Changing gravel out

[conniem2424]

I have not done it yet. My tank gets a ton of natural light so algae starts to build up every couple of weeks. I use the mag float right now, but am concerned with getting sand in it and scratching the glass

Here's a pic of it from a couple days ago. I'll take a better one after I clean today.

Great looking tank! I love the rock formations.

Hello What I did when I changed out my gravel is to first rinse the sand thoroughly and then Empty 3/4 of the water from the tank. Keep enough tank water to put your filter media and decorations in to keep them wet while you do the change. I bought a large dustpan to scoop out the gravel into a bucket. I then vacuumed the bottom of the glass where debris had accumulated. Start in a corner and slowly pour the sand in. It will settle soon after. Put fresh water back in and then your filter media and decorations. What size tank is it? It was quite easy for me because I did it on a 20 gal high.

 

[Hilo Bay]

Hello What I did when I changed out my gravel is to first rinse the sand thoroughly and then Empty 3/4 of the water from the tank. Keep enough tank water to put your filter media and decorations in to keep them wet while you do the change. I bought a large dustpan to scoop out the gravel into a bucket. I then vacuumed the bottom of the glass where debris had accumulated. Start in a corner and slowly pour the sand in. It will settle soon after. Put fresh water back in and then your filter media and decorations. What size tank is it? It was quite easy for me because I did it on a 20 gal high.

Thanks for tips. It's a 55 gallon. Did you take the fish out when you did this?

Great looking tank! I love the rock formations.

Thank you!

 

[stephpartin]

Thanks for tips. It's a 55 gallon. Did you take the fish out when you did this?





Thank you!

Hello, no I did not take them out. They were perfectly fine in the tank)

 

[sassymomma]

I did mine similarly to stephpartin

I lowered my water and scooped out the gravel, replacing it with sand

I would only add a couple of things from my experience:

If you have snails you might want to move them first..I buried a couple of mine by mistake, and scooped others out in the gravel


Put plants and filter media in a bucket of tank water so they don't get full of debris

 

[Hilo Bay]

I've decided that I'm gonna stay with gravel. Don't want sand in my mag float scratching the glass

 

[krystle]

What would be the best way to change my gravel to sand?

I was thinking pull out like a few scoops of gravel replace with sand waiting a few days and repeat until its all sand. My reasoning is if I just pull out all my gravel, it will mess up the tanks cycle and send it in a recycle and possibly kill my fish...

would this be a good idea?

 

[Fashooga]

Take the fish out and put them in a QT.

Drain water and scoop gravel out.
Get sand and put a few pounds in the bucket.

Rinse, drain rinse and drain.

When the sand is clear when you swirl the bucket of sand and water it should be ready.

Repeat process...

When you dump the sand in and aquascape you want get the water in and start the tank.

It will be cloudy but it will clear up.

Test, if all good than put fish in.

 

[KeeperOfASilentWorld]

What would be the best way to change my gravel to sand?

I was thinking pull out like a few scoops of gravel replace with sand waiting a few days and repeat until its all sand. My reasoning is if I just pull out all my gravel, it will mess up the tanks cycle and send it in a recycle and possibly kill my fish...

would this be a good idea?

Dear krystle ,

The majority of your bacteria colony live in the filter and the filters bio media. You can change your substrate with peace of mind. The only problem I could think of would be stirring up too much gunk. I would follow these steps:

1- Thoroughly wash your sand in a container for several times and when you think they are clean enough, wash some more
2- Prepare a good size container to hold your fish for a few hours. It does not need a filter.
3- Place the sand and the container next to your tank.
4- Fill the container up with your tank water and put your livestock in the container.
5- Remove all gravel slowly and carefully. Try not to stir up the gunk.
6- Clean all gunk using a syphon and make sure the water is relatively clean.
7- Place all sand in the tank using a cup. Slowly place the cup inside the water, get it to the bottom of the tank and slowly pour out the sand.
8- After all sand is in, wait for it to settle for about 15 minutes and dose a double full tank dose of Prime while you wait.
9- Put your fish back in to the tank.
10- Fill the tank with fresh water. ( If the water volume is lower than %75 at this point which is not ideal, try to also use some of the old tank water from the container )
11- Start your filter.

Please feel free to ask any further questions.

Happy Fish Keeping

 

[Aussie Fish Keeper]

if I just pull out all my gravel, it will mess up the tanks cycle and send it in a recycle and possibly kill my fish

Depending on the size of your biological media, you could be taking as much as one third to one half your BB out of the tank. BUT. The filter, the glass, any plants or decorations etc etc will all have some colonisation of BB so a full cycle is not likely.

One thing you must do to retain your BB colony in your filter is don't turn it off for long or if you must, keep it oxygenated with water moving somehow. Turning it off for any extended period will kill the colony.

 

[Jayd976]

When I converted my 90 gallon from gravel to sand I scooped all the gravel out with a coffee container. I drilled some holes around it sonthe water could seap out so I did t remove too much water and not leave enough to do a thorough syphon of the bottom glass. Once all the gravel was out I vacuumed the bottom with a syphon until it was nice and clean.

