Changing substrate

[greta]

Hey everyone,
This is probably a silly question but I'm not the most logical person! I want to change the substrate in my tank to sand. Do i have to completely empty the tank? If so how do i keep my dear axies poncho and heathcliff calm and carefree?
Any help would be much appreciated!
}ox

 

[amber]

You need an area safe to keep them for a couple of days - sand is notoriously messy to swap over to.

I did it just a couple of weeks ago, and this is what I did:

ALways have a spare tank - a cheepo plastic thing will do.
Syphon tank water into the spare, about 2/3 full.
Pop the bigger bits in here, like plants and stones in, then carefully but firmly grasp your 'Lotls, and quickly transfer them into it.
You'll probably need a small bubbler to keep the water moving slowly, and oxygenated. Pop the filter in here too - make sure the biocycle won't die see.

Syphon the rest of the water into your waterchange bucket - keep one bucketful.

Remove the other substrate, pop everything on a waterproof surface obv!

Wash sand, and layer slowly in the bottom - about an inch is fine.
I used about 1.5cm - but Spyyk likes to kick it about anyway.

SLOWLY pour in the bucket of tank water - it WILL go cloudy.
Top it up a bit with fresh dechlor - make sure you'll be able to put a quarter of the water in the 'lotl backup tank back in later.

When it's the same temperature as the backup - put the filter back in to aerate.
Put a fine filter pad in to help clear the "dust" out of the water - clean once every two hours.

Pop the plants back in, and big ornaments.
Leave pebbles and stuff for the axies to play with, and do a waterchange in the morning - nasty chemicals WILL build up.

Watch out for the pH rising in the main tank - sand is slightly acidic.

After it's cleared, they can go in - with a fine filter(every 2 hours), it'll take about 36 hours.

 

[kapo]

It can also be done in sections (3 or 4 stages). By working out in 1/4s or thirds (depending on size of tank).

Our friends removed their stones this way, left the axies and water in it and they were fine.

They just removed any decos/stones in first section then slowly poured the sand into that section. Placed deco and plants back in. Left it for a day then repeated procedure next day on next section. Took 4 days (4 sections) to change and didn't have to move their axies.

 

[greta]

Thanks Amber & Kapo,
Sounds like a pretty big job, but i'm happy to redecorate for them! How is the sand going in your tank now amber?
greta

 

[amber]

Well, it's about a week on - and it's fantastic.
I had no problems as soon as the "dust" cleared -and the 'lotti's are loving it.

It's SO easy to clean too - all the chuff shows up, and you just turkeybaste it off.
There's no concern of impaction either - which is a relief, since I have a VERY small axie just moved in.

(He's in an observation tank, floating in the top, until he's big enough to go in with Spyyk.)

Had me in stitches come to think of it - when I put Spyyk back in, the first thing he did was go round and round in circles - "Hey! This floor is SOFT!"
SO then he did what any self-respecting 'lotl does - he tried to bite it.
And got a mouthful of sand.
A quick spray and it was gone - and he put his head down to "tell it off".

This consists of getting your nose as close to the floor as possible, and rapidly vibrating the buccal membrane - causing little gusts of water to schoosh up little clouds of sand - right up your nose.

He stomped off to bed, only to find the strange floor was there too.

However, Spyyk's coping very well - happily digging craters, making piles, and burying rocks.

I'd say it was a successful transfer.

And because I used such a thin layer, I don't have to worry too much about stirring it once a week - they'll do that for me!

 

[lorie]

BTW wash the sand like mad!

 

[greta]

I've only got a really little back up tank, is this going to stress my axies out if they have to stay in it, say, overnight?
btw thanx for all the help so far, & sounds like ur axies are having fun amber!

 

[amber]

How little is little?

My back up is about a foot long by half wide - enough to have a little potter in.

As long as there is sufficient oxygenation and hiding places from each other, they should be ok for a temporary.

You can pick em up for about $10/£7 ish - so it's worth investing - I have three at the moment, one tiny for waxworm cultures, and two mediums - I store them in each other, and store all my aquatic "junk" like syphons and stuff in the top.

Nice and tidy.

I'm very sad to say that Ari passed away last night - I don't know what happened.
He was very small, with no tail.
However, he was just starting to fatten up and regrow it.

It happens sometimes.

As for the Spyyk, he's merrily digging still, and huffing sand about.

 

[greta]

Yeah i might look around for cheap ones tomoz.
So sorry to hear about Ari

Thanks for the advice

 

[amber]

It happens sometimes, but thanks.

Sure, you're very welcome.
They're also good for quarantine tanks - if you have a little filter running alongside your normal filter for a week, you can use that in the plastic tank, instant cycle - so you don't have to worry about daily waterchanges as much.

 

[ben]

how do u keep a tank with sand oxygenated? using one of those skimmers?

 

[amber]

*blinks*
Do you mean the water oxygenated, or the sand healthy?

Water: use a bubbler, or direct your outflow out of the water, and across a wall. Or both.

Sand: Use a thin layer. Half an inch is MORE than enough.
Caridina shrimp like to broggle in it, which helps, plants growing roots into it keeps it fresh and healthy, and it's reccommended you stir it (a fork is ideal) once a week if it's over 2cm deep.
Malaysian Trumpet Snails also help, as they bury into it and churn it over looking for food.

 

[cori]

Sand is a real bugger to put in, I rinsed mine countless times and my tank still went brown as anything!
I have found the best thing for removing the dust is Filter Fibre - It looks like pillow stuffing. I found other media's too coarse.
If you look at my post 4ft tank - it begins tomorrow, you can can see the progress over about 48 hours.

All the best!

Regards Eastern_axle

 

[ben]

Yeh, i mean liek obviously an under gravel filter bubble thing doesnt work with sand!!

atm i just have the air filter and a plastic pipe and the pipe stuck to the tank making bubbles as im still waiting on my big tank

the tank it is in atm is bare bottomed.

i just need to know wot to set up in the tank. Ie filter, skimmer, bubble machine thingo..

 

[adam]

i have a sponge filter, so how do i "filter the floating sand out" of the water?

 

[cori]

Take the sponge out of your filter and replace it with filter fibre.
It's really cheap but make sure you get a decent size bag because it becomes clogged very quickly, you can rinse it a few times before you throw it out make sure you use tank water.

Depending on tank size and filter speed it will take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two.

Once the water looks clear stir the sand up again, it's a bit of a downer too see it your tank go brown again but better for it to go brown without axie's than with!

If your really impatient you can get products that bind particles together, but I didn't find them to be very effective for this job.

Regards Eastern_axle

 

[amy]

I switched to sand about 2 months ago in my 20 gallon fish tank, and in my 5 gallon newt tank. I did about the same procedure as Amber and it worked well (no ammonia spikes!). However, I used a brand of aquarium sand that does NOT cloud the water! I really lucked out, I had no idea it was so great. It made the process much much easier because I didn't have to wait until the sand settled. Some of it floats at the top for about 24 hours, but as far as the main water column, it was as crystal clear as before I made any changes! If anyone is thinking of making the switch, the brand I would reccomend is Estes' Ultra Reef Marine Sand (for Fresh or Salt water). I don't know if they sell in the stores that you live by, but I know you can get it on www.petsuppliesplus.com.

Good luck! Sand is a great substrate, I will never go back to gravel!