can I add sand to my BB discus tank?

[sophie68]

Hi all,:):):)
Have not posted for a while. Been very busy! I would like to add sand to my BB 80 gallon. Is that a good idea?
What kind of sand should I use and should I go about it?
Thanks!!!!

Sophie
PS: How do you not siphon it out when you use your Python for WC?????

[ponderingky]

Sophie,

I have sand in all my tanks - one is for discus. I love the sand. I do not like a BB - tried it and neither I nor the fish were happy. I bought pool filter sand - which is crushed quartz. It was less than $8 for a 50 lb bag. It is neutral and will not cause a ph spike. I have 10 discus (5 blue pb and 5 brilliant turqs) in my tank w/about 2inches of sand with no problems. Sand is somewhat similar to bb because all the crud stays on top where you can see it and syphon it out regularly. I also use a python and have not had any problems w/the sand (some tiny pieces do get sucked up) being sucked out. If you go with sand, you do need to aerate it fairly often - to prevent anaerobic pockets from forming. I simply take the python and stick it all the way to the bottom and then lift it up - just do this all over the bottom of you tank from time to time - or do it in sections. If you allow the python tube to fill with sand it will suck it out into the sink - so you do need to watch that. I do regular water changes and have 2 bn plecos and several ramshorn snails in with the discus.

Hope that helps,

[RyanH]

Hi Sophie,

I like to keep a thin layer of sand in my show tanks.

I'll buy a big bag of play sand and occasionally replace the stuff that gets sucked out. I like to get in there and clean and I've never really found a way around losing some sand.

[sophie68]

Thanks guys,

I think I will do that. I don't like that BB tank anymore and my fish are getting much bigger now. I know there is thread on it but I know that adding the sand won't be fun..:confused::confused::confused:
.I will obviously have to remove the fish. I am hoping I can do that in one day...??? By the way, are your tanks planted????

Thanks in advance
Sophie

[judy]

Actaully, Sophie, you won't need to remove the fish if you're careful. Wash the sand thoroughly to rinse off any particles, then keep the buckets of sand in treated water that has been warmed to match the tank temp plus a couple degrees (it'll cool a bit as you work). Putting cold sand in the tank can lower the temp a few degrees quite quickly, which the fish won't like. Clean the bottom thoroughly. Turn off your filters (so they don't suck up any granules that might get into the impellers and wreck them). Use a large, easy-to-hold container like a bowl to scoop up lots of sand, then slowly lower into the water, holding the bowl level so no sand spills out until you reach the bottom. Tilt the bowl gently and move it along the bottom to spread the sand out. Do this until you've achieved the coverage you want. If you have any driftwood or potted plants, move them, then move them back, as you cover the bottom.
Shouldn't take too long for the process, and if you do it all gently, you won't see any cloud (or at least very little) and you can turn on your filters again once the sand is in. The sand grains themselves will sink quite quickly even if there are a few loose ones around. It's not a terribly arduous process, really. With a BB tank, it will take less than an hour, I'm sure (though rinsing may take that long as well).
I had gravel in my planted tank and slowly switched to sand. I love the look! And it's easier to keep clean than gravel-- though not quite as easy as BB, but that's partly because of all the plants...

[Apistomaster]

Torpedo Beach Quartzite sand is not so fine as to cause gas problems but large enough that it's density is enough to not be easily siphoned out. It is over priced, imo, but for thin layer coverage it isn't so bad because 50 LBs will cover a lot of tanks 1/4-inch deep.

[Rod]

I've used silica sand with success, sold as sandpit sand here. You could use a normal gravel cleaner to help keep clean and turn the sand over each week. Syphon the water into a bucket instead of the drain, and collect any sand that settles in the bottom of the bucket to return to the tank after you have finished.

Rod:)

[ponderingky]

Sophie,

If you get a crushed quartz type of sand - you will be amazed at how quickly it settles to the bottom and I have never had any problems w/it clouding the water. It does not suspend in the water like a regular sand might.

Hope that helps - you will love the look. One other good thing - my blue pbs were starting to pepper - the sand is very light colored and the peppering has basically gone away.

[WakinAZ]

Per Larry(Apistomaster)'s advice on another forum, I converted my tank from gravel to sand as an alternative to bb. It turned out pretty good - looks nice and I can use the "siphon the top" method or Python the whole thing. I used pool filter sand. Now if I can just get the fish to stay still while I take a picture:
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s160/WakinAZ/other/100_0418.jpg
[EDIT:Thanks for your help, Larry]

[deanne]

Wow, nice thread- I was wondering about this myself. I have gravel and it will be a pain to remove, but I'm going to do it someday. The gravel is pretty dark and I thought might be contributing to the peppering on my red melons and royal pigeon, and one of you mentioned that.

