How To Change To Sand Without The Water Becoming Really Cloudy?

[pablothebetta]

Thinking of changing my little baby BiOrb setup into a sand setup with a regular small internal filter - the useless UGF with the *awful* ceramic media really isn't any good or very aesthetically pleasing. Anyway, I've heard loads about really cloudy water after chaning to sand - is there anything I could do to help prevent it from becoming too cloudy? Whats the best way to clear up cloudy water after changing to sand?

Thanks

 

[fluttermoth]

If you wash your sand properly; and that means being utterly ruthless about tipping away any particles that don't sink immediately, even if you lose some 'good' sand along with the floating stuff; it's cheap, so it's not a problem. Then do at least three or four rinses after you think it's done and it won't cloud your water.

If you haven't washed it properly, then large (right to the substrate, as long as the fish aren't in there) water changes and an extra layer of floss in your filter will clear it.

But it's far, far better to wash it thoroughly before it goes in the tank. Test it by one third filling a glass vase, jug or pint glass with your 'clean' sand, filling it up with water and seeing how long it takes to settle. If you've done your rinsing really well, it should only take a few seconds for the sand to fall to the bottom and leave the water clear.

 

[pablothebetta]

Thanks for the advice, Fluttermoth. One question: do I have to use specific aquarium sand (obv not marine sand)or can I go to any regular DIY store and buy play sand? I would want it fairly pale in colour- would I achieve this by using regular play sand or by the aquarium-specific sand? I woudn't need a lot of it as it isn't a very big tank - a few kilos and I'd be done. Thanks

 

[Mowbz]

Argos, Homebase, B&Q and most other types of playsand are fine to use

 

[pablothebetta]

Would I get The same pale coloured sand with ordinary play sand?

 

[fluttermoth]

Most play sand is quite pale; I have the Argos stuff and that's very light; almost white under some lights.

 

[pablothebetta]

Thanks, I'll look into it

 

[Titchie]

I have play sand from a toy shop and is very pale, but you really need to wash it properly, I did mine and I still have fine sand over everything, bog wood etc, but the more I do a water change the better its getting. But It really looks lovely and all the muck stays on top of the sand unlike gravel in my opinion

 

[pablothebetta]

I'm definitely going to look into getting some play sand - it really is so much cheaper than the 'aquarium specific' stuff. With the BiOrb being pretty small, how much do you think I'll be needing? I wanted to cover over any remains of the UGF...

Oh, and any ideas how I'd attatch a filter in there, with it being curved?

 

[Fishy friend2]

I just put some play San in my tank and if you wash it really well you will not even deal with cloudy water at all
And for the filter question, maybe just get a sponge filter and let it sit at the bottom of the tank