Switching from gravel to sand, help?

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LeePakao

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 26, 2011
65
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Canada, Ontario
Im switching from gravel to sand and i really dont know how to care for sand..
a few questions i have is how do you clean it in the tank?
how do i clean it out of the tank?
is there something extra i need for sand?
i really dont know if they're is a big difference i just want to make sure, please help.
also if there is anything else i should do let me know please thank you :)
 
The main problem with sand is the grain size. If the sand is to small then it can become suspended in the water or may be pulled into the filter. If the sand is pulled into the filter it can cause damage to the motor, specifically the impeller. If,on the other hand, the sand is to large it will not suit the aesthetic needs that you are looking for. As far as cleaning goes, it is the same as gravel. You may siphon some out of the tank if the sand grain is to small, but being careful can usually avoid this. Just use common sense and you will be fine. Also turn your filters off until the sand settles..
 
i am also thinking of switching over to sand. i have a 220 gallons tank with 120 gallon sump and i currently have an arowana, few cichlids, and Pacus. Is it a problem for my fish if i decided to switch over to sand?
 
It depends on your sand. Pool filter sand (Home Depot $7/bag) is one I found has a great grain size. It doesn't suspend but it's still obviously sand. To clean it initially, fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with the sand and using a garden hose, keep stirring it around until the water is clear when the sand is settled in the bucket. This shouldn't take more than a few minutes per bucket full. I filled two half buckets with each bag. In a 125 gallon 72x18, I used 4 bags and that gave me about 3" deep coverage.

You will probably notice after your first feeding that you over feed your fish. I did at least. When it had gravel to fall in to, it disappeared. Nothing will disappear in to the sand. All waste and uneaten food will sit on the sand and be visible. You can try to use circulation pumps to keep a current going but it is almost impossible to have enough current to keep everything from settling without it blowing your sand all over.

You will probably vacuum the sand often. Just try different methods to find one that works. I use a python and it works decent. I just read a tip about removing the bell from it to get more suction if I need it.

In any event, sand looks great but it requires a lottle more maintanence. I have a thread on mine, before and after, and another one with a picture of the process.

This is the discussion that led to my sand change:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...Texas-Attitude-Adjustment&highlight=rolandk10

This is my before and after thread:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?430850-Gravel-to-Sand-in-my-125&highlight=

I hope some of that helps!

Good Luck
 
I tried this over the last couple months and will let you know my experience. I was setting up a 150 gallon tank to transfer my fish into and had always used gravel in the past. I really liked the look of sand so thought I would give it a shot. I bought sand at home depot which may have been a mistake instead of Pool filter sand like most people say. Anyway I really rinsed it good but it took a couple days to settle. Had to keep cleaning my canister filters of sand but after about a week I was satisfied. So I moved my fish which at the time was 3 Oscars and a 10"Striped Raphael catfish over. The water never was crystal clear like when I had used gravel. My catfish would go through and move the sand and blow it out his gills further clouding the tank. Sand debri would layer on everything in the tank and the water just never really got crystal clear and there was constantly sand in my filters when I cleaned them. After about 6 weeks I could nolonger take it and decided to switch back to gravel. It took me a few days of work to get all the sand out and new gravel in but I am so glad I did switch back. Now my water is crystal clear again and the tank looks so much better in my opinion. I would not try it again and alot of it could have been caused by the sand I choose to use in conjunction with my Striped raphael catfish constantly moving the sand all over the tank. I still do like the look of sand and think if you are going to use sand make sure to really find the best size particle for aquarium use even if it costs more.
 
I have a 180 gallon and about 2 weeks ago i took out all my gravel an put pool sand that i got from home depot...its about $5 a bag 50 pounds of sand an each bad...for about 4 to 5 days my water stayed cloudy an wouldnt clear up no matter wut i tried to do i even rinsed out the sand real good befor putting the sand in my tank..i switched to sand because of the 2 atlantic stingrays i had got...and i had an xp3 rena filstar on my 180 an found out i needed really good filteration when haveing these stingrays so towards the end of day 5 i went out an got a fluval fx5 filter witch is rated upto 400 gallons...the next morning when i woke up my 180 gallon was CRYSTAL CLEAR...an i havent had a problem with the sand scince...also in the 180 i have a 15 inch silver arowana an 2 peacock bass...everything in my tank is still eating and doing just fine with the sand
 
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