I prepared the sand by rinsing the fine particulate out in a bucked with a garden hose.

Bucket by bucket I brought the sand in and gently scooped it up in a large solo cup and spread it out on the bottom of the tank. The trick is to lower the solo cup slowly into the water so the water rushing into the cup doesn't disturb the sand too much that it just flys out of the cup because then it will be a a cloudy mess.

 

[krystle]

Thanks for advice. I just have a 29 gal with a 306 fluval canister. I might wait until I get the bigger tank, really want one in the 100gal range.

 

[Bmur05]

Another trick I saw on a video for putting sand in a tank that has water in it, is put the wet, clean sand in a gallon Ziploc bag, cut a hole in the corner of it, hold the hole closed as you put it on the tank, and then just squeeze it out like you were frosting a cake. Not much dust or mess that way

 

[Rockhaus]

HI guys looking for advice, my tanks been up and running for 5 years , no water issues , I’m looking to change to black gravel from the natural colour stuff I have now. Or even sand if it would be ok for my Cory’s? My question is should I leave a thin layer of the old stuff underneath or just change it out and hope it doesn’t ruin my beneficial bacteria ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Ohio Mark]

Welcome aboard!

Watching with interest, as I'm getting ready to do the same thing in reverse -- switching natural colored gravel for black sand.

 

[Rockhaus]

I would like sand but I’ve got Cory’s , not sure if I can do sand with those guys? Maybe someone can answer that to actually?..

 

[Coradee]

Corys would love sand whatever colour it is, they can be kept on gravel too as long as it’s not too abrasive or grain too big that food disappears down the gaps so they can’t get to it.

 

[Rockhaus]

Corys would love sand whatever colour it is, they can be kept on gravel too as long as it’s not too abrasive or grain too big that food disappears down the gaps so they can’t get to it.

Thanks coradee , yes they love my gravel I currently have so that’s why I wasn’t sure how they would do on sand, but now I’m leaning towards sand.

 

[Ohio Mark]

I have corys in my tank and having seen how they do in my other tank on sand, I'm "sold" on sand for corys.

 

[max h]

If you are going to switch it out, take all the gravel out. The larger gravel pieces will migrate to the surface of the sand.

 

[bgclarke]

I've done the gravel to sand switch.
I removed all the gravel at once and replaced it with black sand.

I put all of my filter media in used tank water while I did the switch.

The biggest problem I had was catching all the fish and shrimp before removing the old gravel.

I did use Seachem Stability after getting the tank back up and running, just in case, but I had no issues with the water parameters following the switch.

 

[Fashooga]

Your beneficial bacteria is 95% in the filter. Since your tank is well established you shouldn't have any problems at all. You might experience a temporary bacteria bloom but that should go away in a few days.

Just make sure you buy the right kind of sand. Some sand like playground sand is too dusty and never goes away. Some sand that contains silicate can be harmful. The most recommended types of sand people get here is diamond blasting sand or Pool Filter sand. You can get these at a Tractor Supply Company. Pool Filter sand is available at most stores that sell spa equipment.

Clean the sand before adding to the tank.

 

[Rockhaus]

Sold on sand now , thanks guys. I am going to buy the national geographic sand from petsmart. Has good reviews. Thanks for the advice.

 

[max h]

Sold on sand now , thanks guys. I am going to buy the national geographic sand from petsmart. Has good reviews. Thanks for the advice.

If your tank is much bigger then about 30 gallons that could get costly. It's almost a dollar a pound here in the U.S. I need close to 300 pounds on my current build. Do you guys have Tractor Supply up there in Canada?

 

[bgclarke]

Sold on sand now , thanks guys. I am going to buy the national geographic sand from petsmart. Has good reviews. Thanks for the advice.

I started with CaribSea Tahitian Moon sand, but now use the National Geographic sand since you get more for less money.

Learned about the NG sand from Prime Time Aquatics on YouTube.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Gravel is 2% of your bacteria.

 

[Ohio Mark]

Oh well. Got my Tahitian Moon Sand already, but now realize I could have saved some $$$. Next time!

 

[bgclarke]

Do you guys have Tractor Supply up there in Canada?

No we don't.

The closest thing we have are TSC stores, and they do sell Canadian produced blasting sand/coal slag (2040 medium grit)

 

[max h]

No we don't.

The closest thing we have are TSC stores, and they do sell Canadian produced blasting sand/coal slag (2040 medium grit)

That all Black Diamond is, coal slag. Cheap and works great

 

[WTFish?]

Your cories will actually PREFER sand, so yay. I disagree on play sand being too dirty, that’s what I use and I love it. You must wash it first of course. I paid $3 for a 50# bag. I only used about 10 pounds. Haha.

