand, because they are made different. An HOB filter sucks water out of the tank, through the impeller, and then through the media. So any sand it sucks up will go through the impeller. In a canisters (I think they are all like this, anway) the water is sucked out of the tank down into the filter, and it goes through all the media before going through the impeller.