Change to sand

[markie]

Hello

I have had a Rio 240 for about 6 months and it is or appears to be okay apart from I am struggling to keep the gravel bottom clean. the slightest touch and woosh there are clouds of crap etc rising up. I was thinking of changing it to sand as it looks better (I thinkl) and I have heard it is easier to keep clean. Question is can I take the gravel out and put sand in without removing the fish. I only have the one tank and if i have to take the fish out I have nowhere to keep them

Thanks

Markie

 

[OohFeeshy]

If your having trouble keeping the bottom clean, get a gravel vac. This works on sand as well but it needs a different technique.

 

[markie]

Thanks for that

I have an electric gravel vac but it is on of those that recirculates the water back into the tank through a filter and to be quite honest doesn,t seem to pick up much of the rubbish. Do you have any advice on my orginal question please

mark

 

[paulthegreat]

I use a gravel vac that has a hand pump. It is basically a hose with a large holed filter. Some of the gravel goes in but can be unscrewed and dumped back in the tank. Once the water is pumped over the edge of the tank gravity takes effect and provides a constant flow, you move the filter around in the gravel and it sucks the crap out of it. I do this once a week as my partial water change method.

 

[loafybones]

I've got two tanks, one with gravel and one with sand. I use a gravel vac to clean both and neither is easier than the other to clean.

If you really want to change to sand, get the fine coral stuff if you can because it looks really nice and picks up some really nice colour once its been in there a while.

I'd take the fish out if I were you, more because they will probably get in your way than anything else.

If you can, I'd think about getting a plec (If you don't already have one) because you need to keep the sand stirred so you don't get toxic pockets. These are little bubbles of air that develop in the sand and as more and more waste sinks into the sand, they become poisonous to the fish so you need to make sure you disturb the sand regularly. Banjo cats are supposed to be good for doing this but I can't have one of those because of my water chemistry being all wrong so I got a common plec and he stirs it up nicely.

Sorry about the essay!!!

 

[corykitty516]

get a clean rubbermaid tub thing and stick your heater to a plate and put it in there and you may even be able to put your filter on it too. Use that to hold your fish while you change over.
I used playsand from the hardware store. This is what it looks like

Here is the pinned topic from tropical chitchat that tells you how to do everything

Sand in the Aquarium