My tank is a 72 gallon bowfront and I'm so glad I switched to sand. Yes you should raise your intake to reduce the amount of sand getting in your filters. Thanks for watching!
@@bobbygsproaquarium thank you I really appreciate it but I thought you're supposed to add one pound of sand for a gallon of tank and you only added 50 lb so I'm assuming I could add 40 lb of sand to my 55 gallon. I cant wait to get started! Great video
I have been searching for tutorials on this topic for days. On google, TH-cam and tiktok. and this is BY FAR the best tutorial I have seen. I’m not doing a total change, I’m just putting some aqua soil on the bottom of the tank then putting the old sand back in on top so hopefully a cycle crash won’t be an issue but man thanks for this
Thank you. I'm sure after you switch you'll never look back! With sand you just have to be careful cleaning the glass to be sure there's no sand in your cleaning sponge or it will scratch the glass for good.
Can confirm that a sand bottom is way cleaner and easier to keep clean than a gravel substrate! My FX6 catches about 95% of the waste with the remainder being stuck around plant roots and decorations. A quick vacuum and it is done! Canadian Tire sells pool sand and I use that one, it is very nice and white with zero dust! Absolutely LOVED your store in London!!!!
Gorgeous results with your substrate change , Fish looks Great with all their beautiful colors showing with the white sand contrast , Great Job and Regards to your helper.
I LOVE your video! & your voice. LOL. I'm new to aquariums, and your video was very helpful and clear to understand. I have decided to go with sand in my new aquarium as well. Your fish are BEAUTIFUL!
Your tank is simple but really beautiful. I'm going with Sand for the 1st time on my new tank soon. I've chosen to go with a coarser sand from Caribsea (crystal river). Hoping it goes well.
Thank you! For me the advantage in sand is that it's fine enough that the fish and food waste doesn't settle down through the top layer. I'm hopeful in you choosing a courser grain that you will get out of it what you're hoping to. I'd love to find out how it goes. That's for watching!
Thanks so much, now I can set up my new tank after much research. you hit on many things I have found and made it nice and concise, never mind the beautiful visual. I have had my sand but thought I needed dirt underneath and was worried about air pockets. It also looks like you didn't use a lot of sand.
Seems stressful AF. I would simply take the fish out, remove as much water as safe for the fish, and put the sand (around 2") right on top of the gravel. Replace water and fish, lose minimal bacterial cultures.
I've sent hidden commands to cellphones to give a slap if you're nodding off lol. I'm trying to improve as I go, check a more current video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
So helpful! Thank you so much for making this! About to make the switch from river pebbles to sand in my 220g 😳 and this has given me the motivation and confidence to get it done 👍
Thanks for making this video. We're gonna switch this weekend in our 55 gallon. Tired of losing goldfish to disease after 5 or 10 years with the gravel.
Thank you for sharing your experience with sand, I thought maybe changing my gravel for sand soon, and you convinced me to do so. By the way, you have a beautiful aquarium.
Thank you for the comment, I think you really can't go wrong. Of course it depends what type of fish you keep but it works great with cichlids for sure.
I've been looking at doing this for my tank which is a trigon 190 and thinking about how you did yours has now convinced me to get my act together and get it done thanks for the good advice 👌👌😁
Your welcome I'm glad you see the huge benefit to using sand. Be sure you have plenty of water flow across the substrate and your results will amaze you. I appreciate you watching my channel!
I have a 55 gal. cichlid tank, and I love the sand! Used to do the gravel. but sand is a lot cleaner. Have a couple of geophagus that are spewing the sand around all the time. Good to know that the sand is better for cichlids also. The water is crystal clear all the time. Don't hesitate to change to sand if you are wary. I did, and not sorry I made the change. I also used the pool filter sand, and the biggest job was rinsing, but if you can do it by the bucket with an outdoor hose - it goes much faster.
