Sand substrate in filter

[Wendy harmieson]

I have a 60ltr bio orb and have today changed my substrate to sand. I now have sand continually coming through the filter and resting on the live plants and ornaments. What I’m concerned with is the sand constantly being in the water, will my fish ingest this and subsequently cause problems? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Essjay]

You can't use sand with the built in filter. It's an undergravel filter and only works with the rocks that come with the biorb or large gravel. The filter is designed to suck water down through those rocks, through the filter box and back into the tank. Sand particles are too small to allow this to happen. If you have sand, you need another type of filter eg a sponge filter powered by an air pump - you may be able to run it from the airline tubing which is part of the biorb's filter.
And if you just took out all the rocks, you threw away all the biomedia so monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels daily.

 

[Wendy harmieson]

You can't use sand with the built in filter. It's an undergravel filter and only works with the rocks that come with the biorb or large gravel. The filter is designed to suck water down through those rocks, through the filter box and back into the tank. Sand particles are too small to allow this to happen. If you have sand, you need another type of filter eg a sponge filter powered by an air pump - you may be able to run it from the airline tubing which is part of the biorb's filter.
And if you just took out all the rocks, you threw away all the biomedia so monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels daily.

Thank you for the advice. I have change back to gravel this morning. What a mess sand makes. I have kuli loaches that need sand, will I have to find them a new home if I can’t have sand.