Switching my substrate from gravel to sand?

[16gallontanker]

I just bought a 10 lb bag of sand and I plan on putting it in my 20 gallon tank but will that kill the cycle ? Should I leave some water in the tank and take out almost all the gravel then rinse the sand out and pour it in the tank ?I think I should remove the decor and fish while doing this as well .but after completing it I can put them straight back into the tank right ?thanks in advance for any tips

 

[fishorama]

You can put some (most?) of the gravel in mesh like pantyhose. Place it near the filter return but remove all the gravel before adding sand. That way you'll keep some beneficial bacteria & not have to try & pick out the gravel. There's no way that will work, you'll be finding gravel for years. 1 of our first tanks had "beautiful blue" gravel & 20 years later we'd still find a bit or 2 lol.

I'm not sure 10lbs of sand is enough in a 20g. Will you try plants? If not, you may just need a thin layer or plants like java fern or anubias that attached to wood or rocks & not planted in the substrate. The filter return may move the sand & you'll have a bare glass area. Not really bad but I don't like that look.

 

[16gallontanker]

In your opinion should I wait till I can get another 10lb bag and then add 20 lbs of sand or can I add the ten lbs when I get it Monday then add another 10 lbs later?

 

[16gallontanker]

I just watched a video on YouTube saying u don't have to remove the gravel tp all sand and if that's the case I'd rather do that so I don't have to buy more sand

 

[fishorama]

If you look hard enough you can find any answer you might like online That's not a great idea; that's why you've asked us here at TFF. We have experience of many years between us. & we can help you avoid mistakes we may have made in the past.

What shape is your 20g? There are substrate calculators maybe here on TFF, but many other places that can help you decide. It's better to add the sand all at once IMO. If you do it a little at a time, you might cover up the most beneficial bacteria active part. The substrate & BB needs to have oxygen from the water movement to be "happy" & reproduce fast.

I would wait until you can do all the sand in 1 go. How much does sand cost? & how much effort will you need to put in to create a stable tank?

If you go the panty hose route you can put some in your filter too. More water movement & more oxygen is good. You can't overdo the BB, it only grows as much as fish waste & food produce ammonia, etc.

The BB reproduce fast, doubling almost every day...but it's also good to test to really understand what's going on. A good habit to get into in case you have problems later on. I tend to test new tanks or extreme makeovers often...but once everything is stable for a while less often. You're not to the stable point yet. Test!!

 

[16gallontanker]

It's a standard 20 gallon but I'll take your advice I'll wait till I can order another 20lb bag of sand then do the switch

 

[fishorama]

OK, I was being a bit bossy but trying to help you. You might wait to see what others tell you. We all have different ways of doing things "right". There's more than 1 way; I've told you mine.

 

[16gallontanker]

This is the tank I'm putting the sand in