I bought play-sand at the hardware store, but when wetted I didn't like the color- too brown. The whole point was to battle peppering so I wanted a really white sand. Then I got paranoid about the effect on pH, not knowing the content of the play-sand. I will look for pool filter sand. Thanks!

Deanne

[WakinAZ]

The conversion from gravel is not that bad. I am a discus noob, but have done substrate conversions many times over the years in my other tanks. Here is a two-step process that will minimize disruption of the beneficial bacteria in your substrate:

I removed half of it one week, put some in a mesh media bag (or rinsed nylon stocking) as a barrier (to keep gravel out of the sand next to it), and placed it next to the leftover gravel half. Then I added the rinsed sand (warmed to tank temp with dechlorinated warm water) to the bare, sectioned-off half of the tank. Next week, remove rest of gravel, remove media bag barrier, put in rest of rinsed, warmed sand as above.

My sand is between 1/4 and 3/8 inch deep, just enough for decent coverage. The cories, rams and discus love it. Plus you get to see the discus engage in a natural behavior of blowing into the sand to uncover food, which you miss with gravel.

Eric

[ficher]

Wow, nice thread- I was wondering about this myself. I have gravel and it will be a pain to remove, but I'm going to do it someday. The gravel is pretty dark and I thought might be contributing to the peppering on my red melons and royal pigeon, and one of you mentioned that.

I bought play-sand at the hardware store, but when wetted I didn't like the color- too brown. The whole point was to battle peppering so I wanted a really white sand. Then I got paranoid about the effect on pH, not knowing the content of the play-sand. I will look for pool filter sand. Thanks!

Deanne


What is peppering? and could I plant the plants right in the sand?

Thanks,

:confused:

[sophie68]

Hi guys,
Thanks for the info. I just added the first layer of torpedo sand. It looks GREAT! Picture is coming! I used about 3/4 of a 50 pound bag. This Torpedo sand is pretty expensive but it looks really natural. I am not sure how easy it will be to clean...We shall see about that..
I just rinsed it pretty well, and lowered my water level to a minimum and added the sand. The fish did not seem too bothered...
They actually look happier...Not sure if I add plants or not. I probably should!!! I am just afraid that the meds I use like Prazi Pro might kill them. I know very little about plants but I'd love a planted plant...
I will post a few pics very soon.

Sophie

[sophie68]

Here is one average picture. I will take more!

[sophie68]

What is peppering? and could I plant the plants right in the sand?

Thanks,

:confused:

Hi there,
Peppering refers to the small marks which some discus get on their "noses" (sorry, can't find the right word here!!!) under certain circumstances. Peppering does not bother me at all, but it is not a desirable trait in discus contests, in other words in official "beauty contests"...Sorry, that's what I call them...!!!! Does that help????:):):)

Sophie
PS: I have 2 red melons, one of which has quite a bit of peppering and for some reason, the other does not....No idea why!!!!

[judy]

Sophie, you can use Java moss, Java fern, and anubias, tied to pieces of driftwood with sewing thread. They will root into the wood, require very little attention and do well in low light, and you can move them around as you desire. You could also plant pots using fine gravel and laterite, as some on the forum do, especially with plants like Amazon swords and, I find, Vallisneria, which is a very tall grassy-looking plant that will stream out across water surface (or you can trim it with scissors so it just reaches the surface). They can be fertilized with tablets pushed into the middles of the pots every so often. Water sprite is a very fast-growing plant that uptakes excess nutrients like crazy, and you can just let it float, providing shade for the fish. Looks pretty on the surface, too-- all lacy.
I tried planting very short, square glass vases with some sag, and it looks great-- you can see the fine pinkish gravel clearly, so it looks like a cube of gravel with the plants in it.

[sophie68]

Thanks Judy,
That sounds great...Plenty of plants to look into there....
Happy New Year!

Sophie

[WakinAZ]

.Not sure if I add plants or not. I probably should!!! I am just afraid that the meds I use like Prazi Pro might kill them. I know very little about plants but I'd love a planted plant...

Prazi should not hurt your plants. Once you've treated the fish, you don't need it on a regular basis. I hit them once, then three days later hit 'em again and that is it.

Tank is looking nice. You can use artificial plants too. I just stick 'em in 3" pots with aquarium gravel, so I don't have to see those cheesy bases sticking out all the time.

WA

[deanne]

That does look real nice , Sophie! I'm going to do it, too. I have wondered about the "blowing" behavior and why I never see it. Now I know they don't do it with gravel- makes sense.