unclean sand in tank

[Mac_1069]

ok to start i had a small 20 gallon tank with sand substrate and a week after i already wanted a bigger tank(this hobby kills) so i baught a 55. as i set this tank up i really cleaned the sand in the 55 but the sand that was in my 20 wasnt really enough before i had set it up.

well as i was transfering stuff from the 20 to the 55 i read i was supposed to transfer the sand cause it carried most of my most important bacterias, well it made my tank cloudy at that point.....my question is can i remove the sand with the fish in the tank and clean it out and put it back in without problems?

 

[Mac_1069]

bump

 

[boldtogether]

You can remove the sand while the fish are in there but you dont need to. Let the cloudy water clear up a couple days. You can make an inexpensive sand cleaner by copying a substrate vac(gravel vac) and just downsize the tubing to reduce flow. Use a long enough tube to reach all the way to the bottom of the tank and still not get your hands wet. Let the sand suck up into the tube then pinch off, but not completly, the tubeing and let the sand fall back into the tank slowly. You will see the sand swirl around itself on the way back down and out the tube, cleaning itself...
You were right to transfer the sand over from your old tank....to colonize the new substrate. I've had sand in my freshwater tank for some time and will not go back to anything else.

 

[Mac_1069]

You can remove the sand while the fish are in there but you dont need to. Let the cloudy water clear up a couple days. You can make an inexpensive sand cleaner by copying a substrate vac(gravel vac) and just downsize the tubing to reduce flow. Use a long enough tube to reach all the way to the bottom of the tank and still not get your hands wet. Let the sand suck up into the tube then pinch off, but not completly, the tubeing and let the sand fall back into the tank slowly. You will see the sand swirl around itself on the way back down and out the tube, cleaning itself...
You were right to transfer the sand over from your old tank....to colonize the new substrate. I've had sand in my freshwater tank for some time and will not go back to anything else.

cool thanks very much i kinda thought i could do that but didnt know since you have to wash it so much before it gos in the tank.

ya i put gravel in my small tank the day i got it and the next day wile startin cycle i took it right back out and put pool filter sand in it. im kinda thinkin i really like the black sand tho, and i was told i can get like a 60 lbs bag at tractor supply for 8 bucks

 

[boldtogether]

cool thanks very much i kinda thought i could do that but didnt know since you have to wash it so much before it gos in the tank.

ya i put gravel in my small tank the day i got it and the next day wile startin cycle i took it right back out and put pool filter sand in it. im kinda thinkin i really like the black sand tho, and i was told i can get like a 60 lbs bag at tractor supply for 8 bucks

I love black sand and for $8 do it!
Just be aware that EVERYTHING shows on black...e v e r y t h i n g. I like pool filter sand way better...mor practical and natural...but put what you like. You have to look at it every day!