Changing sand substrate on established tank

[letsmarkymark]

Hey everyone ive been reading and reading and thiught id look for the answer from someone who hopefully has done it on my waterbox 60.2 I purchased it already established and it has a course substrate that ive never particularly liked i wanted to know if its possible to take it out and replace it with a white sand that is a bit finer in know the substrate is part of the system and dont really feel like killing my whole tank for the sake of some sand is there a way to do this take out section by section or just do the whole lot any info would be great

 

[fishface NJ]

If you are setting it up from a move to your home, then get rid of all of it now.

If the tank is running with fish in it at your home: You can remove it. Sand hold only a little bio when established. You can remove a 1/4" each week. You don't need to remove it all if you don't want to. The larger grain sand will stay on the bottom when you place finer grains on top.

 

[letsmarkymark]

You can remove it. Sand hold only a little bio when established. You can remove a 1/4" each week. You don't need to remove it all if you don't want to. The larger grain sand will stay on the bottom when you place finer grains on top.

Cheers mate i did also think about adding new sand on top as you said the heavier stuff will stay at the bottom

 

[fishface NJ]

How many gallons is the tank?

 

[unchainedcoot]

Hey everyone ive been reading and reading and thiught id look for the answer from someone who hopefully has done it on my waterbox 60.2 I purchased it already established and it has a course substrate that ive never particularly liked i wanted to know if its possible to take it out and replace it with a white sand that is a bit finer in know the substrate is part of the system and dont really feel like killing my whole tank for the sake of some sand is there a way to do this take out section by section or just do the whole lot any info would be great

If you have any sand sifters, tread cautiously. I did a diamond goby dirty doing this who didn’t like feeding from the water column.

 

[letsmarkymark]

How many gallons is the tank?

55gallons total including the sump display is 36

 

[letsmarkymark]

If you have any sand sifters, tread cautiously. I did a diamond goby dirty doing this who didn’t like feeding from the water column.

Only some clean up crew in the sand so wont have any issues there

 

[exnisstech]

The old sand can be vacuumed out. Be sure and rinse new sand well so you don't add too much dust. I would do a final rinse with rodi since your adding to a running tank. To add the new I like using a funnel on the end of a PVC pipe
You can pour the sand in and move the pipe around to distribute the sand.

 

[reefeer]

I’d definitely take the slow approach and do it in sections rather than all at once. Even if the sand isn’t carrying the whole biofilter, it seems like one of those changes where patience is safer than rushing it. The PVC pipe/funnel idea sounds like a good way to keep the mess down too.

 

[BryanM]

Cheers mate i did also think about adding new sand on top as you said the heavier stuff will stay at the bottom

This isn't a good idea as you should be vacuuming sand every once in a while.

If I wanted to change out the substrate in your tank I would treat it like a tank swap. I would set up a temp holding bin with heater and flow, I'd move everything in there, then remove the sand.

I'd rinse the new sand with regular water until it ran clear, then a final rinse with rodi, then put it in the tank, and start replacing everything.

I'd probably run some carbon too for an extra level of protection.

 

[Grog]

I’d definitely take the slow approach and do it in sections rather than all at once.

I agree with this and would definitely only do a little at a time. A section here and there. I think doing a massive sand swap would be quite a drastic change for a tank's balance.

Small caution, be careful about what you want. I don't know how your tank is set up so, I won't talk in absolutes, but often larger substrate stays put. Smaller finer sand may blow around. If you swap out to a finer sand, you may find it blowing around, or making drifts/dunes, and be less happy with the outcome than you expected. By changing a small area, it should be easier to revert if you find that you actually don't like the fine substrate as much as you thought you would. An easy 'undo' button is a nice feature.

 

[Freenow54]

Hey everyone ive been reading and reading and thiught id look for the answer from someone who hopefully has done it on my waterbox 60.2 I purchased it already established and it has a course substrate that ive never particularly liked i wanted to know if its possible to take it out and replace it with a white sand that is a bit finer in know the substrate is part of the system and dont really feel like killing my whole tank for the sake of some sand is there a way to do this take out section by section or just do the whole lot any info would be great

My tank was up and running . My issue was that the Sand was Too fine for a wanted sand sifter ( Diamond Goby ) I changed it slowly using a net . Got the bottom bare around my rocks than used a turkey baster to blow the rocks clean and did my best to get it from under the rock work. I was not in a panic to get it all . Then after washing added the coarser sand . Did this ultra slow. For me I found that no matter how much you wash the new stuff it still makes a cloudy mess . So just kept blowing the rocks clean being care full not to disturb the substrate eventually it all settled down

 

[letsmarkymark]

I agree with this and would definitely only do a little at a time. A section here and there. I think doing a massive sand swap would be quite a drastic change for a tank's balance.

Small caution, be careful about what you want. I don't know how your tank is set up so, I won't talk in absolutes, but often larger substrate stays put. Smaller finer sand may blow around. If you swap out to a finer sand, you may find it blowing around, or making drifts/dunes, and be less happy with the outcome than you expected. By changing a small area, it should be easier to revert if you find that you actually don't like the fine substrate as much as you thought you would. An easy 'undo' button is a nice feature.

I have the same sand in my nano and I would say it is just "normal sand " size doesnt blow around but i do like the idea of doing a section might do it in the highest flow area and see how it goes

 

[Freenow54]

I have the same sand in my nano and I would say it is just "normal sand " size doesnt blow around but i do like the idea of doing a section might do it in the highest flow area and see how it goes

I have never seen any sand blow around unless of course you have power heads aimed right at it . Also if you let it settle with any flow turned off it " compacts . I changed mine with Aragonite off Amazon

which falls right in the middle of the scale if you will . My sand sifter Diamond Goby loved it until my Tang chased it out of the Tank

 

[mfinn]

The old sand can be vacuumed out. Be sure and rinse new sand well so you don't add too much dust. I would do a final rinse with rodi since your adding to a running tank. To add the new I like using a funnel on the end of a PVC pipe
You can pour the sand in and move the pipe around to distribute the sand.

I've done this exact method before.
I vacuumed existing sand out in sections. About a 1/4 of the tank at a time.

 

[Freenow54]

I've done this exact method before.
I vacuumed existing sand out in sections. About a 1/4 of the tank at a time.

Nice idea since no matter how much water you waste trying to rinse new sand It does not work . When you introduce sand it clouds the water . I used a net to no avail

 

[mfinn]

Nice idea since no matter how much water you waste trying to rinse new sand It does not work . When you introduce sand it clouds the water . I used a net to no avail

By using a funnel and pvc pipe you can minimize the dust cloud. And by doing smaller sections at one time, it also minimizes the dust cloud.
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