How hard would it be to change my substrate from gravel to sand. I have the river rock which is bigger than the normal color gravel. Would this be to big of a problem. Any help would be appreciated.
Changing Substrate
- Thread starter Kyel
- Start date
i recently helped a mate change his substrate from a natural colored mixed gravel (5mm-6mm) to a dark brown finer grade gravel of about 2-3mm. the hardest part was washing the new stuff cause its always filthy when u get it. we got the old gravel out using a large net. I could think of worse things to do like moving the whole tank!
Its not fun in the slightest to do it especially on a big tank as I changed from gravel to river sand in a 175g and it took AGES.....
I properly gravel syphoned the existing stuff to minimise the kick up of rubbish, then had to clean all the sand for what felt like 2 hours to get the dirt out of it. I used a really fine kitchen sive to help and that helped speed it up.
Then just ran another external on my tank once the sand went in to try and clear it all quicker.
Like previously mentioned, not impossible but not at all fun ;-)
I properly gravel syphoned the existing stuff to minimise the kick up of rubbish, then had to clean all the sand for what felt like 2 hours to get the dirt out of it. I used a really fine kitchen sive to help and that helped speed it up.
Then just ran another external on my tank once the sand went in to try and clear it all quicker.
Like previously mentioned, not impossible but not at all fun ;-)
I once changed out about two dozen 40 gallon breeders from dirty undergravel filtration systems to bare bottom sponge filters. 
This last week I changed the sand out in my 125 and 90 gallon tanks.
This last week I changed the sand out in my 125 and 90 gallon tanks.