# Sand Substrates?



## 5-O Cummins (Sep 4, 2008)

Well after seeing many of your tank pictures, most people seem to have some type of sand for their substrate. What would I have to do to switch mine out to sand? A whole tank teardown, ie gutting the entire inside and starting over from scratch once the old is removed? Plus, whats the best sand to get, any specific kind, color for my tank etc.. any help would great!


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## Mustang Boy (May 2, 2008)

you wouldnt have to tear down the entire tank you could get some kind of divider that is only a few inches tall and just divide the substrate in thirds and replace one third at a time with the tank full of water still you could even do it while you are doing you weekly water change since the water is at a lower level at that time and may make it a little easier. just make sure that you wait a couple weeks between each section so that you dont loose all of you beneficial bacteria by doing it to fast and causing the tank to have to recycle

and there are many types of sand that can be used and the color thing is mostly personal preference


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## fishlids (May 5, 2007)

the color of sand really depends on your fish. Take some time and observe your fish and the sand, would it give a good contrast?

For example, Yellow Labs with very black sand would look great.


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## 5-O Cummins (Sep 4, 2008)

Yeah I think black would look good with all my fish, I think im gonna do it.


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## 5-O Cummins (Sep 4, 2008)

How much sand do you think I need?


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## sean151 (Feb 19, 2008)

I was always skeptical about getting black sand before I bit the bullet. I've loved it ever since. Once you've cleaned it thoroughly I really do think sand is much easier to clean since all the little particulates don't get trapped in sand. Black sounds unnatural, but looks quite natural in person and in quite a few of the picture sets I've seen. Unlike white which more or less reflects the light back at the fish and IMO brightens up the tank too much. While black on the other hand seems to add a new level of depth to the fish and the tank along with a stronger contrast between light and dark colors.
ps: You'll be happy with either.


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## 5-O Cummins (Sep 4, 2008)

I've done a little research on the sand and still not sure what to get. Whats better, coarse or fine? And anyone have a good place online to purchase the sand. Thanks


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

Try pool filter sand. It's more coarse, and you'll have no problems with any type of filter becuse it sinks so fast, and it looks good to. It's very natural looking as well.


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## sean151 (Feb 19, 2008)

In my personal experience with s-grade colorquartz when it does get kicked up it hangs for a sec then right back down it goes, no real lingering in the water column. Also it didn't seem to mess up my HOB filter when sand was sucked into it so thats another plus. It's definitely more expensive though. It really comes down to personal preference in the end. No one sand type fits all here.


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## 5-O Cummins (Sep 4, 2008)

Ok, yeah I'm going to just go to my local shop and see what they have. Reference someone else's comment on my tank, they said it looked unnatural, which is fine, and I do agree. The tank looks good, but I think it would look even better with some black sand, maybe some real plants, and a couple more natural looking rocks. Plus I've got some driftwood to add and maybe a different background. I'll post new pics when I get it all setup, hopefully sooner than later, all these extra things I'm going to do are starting to add up quick.


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Mustang Boy said:


> you wouldnt have to tear down the entire tank you could get some kind of divider that is only a few inches tall and just divide the substrate in thirds and replace one third at a time with the tank full of water still you could even do it while you are doing you weekly water change since the water is at a lower level at that time and may make it a little easier. just make sure that you wait a couple weeks between each section so that you dont loose all of you beneficial bacteria by doing it to fast and causing the tank to have to recycle


Substrate holds only a small amount of beneficial bacteria. Removing it all and replacing it in one afternoon won't cause a tank to recycle.

There's no need to take your fish out. Just remove all the rocks and decor and scoop out the gravel with a strainer, into a bucket. Once all the gravel is out, you can add the sand. Be sure and rinse the sand extremely well to remove anything that may cloud the water. Use water that is as close to the tank water in temperature when rinsing, a bit warmer is better. This way the wet sand won't dramatically change the water temperature in the tank. Add the sand in scoops, don't just dump it in. Try adding it on one end of the tank as the fish will all be at the other, then you can spread it out evenly. Replace your rocks and you're good to go!

Your water will likely remain cloudy for anywhere from an hour to a few days depending on the type of sand you use and the amount of filtration you have.

Good luck!


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## 5-O Cummins (Sep 4, 2008)

Thanks for the info, I've got a trip planned to my LFS tomorrow! I'm gonna be busy tomorrow night, cant wait.


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