Changing My Tank To Sand!

[mike_danger]

Hey all,

I’m new to the forum (and to relatively to fish keeping), but recently used its valuable advice from the-wolf etc, to change my tank from gravel to sand. I have jewel 70 litre tank, with a fluvial 104 external filter. Here’s how it went...

I started on Tuesday morning by empting about 1/3 of my water into a large ‘really useful box’, I then captured my fish and popped them in. Oh and before this I turned everything off!

I then drained the rest of the water, and took out all plants and ornaments. Finally I took out all the gravel and placed this into a carrier bag.

This gave me a good chance to give the sides and bottom of my tank a good clean. I followed this by cleaning the sand…Oh I got the kitchen in a right mess! I bought the sand from Argos, was the £2.49 play sand, much cheaper than any gravel I’ve ever bought!

I then placed the sand into my tank (with neighbours on in the background, was now about 2pm). I then filled my tank 1/3 up with de-chlorinated water, however a problem now arose the water clouded up!

I left it for a good 3 hours and was still really bad. I decided that I needed to wash my sand again as I hadn’t done it thoroughly the first time, I took the advice of the forum by washing the sand using a bucket and hose pip, within under 10 minutes the water had gone clear, it was a miracle!!!

I then put the sand back into the tank, and added some new de-chlorinated water as I had empted the first batch, hey presto the water was near on clear!

I left the pump on over-night and by the morning the water was almost crystal clear, I then removed the heater from the ‘really useful box’ my fish were in and placed it back into my tank to raise the water. After about 2 hours the water temp was the same between the tank and the box, I used this time to add plants and ornaments. I then added the fish and the water, and it looks amazing!

My fish seem to really love it, and the tank looks much better, Thanks to all your advice and help, I will continue to seek advice from those on the forum!

I would like to post some pics, but can't see how to do so?

mike

 

[Clairel]

Good Job

To post pictures you need to upload them to something like photobucket etc...then just copy/paste link into your message

C x

 

[rdd1952]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I plan to change the sand in my 29 gallon tank this weekend because of a monsterous snail explosion. It nice to hear another success story. I worry more about my corys and shrimp than about the tetras.

 

[The-Wolf]

I would like to post some pics, but can't see how to do so?

mike

The best way is to host your pics off site and add the img tags to any post
that you want a pic to appear in
I use photobucket as it is totally free
http/www.photobucket.com
when you add the img tags and everyone sees your pic

tag look like this

 [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/yourname/photoname.jpg[/IMG]

HTH

 

[ClaireN]

Hi Mike, and from a fellow relative newbie from Southampton.

How long have you had your tank?, ive had mine about 3 months now. What LFS do you use?

Claire

 

[Dubby]

Hi Mike:

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your tank. The tank will do a cycle now, so take care.

 

[mike_danger]

Hey again all!

Thank you for all makign me feel so welcome, and in response to claire...

I have had my tank for about a year, at first i got my fish from pets at home, both in southampton centre and off junction 9 of the m27, however all my fish kept dying!! I now go to a place near hedge end, but they r sometimes a bit cocky and last time i bought fish from them the guy swong the bag around and i was in fear for my new fish!! So i dont really have a trustworthy LFS, so i dont know if u can recommend any? I live in Bursledon.

I have made a photobucket account and heres the pics...

This is my Tank! (Not full as i didnt want to put too much 'new' water into it after changing it to sand, will top up in a week)

Here is my little Zepra Plec.

And here is my red claw crab...Pinchy! (I am a bit worried as she doesnt seem to want to come out of the water! Also gets on very well with the plec, they are sitting togeather now!)

 

[ClaireN]

Hi Mike.

Like the tank

I tend to buy my fish at either Maidenhead Aquatics in Colden Common or at Aquajardan on Allington Lane in West End, have found that the fish in both stores are fairly healthy, but the staff at Maidenhead Aquatics seem to have a lot of knowledge and are willing to help a lot more than the other one. I will have to admit i have never bought fish at either of the Pets at Home that you go to, but i have been to the one on Winchester Rd in Shirley, they seem to have some very good staff there, that know their fish and will not just sell you something for the sake of a sale.

Claire

 

[!Gina]

I really like it, it looks really 'tropical'
I'm in a similar situation myself, ive had my aquarium for a monthes and im in the process of changing my black gravel to sand also.

 

[debiasir]

looks really nice.

will be changing mine to sand today