Aquarium Substrate

[stuuk1]

Ok, perhaps this should be in the beginners section but not sure so here it is...

MY 240ltr Juwel is set up with gravel at the moment which is sharp edged. I have a few bottom feeders now. I dont particularly want to empty it out and replace with rounded gravel. I am trying to plant the tank as well, I have bought some tall plants to give the tank some height.

I was thinking about a sand substrate so the plants can root in to it (I can take them out of their pot). My question is:

Is it a good idea to lay the sand on top of the gravel? a good 2 inches of the stuff all over? Also, with a gravel hoover in mind, what problems will I encounter? Surely if I were to hoover, it would suck the sand up....?

Thanks in advance, sorry if it sounds stupid but looking for a sandy substrate expert for some advice!

 

[mattlee]

if you did that and used a vac to clean the gravel you would suck up the sand. also over time the sand that was left would sink between the gravel giving an impossible substrate to clean without losing the sand in time. the best thing to do is to remove the gravel and replace with sand. if you dont have another tank to house the fish while doing it then you could use a large plastic storage box/container with a heater. it isnt a 10 minute job but worth doing. when cleaning sand i use a length of filter hose with a syphon start bulb on the end and hover the hose about an inch above the sand so very little sand gets sucked up. give it a swirl to get any poo/uneaten food off the substrate and suck it up. once your used to it its very easy.

 

[spectrum]

In short, not really. The sand would end up underneath the gravel after a few months. Also it could lead up to huge anaerobic bubbles under the sand in the gravel, which are monumentally bad for your tank if they get released (Lots of ammonia, among other things) So if I were you I would just go for it and take the gravel out and replace it with sand, its a fairly big job (An hour or so) but its worth it, you would be glad you did it.

Use a cool box with a heater to store your fish and plants and other stuff in whilst changing.

 

[stuuk1]

Thanks guys, I do have another tan, a 48ltr. Not setup at the moment but ill put the water from my other tank in with the spare heater i also have.

Thanks everyone! I shall do this possibly next weekend!

Actually, before I do anything... In my tank I have:

Cheery Barbs
Red Tail Shark
Yoyo Loach
Polka dot loach
Upside down catfish
Neons
Xray tetra
Mollies
Rainbow Fish

Do these all suit a sand substrate?

Thanks

 

[mattlee]

Thanks guys, I do have another tan, a 48ltr. Not setup at the moment but ill put the water from my other tank in with the spare heater i also have.

Thanks everyone! I shall do this possibly next weekend!

Actually, before I do anything... In my tank I have:

Cheery Barbs
Red Tail Shark
Yoyo Loach
Polka dot loach
Upside down catfish
Neons
Xray tetra
Mollies
Rainbow Fish

Do these all suit a sand substrate?

Thanks

your bottom feeders will benefit from the sand as for the others i guess it wouldnt make much difference as they are all mid feeders