Was wondering about play sand?

[itiwhetu]

When using sand I always just like to coat a gravel base. Gravel makes water movement easier through the base.

 

[CassCats]

Your choice, but bear in mind the gravel will shift over time and settle on top of the sand.

 

[Ravenes]

It’s because I have an undergravel filter. I was just wondering if I should take the whole thing out including the gravel

 

[Essjay]

If you have an undergravel filter, the sand would work downwards under the gravel and clog the filter. If you want sand you'd have to remove the UG filter*
But removing the UG and gravel would remove the filter from the tank as well as removing the substrate so it's not as straight forward as just changing the substrate. Obviously you would need a new filter as well, so it would be advisable to get that first and run it for several weeks before removing the UG.

*I assume this is the type of UG comprising a plate with holes under the gravel and the water is sucked down through the gravel, under the plate then up an uplift tube?

 

[Ravenes]

If you have an undergravel filter, the sand would work downwards under the gravel and clog the filter. If you want sand you'd have to remove the UG filter*
But removing the UG and gravel would remove the filter from the tank as well as removing the substrate so it's not as straight forward as just changing the substrate. Obviously you would need a new filter as well, so it would be advisable to get that first and run it for several weeks before removing the UG.

*I assume this is the type of UG comprising a plate with holes under the gravel and the water is sucked down through the gravel, under the plate then up an uplift tube?

I also have a Penn plax canister cascade filter 1200 running in the same said tank as well would that work as replacement for a thirty gallon? If I take the undergravel filter out will that help?

 

[Essjay]

If you already have another filter running in the tank, that's different. Yes, you will lose a lot of bacteria from the gravel - would it be possible to put the gravel in a mesh bag somewhere in the tank as a temporary measure (or at least some of it)? The other thing you could do would be to get some fast growing plants such as floating plants or anacharis left to float as these would take up ammonia quite quickly.

You would need to monitor ammonia and nitrite every day and do a water change if ammonia and/or nitrite show up, but there should be some bacteria in the Penn Plax filter so it would be a case of waiting for them to multiply to replace the bacteria on the gravel.