Changing over to Sand

[kev]

Just need some advise.

I'm changing my gravel (multicoloured!!! - It came with the tank) for some sand as I want my plants to live for longer than a week!!!

Anyway I started my reving all my Decorations (apart from the bog wood as I heard that if it dries out it will float )

Removed a load of gravel and moved some over to the other side - This made the tank pretty murky with a load of crap that came up.

I cleaned my filter so it could take the extra muck.

I added the sand (Play sand from toys r us) and it made the tank go really realy clouded - this had cleared by the morning (about 8 hours)

Questions

When is it safe to removed the rest of the gravel or should I do it in 2 more steps??

I have washed the sand this time - Will this help with the cloudyness??

How long should I leave the sand for before adding plants??

 

[The-Wolf]

Yes washing the sand will help.
some real plants need a mature tank 6 months or more before they will flourish, others will be ok in new tanks it just depends on the plant.

put the gravel in a pair of tights (pantyhose) then lay it on the sand. in a few days you can remove the gravel and the bactieria will have multiplyed and migrated to the sand.

 

[Guppylover]

If you want to add some plants sooner though get some Java Fern. Amazon Sword is also a strong hardy tank!

 

[kev]

Cheers for the helps guys - Plants were my next question

About the Tights thing (better not tell the missus) does that mean I can take the rest of the gravel out now and stick the sand in - as long as I have gravel in the tights?

I have 50% sand and 50% Gravel at the mo and it looks really bad so I want to get it sorted pretty quick

 

[The-Wolf]

Cheers for the helps guys - Plants were my next question

About the Tights thing (better not tell the missus) does that mean I can take the rest of the gravel out now and stick the sand in - as long as I have gravel in the tights?

I have 50% sand and 50% Gravel at the mo and it looks really bad so I want to get it sorted pretty quick

yes try to put at least 25% of the gravel in the tights. you do this so you can remove the gravel without disturbing the sand, the mesh in the tights allows migration of the bacteria

 

[Jae1525]

Gravel in tights! Thats so funny, yet functional. I have a pair of my girlfriends tights that I cut up and made into filters for my pc's fans so dust doesent get into the case! Tights rule! Perfect legs, warm in the winter, PC filters and now Fish tank gravel holders! Is there no end to the ever growing use of tights!

I would like to have sand in my aquarium as my inverts and corys would love it! Cant you just remove 75% of the gravel and just mix the rest with the sand? I think that could work quite well?

P.S. Have tights changed your life? Please reply I think were onto a winner here!!!

 

[clutterydrawer]

You can make neat draft excluders out of tights, too.

 

[The-Wolf]

As an angler I have worn tights when night fishing to keep me warm.
) slinks off into the background.......

 

[tiger lady]

You can pack tights full of activated carbon and pop it in your filter. Saves buying those pre-packed carbon sachets that costs a fortune

 

[kev]

Whoa - Steal my topic why don't you.

@Jae1525 - I'm sure you could Just mix the two together but my gravel is multicoloured so it would look bad.

So how long should I wait before changing the rest of my gravel and should I put all the sand in (so its like 5-6 inches deep) and then spread it out once I remove the gravel??

 

[flintstone]

Bit of humor:

When I first set up 3 new tanks I put some of the old natural stone gravel from an established tank in tights in each of my new tanks and people kept asking me why there was a "bag of corn" in there!!!!!!