Switching to Sand?

What you have sounds like an under-gravel filter, which will not work with sand. You would need to switch to a different filter system. You would effectively be removing most of your bacteria and would most likely go into another cycle (if you change all the gravel at once). Snails would be fine with the sand.

It seems you would have to remove the fish to change your substrate due to the fact that you would also need to remove the entire under-gravel filter plate.

Hi Softy

I've been through this personally. Get a filter that either hangs on the back or a canister that sits below the tank. I'm not sure what size your tank is.

Sand is a good choice for an aquarium but as already said it will not work at all with an undergravel filter. Undergravel filters aren't good anyway, as it relies on the gravel for your bacteria colonies to grow and many other reasons as well.

If I were you, I'd put the fish in a large bucket with an airstone, gut the tank completely. Rinse the sand, add it to the tank, add conditioned water and let the cloudiness settle, then turn on your new filter.

Add the fish back along with Biospira (live bacteria). If you don't add the Biospira your tank will start back at the beginning of the cycle again.

If you decide to go the non-Biospira route might I suggest putting some of your own gravel in your new filter as a temporary media, or have a bag full of it inside the tank to help re-seed your tank and minimize any impact.

You won't be sorry! There is Home Depot sand, white sugar sand and then there is Argonite sand from a fish store. Argonite is more expensive but it does not compact like other sand. I love it in my tanks.

Definitely take bunches of your gravel and put it into panty hose or some sort of mesh bag so you can take it out when you are done. Don't rinse it before you do this. Grab the dirty stuff by the handfuls and get it into your new tank. This will help with the cycle. I am a newbie but I have been through what you are doing and it is not that hard.

Fiters. I tried the kind that go in the tank and under the water. Kept falling off of the suction cups. Tried the bio- wheel but found it noisy. I buy AquaClear now. They hang on the back of the tank and are quiet. I always over power, for my 37 gallon I have the 50 gallon kind, actually 2 of them but you don't need to do that. If you live by a Petsmart you can print the online price and take it to the store. It might be about half and they should match the price.

This is a photo of the argonite. After 6 mths, it still looks like this. It does not compact and get ugly layers. I have stirred it a few times when I vacuum but that's it.

Good luck!

Do you vacuum the sand the same way you would gravel? I have a python no spill and fill vacuum. Can I use that if so how? Ive been thinking of switching from gravel to sand but wasn't sure how to clean it.

softy said:

I dont vacuum my gravel anyway. The fish eat pretty much ALL of the food, if not the snail//pleco does.

As for whats in the gravel, I have filter parts on both sides along with baby snails who eat ALOT. Its still very clean and I do water changes, its nothing wrong with it.

Click to expand...

The point of having an under-gravel filter is that it pulls the fish waste and dirt down into the gravel. Gravel vacuuming with an under-gravel filter is an absolute must. Have you tested your nitrate levels recently?

To answer the other question, you simply run your vac about a half inch off of the surface of the sand. Since the waste settles on top of the sand, the vac picks it right up.

well that settles it

Just as soon as my wife cools off about all the money I'm spending on the fish tank, I'm switching to sand!

I don't vacuum it because I think it was going in the sink drain! I go just above the surface as mentioned.

I put real sand in the 10 gallon 1 mth ago and it needs to be stirred more than the argonite. You get gas pockets but you can stir it with a anything, pretty easy.

My problem with switching to argonite is that it's cold in Wisconsin now and I am not sure how I can rinse the sand in the house.

My husband will notice if I start rinsing sand in the tub. Most things I can hide, he is not into fish like I am! I don't bug him about his golf.