 

[Rockhaus]

Just bought 40lbs of national geo for $50 at petsmart so wasn’t to bad . Bought a 25 lb bag which they told me would be enough and then 3 5 lb bags that I will return if I don’t need them

 

[Rockhaus]

It’s only a 29 gallon . Wish I could go bigger just don’t have the room right now. Have 3 kids under 5 so lots of toys for them no room for my toys but once’s there a bit older I’ll be getting something a lot bigger lol

 

[Eduardo Santos]

Will doing this reset a cycled aquarium? I was wanting to start my tank over (get rid of Gravel and do a planted tank) at least to have a plant nutrition rich substrate under gravel

 

[WTFish?]

Will doing this reset a cycled aquarium? I was wanting to start my tank over (get rid of Gravel and do a planted tank) at least to have a plant nutrition rich substrate under gravel

No, your gravel has some beneficial bacteria but the majority of it is in your filter, as long as that part is established and cycled, then you’re fine.

 

[Eduardo Santos]

No, your gravel has some beneficial bacteria but the majority of it is in your filter, as long as that part is established and cycled, then you’re fine.

I just fell in love with planted tanks.. grass carpets and all... But I have many questions where to begin. For starters.. do I do a 100% water change to remove my gravel substrate and add a plant nutrition rich one? Sorry but I wasn't sure If I got to create my own thread or add to here can someone let me know if its okay or not, thanks. I don't wanna stall the original questions answeres

 

[WTFish?]

I just fell in love with planted tanks.. grass carpets and all... But I have many questions where to begin. For starters.. do I do a 100% water change to remove my gravel substrate and add a plant nutrition rich one? Sorry but I wasn't sure If I got to create my own thread or add to here can someone let me know if its okay or not, thanks. I don't wanna stall the original questions answeres

You might get more answers if you do start a thread, honestly. In my 10 gallon I put the fish in a bucket of their water, took out all but 2-3 inches of water (keep your filter wet in tank water too) Then I scooped out all of my gravel and added my sand. I used prewashed play sand. Then I put down a plate to fill it back up, this way the sand is less disturbed. Put all decor back, let settle for 30-40 minutes then ran the filter again and put the fish back in. Make sure it’s somewhat settled before you run the filter again to prevent sand from getting into it.

 

[max h]

Will doing this reset a cycled aquarium? I was wanting to start my tank over (get rid of Gravel and do a planted tank) at least to have a plant nutrition rich substrate under gravel

No it won't reset your cycle, the filter takes more then 95% of the cycle load. There's very little in the substrate and decor, unless you use an undergravel filter.

 

[Rockhaus]

Done, I added an extra filter to run over night to clear any remaining dust out although the nat geo sand washed clean in under 2 mins . Awesome stuff .

 

[Eduardo Santos]

Done, I added an extra filter to run over night to clear any remaining dust out although the nat geo sand washed clean in under 2 mins . Awesome stuff .

What substrate are you using total?

 

[Rockhaus]

National geographic from PetSmart. 25lbs for a 29 g and I have some left over

 

[Eduardo Santos]

National geographic from PetSmart. 25lbs for a 29 g and I have some left over

I wonder if there have a smaller one for a 7 gallon, did you use anything else with the soil?

 

[Rockhaus]

They have 5 lb bags also , no just the substrate . I bought a 5lb bag of white.

I wonder if there have a smaller one for a 7 gallon, did you use anything else with the soil?

They also have 5lb bags . That’s what I got in white. I didn’t add anything else , just the substrate.

 

[Rockhaus]

Woke up today to test my water and I have .5 ammonia, 0 nitrite, .3 nitrate. Before the change I was at 0 0 10. Fish are ok. I won’t be feeding them today and just gonna keep doing small water changes and adding prime until ammonia’s gone.

 

[JoeJoe-F'sho]

Thanks for the tip, as I'm currently contemplating making a switch to sand soon myself.. Most likely black. Any other tips or advice? I have a 90 gal tank with a black moore/telescope, an orange garanda and a ryukin.. Thanks in advance!

 

[Joefish]

I went from gravel to pool filter sand a month ago and will never go back to gravel. I wish I would have done it years ago.

 

[Eduardo Santos]

I went from gravel to pool filter sand a month ago and will never go back to gravel. I wish I would have done it years ago.

Pool filter sand..?

 

[Rockhaus]

Pool filter sand..?

Ya it’s safe for fish. You can use it ,it’s a lot cheaper to buy.

 

[Joefish]

Pool filter sand..?

Yes. Google it for more information.

 

[Ona Makeed]

Sold on sand now , thanks guys. I am going to buy the national geographic sand from petsmart. Has good reviews. Thanks for the advice.

I would say watch your Ph closely with the LFS black sand brands, even moon sand. Blasting sand seems to be very safe for fish and water chemistry.

 

[Eduardo Santos]

I ended up going with Fluval stratum substrate

 

[Mhaire]

I went from gravel to pool filter sand a month ago and will never go back to gravel. I wish I would have done it years ago.

Same here. Started with Diamond blasting sand, then Petco ImaginarI'm sand (will never touch this stuff again) then Eco-complete.. finally a couple months ago did . I really like this stuff. The corys are happy. I had to rinse it little by little in a bathtub as I live in an apartment. Got a step stool to sit on in the tub and rinse about 32 ounce glass at a time....all 50 pounds, took a couple of hours. But was worth it.