Sand Substrate Is Gone This Weekend

I started a new 40 gallon freshwater tank last November.
I decided to go with sand. A mistake I plan on correcting asap.

The reason is as follows and is a warning to anyone else who plans to use sand as their substrate.

1) Sand especially fine sand is easily disturbed and can get into a filter impeller. Especially when cleaning. I have lost one motor and one impeller on my AquaClear filter. Prefilters work for this, but are a pain to remove.
It only takes a few grains to get in between the rotor and stator to lock it up. Locking up the rotor if not caught immediately, will fry the motor. AC motors are not cheap and I keep a couple spares around to replace if required.

2) Algae. Maybe partly my fault, but within a few days after cleaning, algae returns and it is unsightly.
Gravel might be the same, but I never noticed it as much as with sand.
Lastly I have found sand to more of a problem that anything else.
It looks good, but thats about it. IMO.

This brings me to a question for the forum. I know gravel is the next best choice, but I want to think and look outside the box. Something unusual like maybe marbles? Also no more plants. Rocks or other structure only will be used from here on out.
Tank holds 12 Tiger Barbs.
Any suggestions are appreciated>
Thanks in Advance
John

 

Regarding your 1), it sounds like you used sand that's too fine. I have Black Diamond blasting sand in one tank and pool filter sand in the other 5, and don't have any issues with it.

 

Regarding your 1), it sounds like you used sand that's too fine. I have Black Diamond blasting sand in one tank and pool filter sand in the other 5, and don't have any issues with it.

What kind of filter/filters are you running?
Maybe its just me, but I cannot wait to get it out of there.
My opinion only. But I have had issues that are sand related. Never ever had these issues with gravel.
And I did use pool filter sand.

 

What kind of filter/filters are you running?
Maybe its just me, but I cannot wait to get it out of there.
My opinion only. But I have had issues that are sand related. Never ever had these issues with gravel.
And I did use pool filter sand.

I have hang on backs and sponge filters.

 

I moved away from sand for this reason as well I'd rather stick to using gravel or other soil substrate

 

Even if you only want hard scape, you could perhaps do a dirted tank.

 

I tried marbles before and they trap and hold a lot of crud. The spaces are big enough for food to fall through and too small for the fish to go after it so it just sits there and gets moldy.
Since you have barbs and aren't really keeping anything that likes to forage specifically, you could do a barebottom if you don't want to mess with aquarium gravel. They can look pretty awesome with a good hardscape and some squiggly branches.
I started out my 75 with pea-sized black river pebbles, and after a few months I gave up trying to keep it clean and just filled in the spaces with black gravel. If I have learned anything in the last ten+ years, it's that the most popular option is the most popular option for a reason. Yes gravel can get expensive, but you also don't need 2" deep of it in an unplanted tank.
I haven't had any issues with pool filter sand myself, and it keeps my goldfish entertained, but I'm so over the blasting sand in another tank I'm about ready to chuck the whole tank and start over.

 

I swear I was going to post about the same issue. I put very fine sand in my 10 and 5 gallon tanks and regret it now, especially because I wanted to go planted but my plants aren't staying alive. Maybe the root tabs cant disperse as well in fine sand? Idk..how are you going to take your sand out and add something different? Thats what I'm trying to figure out so I don't make a huge mess!

 

Try Quikrete all purpose gravel. Its aquarium safe & found in the Lowes & Home depot garden dept. Very inexpensive.
IMO, due to its porous nature, gravel substrate offers more fertile ground for BB to grow.
Over time enough bio gunk accumulates in the gravel bed, enabling aqua gardening.
No argument, sand substrates can be awsome & there are numerous examples of that, but sand does have its share of potential drawbacks.

 

I almost did it again today with my AC 50.
I have a pretty strong wave maker and aimed it at the sand to stir it up a bit.
I then heard the motor start to growl and unplugged it right away.
Its amazing how this happened again today.
Just more reason to get away from sand. How many motors and impellers do I need to buy again before I change this sand?
Yes on marbles and very large pebbles. Seems I might go back to pea gravel like I have used my entire life with the exception of black gravel once.
I have some left from a change I made some time ago.

Saturday the sand is going. I have to do it with fish though.
So I may start right away removing some and do this until the weekend. That way I do not upset anyone in the tank to much.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my thread. I do appreciate you all.
John

 

I removed sand with the aquarium set up just unplug the filter and use a small cup scooping it out a little at a time.
Like A201 said lowes has cheap quikrete gravel I used some of that and lava rock with fluval Stratum ontop to add some height and it's worked great. I like the look of sand but it wasn't practical to what I wanted to do.

 

I removed sand with the aquarium set up just unplug the filter and use a small cup scooping it out a little at a time.
Like A201 said lowes has cheap quikrete gravel I used some of that and lava rock with fluval Stratum ontop to add some height and it's worked great. I like the look of sand but it wasn't practical to what I wanted to do.

Thanks. I too am looking at bulk gravel designed for driveways and paths. I can get pea gravel for 1/100th the cost at a fish supply store and it looks exactly the same.

But. There is always a BUT, but there are two schools of thinking on this idea.
One is its fine and the other concerned about the non-fish store gravel could contain small pieces of rock that may interfere with water chemistry.

So fish store much more money, but bulk gravel cheap as heck with the possibility of water issues?
Can someone confirm this. Is it safe to use Home Depot gravel or do I required pet store gravel?

 

Thanks. I too am looking at bulk gravel designed for driveways and paths. I can get pea gravel for 1/100th the cost at a fish supply store and it looks exactly the same.

But. There is always a BUT, but there are two schools of thinking on this idea.
One is its fine and the other concerned about the non-fish store gravel could contain small pieces of rock that may interfere with water chemistry.

So fish store much more money, but bulk gravel cheap as heck with the possibility of water issues?
Can someone confirm this. Is it safe to use Home Depot gravel or do I required pet store gravel?

I used it and didn't have any issues. I spent a week rinsing a bucket and letting it soak in water. I would agitate and clean it once a day for a week by the time I added it to the aquarium I didn't have any cloudiness from that gravel. On the listing for it at Lowe's it says it's pond safe.

 

I've got a mixture of Quikrete all purpose gravel in both my tanks. I think it looks good.

 

Thanks.