Gravel To Sand Substrate

[the.fish.fool]

I want to switch from gravel to fine sand substrate, I just have a few questions:
[a] Should I change 100% of the water or use half of it?
Are there any other things I should change, like the Powerhead pump that I am currently using?
[c] How many minutes/hours/days/weeks() should I wait until I can put my fishies back in?
[d] What are the advantages/disadvantages of having sand substrate?
[e] What would be the tools needed for the cleaning it, and how?
[f] How much sand do I need to put in? (How deep should it be?)
[g] Any other advice would be very much appreciated... :]

Note: I have a Senegal Bichir and a Black Ghost Knife Fish, and have read that they'd prefer a sandy substrate.

 

[Gilli]

[a] Should I change 100% of the water or use half of it? - up to you, if you wanted to you could change it all

Are there any other things I should change, like the Powerhead pump that I am currently using? - no, but you may want to adjust your filter intake so that the debris from the bottom gets drawn along into it.

[c] How many minutes/hours/days/weeks() should I wait until I can put my fishies back in? - I would buy a large plastic tub from you local DIY store - they are very cheap and also useful. Fill it with the water from your tank in , put all your fish and any live plants in and run your filter and heater in it. This way you can change your substrate over at your leisure over a couple of days and leave it until all the sand has settled and your water is clear before putting the fish back.

[d] What are the advantages/disadvantages of having sand substrate? - disadvantages are the poo and uneaten food will show up and make the tank look messy. Advantages are some people think it looks better and if you have corys and shrimp they would prefer it.


[e] What would be the tools needed for the cleaning it, and how? - only tools you will need are the syphon you use for your water changes and giving the bottom a vac. Just position over the top of the sand so that it draws up the debris but not a lot of sand although you will always lose a little while doing your vacs.


[f] How much sand do I need to put in? (How deep should it be?)At least a couple of inches maybe a bit more if you are rooting live plants.

 

[This Old Spouse]

That's an incredibly irritating avatar, fish fool. Just my opinion.

 

[laura120381]

+1!! lol x

 

[fluttermoth]

+2... please change it for something less annoying!

 

[alex the bear]

Really pleased you posted this fool, I have just bought home 8, 1inch three lined corys and am now wanting them to have the perfect home to live in

Some fantastic advise on how to change too, thing is I'm wondering if sand will be ok for the rest of my little fishy friends? (fish are friends not food lol)

In my 165ltr I have
8 three lined corys
4 torpedo barbs
6 zebra danios
4 turquoise rainbows
6 wagtail platys
1 dwarf gourami
2 opaline gourami
1 common pleco

Just to add, before the whole overstocked and undersized thing is mentioned I have a 5ft on order for the plec and torpedoes

Sorry to push in on your post

 

[fluttermoth]

There are very few fish that aren't ok with sand; all yours will be fine

 

[Tizer]

i like his avatar, its amusing. you lot are miserable.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Your avatar is disturbing as well.

 

[fluttermoth]

If I wanted to see pr0n, I wouldn't come here to do it....

 

[This Old Spouse]

I just think with the number of young people on this site, it's inappropriate. Really, I'm not a prude, but I'm with fluttermoth and wouldn't come here to see, erm, *p0rn*.

 

[Harlequins]

Could be classed as safe sex....

I know what you mean though....

 

[alex the bear]

There are very few fish that aren't ok with sand; all yours will be fine

Looks like my list of fish could be greatly reduced within the next couple of days 3 of my 4 torpedoes are showing signs of dropsy and so to is 1 of the danios I'm treating with interpet no9 and a dose of tonic salt in both main and hospital tanks but its really stressing me out, feel like I'm failing my fish

Iv made plenty of mistakes while setting this tank up and now thier coming round to bite me in the #17#####, last couple of weeks iv had a couple of ammonia spikes but I just put that down to having added a couple of new fish. Would my filters be matured yet? Been running the overhead Aquaone now for 4 months and the external tetratec for 2 months, both with the standard media that they came with.

Thanks

 

[Tizer]

I just think with the number of young people on this site, it's inappropriate. Really, I'm not a prude, but I'm with fluttermoth and wouldn't come here to see, erm, *p0rn*.

I thought it was just a safe doing push ups.

 

[the.fish.fool]

[a] Should I change 100% of the water or use half of it? - up to you, if you wanted to you could change it all

Are there any other things I should change, like the Powerhead pump that I am currently using? - no, but you may want to adjust your filter intake so that the debris from the bottom gets drawn along into it.

[c] How many minutes/hours/days/weeks() should I wait until I can put my fishies back in? - I would buy a large plastic tub from you local DIY store - they are very cheap and also useful. Fill it with the water from your tank in , put all your fish and any live plants in and run your filter and heater in it. This way you can change your substrate over at your leisure over a couple of days and leave it until all the sand has settled and your water is clear before putting the fish back.

[d] What are the advantages/disadvantages of having sand substrate? - disadvantages are the poo and uneaten food will show up and make the tank look messy. Advantages are some people think it looks better and if you have corys and shrimp they would prefer it.


[e] What would be the tools needed for the cleaning it, and how? - only tools you will need are the syphon you use for your water changes and giving the bottom a vac. Just position over the top of the sand so that it draws up the debris but not a lot of sand although you will always lose a little while doing your vacs.


[f] How much sand do I need to put in? (How deep should it be?)At least a couple of inches maybe a bit more if you are rooting live plants.

Thanks a lot. :] Although I decided to wait for the upgrade tank(have them in a 27gal grow out tank) until I try sand substrate. Might save me a lot of time and effort(and money too) and might also be stressful to the fish.

Also, I read that "ammonia bubbles(???)" are a common threat to tanks with sandy substrate. Can I mix the gravel and sand for a more "natural" look? And will it reduce the chances of "ammonia bubbles(???)"?

Really pleased you posted this fool, I have just bought home 8, 1inch three lined corys and am now wanting them to have the perfect home to live in

Some fantastic advise on how to change too, thing is I'm wondering if sand will be ok for the rest of my little fishy friends? (fish are friends not food lol)

In my 165ltr I have
8 three lined corys
4 torpedo barbs
6 zebra danios
4 turquoise rainbows
6 wagtail platys
1 dwarf gourami
2 opaline gourami
1 common pleco

Just to add, before the whole overstocked and undersized thing is mentioned I have a 5ft on order for the plec and torpedoes

Sorry to push in on your post

Np. :]

P.S. Changed the avatar(), sorry. Hihi