Just switched from Gravel to Sand

[jkun17]

I just cleaned up my 10 gallon... I mean total cleaning. I took out everything... EVERYTHING!!

I replaced all the gravel with sand and put in a sponge filter to replace my undergravel and a bio-wheel just to be sure that I wouldn't lose any more filtering. I cleaned up everything. I wiped the inside with vinegar and rinsed the tank through several times with boiling water and alternately with icy water (my thought was that temperature shock would totally kill whatever was still alive in my tank.

I planted my tank with a lot of easy growing green plants (might do some red ones later when I'm more comfortable). I put some of my gravel into a stocking and rested it in the corner of my tank.

My fish seem so much happier with the sand and my corries couldn't look better.

Next week I'll start phasing the gravel out of my bowls and use sand there too. I was wondering, however, what the hell do I do with all this gravel?

My first thought was making one killer zen garden... hmm... I might be able to reuse that underground platfom too... hmm...

Any thoughts on what to do with all that gravel would be greatly appreciated!

 

[-cAtFiSh-]

congratulations!
i am so happy i changed to sand too, it looks so much better.
dont really have any ideas on what to do with ur gravel though. dad just threw mine over the garden lol

 

[Barday]

Sell it on e-bay!

 

[JustinSane]

I'd say that put more of the old gravel back to the tank (in stockings that is).
Mainly because you just slaughtered most of your nitrification bacteria, you probably might wanna put the biowheel back too for now, until the tank is cycled again.
I'd be keeping a close eye on NO2 and ammonia readings if I was you.
And be extra careful not to overfeed, your tank is in a vulnerable condition right now, you changed too much too quick.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Haha I have no idea, I have 15lb of wet gravel in a bucket in my garden cos i couldnt think what to do with it either!


ummmm and you oughta be careful about rinsing with boiling/freezing water, usually that would crack the tank!

 

[smithrc]

do what i do... collect it in the shed!

In my shed I now have...

1/2 bag of pea gravel,
3/4 bag of course orangey snad
3 1/2 bags of play sand (over estimated AL LOT!)

(all the bags are 25kg bags (the play sand is 15kg)


you can never have enough useless stuff in a shed

 

[emo]

3 1/2 bags of play sand (over estimated AL LOT!)

My parents have bags of play sand at home (mum is childminder)

Can this be used in a freshwater tank? Or is there a special kind of sand...

Just thought it would be nice not to let it go to waste... and to make the tank pretty!

 

[smithrc]

2 of our tanks use it. have a look at the 110l and 120l tanks on my site