Does This Sound Ok? Any Further Advice?

[LolaLouie]

I just bought a large bag of sand as I have a lot of cichlids and know they prefer sand. This is what I plan to do:

1. Gravel vac
2. Remove bogwood, rocks etc.
3. Move fish to small tank and bucket.
4. Take out gravel
5. Turn off filter
6. Pour in sand through funnel
7. Leave for a couple of hours and then return decor and fish.

Sound ok?

Any other tips people can offer?

Should I turn the filter off?

Thanks!!

 

[newfishy]

rinse and rinse and rinse the sand till it runs clear before you put it in the tank, make sure it is sand for aquariums specificly....if not it could harm your fish. make sure filter media stays warm and wet..and fish in bucket stay warm and oxgenated. I would use a small scoop gentaly place it in water...lower down then slide sand off scoop to bottem of tank....let sand settle a bit...sand in your running filtrer could kill it. and make sure your intake tube is 3 or 4 inches up from the sand...and cause sand in filter is not great.

 

[Larissa]

Defo turn the filter off, but like newfishy said keep the media warm, wet and maybe pour water over the sponge every once and a while to oxygenate it. Try and add sand in the way that does not disturb it - the faster it settles, the faster you can turn your filter back on and add the fish.