substrate change help

[splintercell H2O]

i was going to change my gravel to pool filer sand today and had a few questions before i mes anything up. do i need to wash it and if so how would i go about doing it? would it be okay for my fish to stay in the tank while i change it? and is there anything i should look for in the sand that could hurt my tank?

 

[ziggy2]

You definately need to wash it. I made a piece of PVC pipe that has an end to screw onto a water hose. The other end is capped. I then drilled holes all along the 18" tube. You just stick it into the bag and jog it up and down with the water running for about 10-15 minutes per bag. It will still be cloudy for awhile.

 

[splintercell H2O]

and after that it would be able to be put into the aquarium?

 

[ziggy2]

Yes, the slower you put it in the better. It will still get cloudy.

 

[Morganj2]

make sure you turn off filters/powerheads until the sand has settled, but it will b cloudy for a few days atleast

 

[splintercell H2O]

can the fish stay in the tank while im doing the change?