# Switching from Gravel to Sand



## Screamin_99 (May 25, 2007)

So im thinking about switching from all the gravel I have to sand. that way I can get just enough to cover the bottom of my tank and maybe give the fish more room..

I know they have all different types and colors. but what are you guys using? how do you clean it?

Im looking for a nice clean look with less junk in my 55gal so I can maybe un-stress my piranhas a tad.


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## fishguy1313 (Feb 19, 2007)

No one else has replied so I'll give ya what I have understood. You can just get bags of sand at Lowes/Home Depot. Just make sure to rinserinserinserinserinserinserinserinserinserinserinse it out really good. Regular sand like this will give a more natural look IMO. very nice, good luck


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Yup as stated you can get play sand at probably any local hardware store. I picked mine up at Menards, 100lbs or so for like 3 bucks. The problem with the play sand is that it is EXTREMELY dirty and its a pain to rinse because you have to rinse it FOREVER. Ive heard that pool filter sand is quite a bit cleaner but you still need to rinse it out well. You can get that at your local pool/hot tub place its a little bit more expensive, but not too bad. Your other option is to get the expensive sand at your LFS, which wont need much rinsing but will set you back a few bills...

Heres a few pointers from one of my past posts if you want help on the switch.... otherwise just ignore the following...

To wash your new substrate, whatever one you choose, you just put it in a bucket or large rubbermaid container and rinse it in the tub, or outside with a hose. Keep stirring it and rinsing, when you think its clean, rinse it a little more. Some substrates, such as Eco-complete dont even need to be rinsed.... just make sure you keep that in mind and make sure you read the label.

To take out all the old stuff in your tank, I would get a nice bucket or a rubbermaid container and fill it with tank water. Then take out your fish and place it in that bucket. Add a powerhead or air pump if you want. Then I would drain as much water out of the tank as possible and scoop out all your gravel.

I would then add your rinsed clean substrate to the tank. Then place a plate on top of the sand, and fill your tank having the water hit the plate as you fill(the plate helps the tank so it doesnt cloud as much). Try and get the temp of the water as close as possible to what you had it before. After the tank is full I would plug back in all of your components, and then let your established filter(s) run for a half hour or so. After fifteen minutes or so I would start acclimating your fish. You can just leave your fish in the bucket and pour some tank water in it every few minutes. When you think its an OK time, then go ahead and add your fish back into its newly decorated room.


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

^^ very good advice.
i did that when i put play sand in. it took 4 days before the water settled and i could put the fish in.
but yesterday i switched from play sand to black sand from my lfs. 
it was 20 bucks for a 20 lb bag. and it looks awesome.
and to put it in, i just rinsed it for about t 10 minutes, then i used a mug to scoop it in so it didnt get cloudy. and i left the fish in there. but if it would have gotten too cloudy, i woulda taken him out (had a bucket ready), but within an hour, everything was settled.
i highly recommend it.


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## ballistic (Dec 26, 2007)

i was thinking about sand too...shiet head out to the beach..but if anything u should actually get the ones from the pet stores..there for u wouldnt have to rinse it as much..


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## Dezboy (Apr 2, 2006)

everyome at the moment seems to be going for the moon sand....................nice stuff


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

i got some play sand from home depot. It cost me about 20$ for enough to fill a 125 gal tank. Ive always been into the natural look of tanks so i enjoy it as a substrate over other substrates like pool filter sand, colourful sand...

moon sand (all black) also looks cool and brings out your fishes colour but its pretty expensive

if you planed on keeping plants you could use eco compleate, seachem florite and other clay/dirt soil compositions. However these are in about the same pricerange as moon sand but these work much better as a substrate if your using plants.

like any substrate you should pre rince it ( you only do it once so spending a bit of time nows not a big deal) if you have a cannister filter i would run it (since sand wouldnt contact the propeller, but i wouldnt run a hob while its settling since the sand would go through the propeller (possibly damaging it) before being strained out by the media


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## barbianj (Aug 3, 2003)

We bought some Home Depot play sand just the other day for our new reef setup. It was only $3 for a 50# bag. I remembered a rinsing tip from someone on the forum and used an old pillow case. I put the pillow case inside a 5 gallon bucket and draped the openening over the edge of the bucket. I put about 3" of sand in the bottom and filled it up while stirring the sand around, then poured off the murky water. I did thid about 3 or 4 times to get most of the dust out. Then I took the pillow case out of the bucket and ran the water through it until it came out clear to get the last of the fine dust out. It took less than an hour to filter one 50# bag.


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## holmes14 (Apr 15, 2007)

that sounds like a pretty good way to do it, i dont get how you do it with just a bucket? wouldnt the sand just come overflowing out


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

barbianj said:


> We bought some Home Depot play sand just the other day for our new reef setup. It was only $3 for a 50# bag. I remembered a rinsing tip from someone on the forum and used an old pillow case. I put the pillow case inside a 5 gallon bucket and draped the openening over the edge of the bucket. I put about 3" of sand in the bottom and filled it up while stirring the sand around, then poured off the murky water. I did thid about 3 or 4 times to get most of the dust out. Then I took the pillow case out of the bucket and ran the water through it until it came out clear to get the last of the fine dust out. It took less than an hour to filter one 50# bag.


Great idea!


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

holmes4 said:


> that sounds like a pretty good way to do it, i dont get how you do it with just a bucket? wouldnt the sand just come overflowing out


nah, some does, but mostly its just the crap that is in the sand, im not sure what it is, but when i washed my play sand foreeeeeeever.
the sand sinks, the crap flows away, it looked a lot cleaner in the end.
there was sand all over my back yard too, but whatever.


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## Screamin_99 (May 25, 2007)

Ok so now that I know how to put sand in and get my old stuff out.

How do I clean the sand and keep it clean?


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Just watch this clip:
**************Edited Out**************


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## Nick G (Jul 15, 2007)

wow..... never saw such anin-depth instructional guide on gravel vaccing
glad to know i do it the correct way!


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## ryanimpreza (Jul 19, 2006)

ballistic said:


> i was thinking about sand too...shiet head out to the beach..but if anything u should actually get the ones from the pet stores..there for u wouldnt have to rinse it as much..


if you get it out of the beach I would say you would have to boil it. Things will start growing.

I think it is easier to clean by placing the sand in a large pillow case and shove a hose in it. You will not lose any sand and it strains better.


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

skubasteve! said:


> Just watch this clip:
> **************Edited Out**************


Whoops, sorry...


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## RBP7 (Oct 13, 2006)

i wouldn't use beach sand. their may be something in there that you don't want in your tank. and also its ilegal to take sand from a beach.


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