Switching to sand. Where can i get it

[k2snowboards88]

Right now i have course gravel. I also have a peacock eel that insists on burrowing during the day. The problem is that he cuts himself on the gravel. I want to switch to sand, but i've never seen "aquarium sand" anywhere. Can i just go to a hardware store and use sand i buy from them? Also how would i go about switching from gravel to sand. I'm thinking its gonna be a real pain, but i'm up for it. Thanks

 

[WILDER]

LFS,garden centre, some fishkeepers use kiddies play sands.

 

[k2snowboards88]

I haven't been able to find any at fish stores, but thats probably a good thing. anything made to be sold specifically for the aquarium gets a 100% markup. Are there any types of sand i should avoid?

 

[k2snowboards88]

Well i got some medium corsness play sand. I just want to know how you clean the tank wiht sand in it? Wouldn't the syphon pull the sand out too?

 

[k2snowboards88]

Well i just tried putting the sand in a bucket and i used my syphon. It lifts up all the finest sand and leaves behind the courser sand. It also leaves behind some kind of sharp shards of rock(white). I wonder if this will hurt my eel. It is kind of sharp, but it would be easier for the eel to get under than the gravel i have now. I don' know what to do. Anyone else know?

 

[maestro]

Because sand is so fine the waste just sits on top, so to clean you just hover the syphon over the top of the sand, no need to plunge into it and suck it all up

 

[k2snowboards88]

That works out for everythign but blood worms. They tend to burrow into the sand. How do i get them out?

 

[freddyk]

I have found that adding more water flow to the tank keeps debris from settling on the sand, mostly, which almost entirely removes the need for vacuuming altogether.

If the bloodworms are burrowing beyond reach, you may need to start feeding them dead.