New tank - with sand... ?

[Vegan Peaches]

Alright, so I've read all of the gravel to sand threads I could find, and they all talk about how they switched their tank from gravel to sand (dudh, I guess, lol). Well, I'm not planning on switching my tank, I'm planning on buying a new tank (between 30-55 gal) and would like sand because it's hella cheaper than 50 lbs of gravel plus my cories are small so they can't dig in my gravel.

So, I know when I get my new tank set up with the sand, I will have to wash the sand really well before putting it in the new tank - well the tap water I wash the sand wish will contain alot of Chlorine, and I guess my question is will this sand hold this chlorine for awhile? When I washed the gravel and added it to the tank I didn't know anything about bacteria and chlorine, and hence lost alot of fish, but now that I know better I'm afraid the chlorine on the sand will kill any of the bacteria I add to the tank with the gravel in the socks or whatever.

I don't know, this might sound stupid, but I've buried 8 fish this month, and I don't want to bury any more.

Another thing - when I switch the tanks, should I keep as much of the old water as I can so the fish don't freak out in the new water, or what?

If someone can link me somewhere where there is step by step info on setting up new aquaria using existing water and fish and stuff, let me know

^^

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Use as much of the old water and old media as possible. Faster bacteria production.

As for the chlorine staying, that's not going to happen provided you dechlorinate the water you add after adding the sand to the tank. Plus, since the chlorine dissipates in about a day or so, just add fish afterwards (are you moving fish around or buying later?).

 

[smithrc]

when starting our new tanks, we follow the same process...

First thing is to setup the new filter in an existing tank to develop bacteria.
after a week or so we setup the next tank.
(if we cant wait fo rthe filter to have some time in the tank - we take media out of an existing filter and put it in the new filter).

washing the sand gave me the same question - so after washing it really well - i added some declorinator and mixed it about thuroughly.

once washed we add the sand to the empty tank and fill it up with water (again declorinated first) if we're doing a water change, we add old tank water to give some waste for the tank to develop with.

we then test the water for about a week - until we are happy its stable.

HTH.

 

[Vegan Peaches]

Alright, awesome, thanks ^^ Tempest, I will be moving all my fish to the bigger tank and buying more cories later, once I'm sure it's stable. The 10 gal will then be a quarentine tank ^^.

Also, what is the ratio of how much sand / water? and If I landscape the sand after pouring in the water, will it cloud or go flat or something? I'd like to have kind of a hilly terrain oin my tank, or at last a big slope because I think it would go good with my decortaions.... er... or lack of, lol.

 

[smithrc]

sand finds its own levels - it moves freely and you wont be able to landscape with it easily.

I just point the filter flow in different points on the bottom to form bumps and stuff

 

[smithrc]

oh and you'll want about 1" - 1.5" in the bottom of the tank.

 

[Vegan Peaches]

Alright, thx ^^ Sucks I cant landscape it... guess I'll have to stop being cheap and buy some rocks, lol. Are there any fish I should be aware of that aren't compatible with sand? At the moment, I jsut want a bunch of cories maybe 2 clown loaches if I can score a 55gal and then some livebearers to fill out the rest of the tank, and I'm pretty sure they are all fine with sand since one of the pet stores here keeps them with sand, but I just want to be sure.