Moving House + Changing From Gravel To Sand?

[newtankgirl]

Hi, I have a 174 litre tank which has been running for approx 2 years. I am planning on moving house and have started to read the various posts on how to ensure this is as stress free for the fish (and me!) as possible.

I don't have a spare tank that is cycled so plan is to move them from tank in containers + 50% of the tank water + filter and then set up immediatly at the other end and put fish back in. (Planned new home approx 30mins from current house). The query for now is that I wanted to change my substrate from gravel to sand and wondered if this could be an opportunity to do this.

Would this give me problems in terms of losing bacteria from the gravel and if not - do you need to leave the tank to settle before putting the fish in (ie are they ok to swim in sandy water!)

Thanks in advance

K now I've posted I have found the gravel to sand questions that I was trying to search for prior to posting this - lol. Any new tips welcome though, thanks

 

[NaughtyT]

I changed my substrate to sand just a few weeks ago and had no problems,just make sure your sand is washed properly,as far as i'm aware your beneficial bacteria all lives in your filter so just make sure you keep the fliter in water during the move.

 

[jmkgreen]

You get beneficial bacteria in substrate too - but if you going to change it you might as well when you move

 

[marcan]

I did what you're planning.

Except I moved 75% of my water. It tooks about 3hrs and all fish were healthy even my clown loaches.
I bought some fish bags and put 1-2 fish per bag.
I had big containers in my moving truck and I pumped the water directly in the tank. At the new house, i pumped the water back in each aquarium.

The key is to keep your filter media wet all the time or you will lose your bacteria.

Hope it helps.
Good luck with your new house

 

[mattbond]

no problems if you keep the at least 60% of the tank water and the filter media in tank water

but

i wouldnt change to sand in a tank that big, because it doesnt always turn out as good as you think

when i did it, i found that parts of the sand got stagnant and fish couldnt always keep it turned over and oxygenated while i was away
also fish waste lays on top of the substrate rather than sinking between the grains like it would in gravel, it does make it look manky

i actually changed back to gravel after 4 months of having sand

 

[Fisses]

changing from gravel to sand was the best thing o ever done,yes the poop sits on the top but that makes it easier to clean rather than having it sit in your gravel rotting away.

also if you have corys then they adore sand!!!!!

and as for sandy water, as long as your wash your sand time and time again, and for that size tank you may need to wash it in a bucket about 20-30 times but it will go crystal clear to which you can then add it to your tank and carry on as you normally would have done..

sand is ace, and if you dont like it once its in, its not that difficult to take out again.

give it a try as most people who have done the change have loved the results

 

[newtankgirl]

changing from gravel to sand was the best thing o ever done,yes the poop sits on the top but that makes it easier to clean rather than having it sit in your gravel rotting away.

also if you have corys then they adore sand!!!!!

and as for sandy water, as long as your wash your sand time and time again, and for that size tank you may need to wash it in a bucket about 20-30 times but it will go crystal clear to which you can then add it to your tank and carry on as you normally would have done..

sand is ace, and if you dont like it once its in, its not that difficult to take out again.

give it a try as most people who have done the change have loved the results

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I will try sand- do I need to decholrinate the water I wash the sand in or is the residual amount too small to be harmful?

 

[saltynay]

Too small to be harmful.

 

[marcan]

Definitely too small to be harmfull.

Good luck and post some pictures of the progress if you can!

 

[wilsonian]

After a huge heater failure a few years back I decided to overhaul my tank. I choose black sand and have been impressed with the results. My only bad word would be the poo sitting on top - it can collect very quickly if I'm forgetfull to do the water changes etc.

 

[thefubar]

I've done both of these and feel like chucking my opinion into the mix!!

Gravel to Sand is a massive YES . I won't ever go back to gravel. I choose pool filter sand and its worth seeing the difference. It doesn't compact down like play sand or silver sand so the risks of gas build up etc are reduced. Plus its a clightly higher grain size and doesn't get sucked up my siphon .

For the move... i went to my LFS and got two large (50l ish) water containers. They've got a screw-tops and are very strong. Sort of thing they use in caravans etc.
I moved 50-75% of my water and my external has cut-off so it could stay "wet". But your bacteria is good for 24hours in there from what i know.

Also if you're concerned about the bacteria in your gravel being lost, you could always put it in stockings or tights and place it on top of the sand for a week or two to colonise the sand. If you can be bothered

Good luck and i hope it all goes smoothly

 

[newtankgirl]

Thanks so much for your help - move is a little way off yet but I'll post the before and after pics! - hopefully in the general discussion session and not in the emergency help bit...