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Changing from gravel to sand.

BarryH

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2017
Messages
608
Location
Derbyshire
In the coming weeks I'd like to change from a gravel base to a soil and sand base, hopefully to give plants a better chance to survive and I'd like to ask for any help or advice on the simplest way to do it.

The tank is a Juwel Rio and it currently has a gravel base with a few bunches of Elodea and two fancy goldfish. During the change, I can move the fish to a smaller tank. What I'd like help with is do I drain the tank and save the water to put back in the tank for a couple of days and then do my normal 50% water change or do I refill with new?

I've got plenty of containers for the water if I need them.
 
save as much old tank water as you can say 70%, keep your filter media in old tank water in a bucket, clean the tank - add soil - add washed sand - scape and plant - refill with saved water and top up with fresh water - replace filter media and run the tank for a hour, check water parameters if ok add the fish but watch for ammonia leaching from the soil. you my have to do small water changes on a regular basis to keep the water parameters in check.

what soil are you going to use?
 
Thanks MarkyP, really appreciated. The soil I was hoping to use is the Tropical Growth Substrate.
 
I'm using both tropica growth substrate and tropica soil on to top and have been doing twice weekly water changes about 40% each time because of the soil leaching ammonia but i think you will be ok with the substrate and sand on top, but i would test the water every day for while to be safe.
 
Thanks again for all the help Marky, really appreciated. I've now got an order in for the Tropica and a couple of bags of Fiji sand.
 
Sand is great - I have two gravel tanks and two sand tanks..... the sands are by far my most favorite. The shrimp love a bit of sand too!

You could still chuck a scattering of gravel on the sand..... gives a really nice natural river effect.
 
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