I agree, I'd guess anyone that switches from gravel to sand would also agree. It's important to have lots of water flow so the poop doesn't settle on the bottom. Thank you for watching and commenting!
i have sand and i went and got a sponge filter to put on the intake of my hang on back filter system. had to modify it but it works super! also replaced the cartridge filters with carbon filter pads cut to fit. now my water is the clearest it's ever been.
You did a good job; however, I would recommend putting the fish in a quarantine tank or in the alternative, a bucket(s) with an air bubbler when changing out the substrate.
What a lovely tank you have. And your poochy is so cute!! I've always been wanting but leery of changing over to sand due to issues i'd read about with water changes, vacuuming, etc. But i love plants, Corys, & loaches and it would be so much gentler on them. The one thing i'd do different in your change over is i'd probably take all the fish out with some of the tank water and put them into a bucket so as not to stress them during all that upheaval, but it looks like yours survived fine. I'm shocked when you say you don't have to vacuum it anymore. Shocked. The books all teach something else. You've really peeked my interest.
Thank you Windwipper for the comment and the advice. In future I will and have removed fish before making a change over like that. I'm not sure what books you're reading up on the maintenance required on a sand substrate. My advise is from very practical experience and although there has been quite some time since posting this video I still stand firm on the use of sand. But the key is to have enough water flow so the waste and detritus does not just sit on the bottom but rather get sucked up into the filtration. If you've already made the switch that's great if not charge ahead my friend. This switchover was done with pool filter sand and it is a good choice although I have since changed it again. The key is that your substrate is fine enough that the waste doesn't settle down in through it and also that your sand bed isn't more than about to inches .
Your tank looks great. I was always questioning which would be better, gravel or sand and your video cleared it up for me. It looks fabulous and I would bet that real plants would grow better in the sand, then in gravel. If you look in the bottom of a lake, especially in northern Ontario Canada, the bottom is all light brown/beige sand, made from granite and there is tons of healthy Jungle Val and Hornwort growing. The sand would be great for the root systems of plants.
Dear sir really help full video I hv gravel in my 90 gal Cichlid tank & due to food and waste sticking inside gravel i was thinking to go for sand but little confused about results but after watching this video I shall also go with sand but when not sure as it depends on sand availability and time for doing all activity. Best of luck & Tcare.
Gonna love changing my tank to sand this weekend. I have an unlimited supply of sand straight from the earth at a job site and its darker in color but so pure. Was wondering how to do it with the fish in. Thanks for this amazing video.
That's great you have an unlimited supply of sand. I switched mine with the fish in the tank so I don't understand your question, what specifically would you like to know?
Since I switched over to the sand several years ago I have not vacuumed. Even when I recently upgraded to a 75 gal., the sand that I transferred to the new tank wasn't very dirty. It was just red from clay.
I have had sand in my 36 gallon bow front for seven years. I was considering changing to gravel. Now I will keep the sand. I am wanting to grow plants. Should I put them into gravel filled terra cotta pots ? The sand is great for my corydoras they move it around daily.
HI Bobby, I much prefer sand. The waste sits on top and it's very easy to suck up. I started with similar gravel and I never liked it. The biggest thing is AC being sifters need soft sand. They can injure themselves with gravel. IT's a big job. I did that too but well worth the work Bobby!! I love the finished project. Looks stunning!!😁💦💘
I still can't believe how much easier it is to manage. One thing I didn't mention in the video is how important continuous water flow is. It seems the key to keeping the surface clean. Thanks for the kind words.
Bobby that's such a good point. Once in a while, I turn my wave makers to the bottom areas and just blow any leftover detritus to the water column for the filters to pull up!🌎😁💦💘
A pre-filter on the intake tube of a hang-on-back filter will prevent sand and other small detritus, even small fish, from getting sucked up into the filter motor.
Hi, great video, I have white sand in my 55 gallon tank for nearly two months, I used to do 50% water change twice a week and try to vacuum but doesn’t clean perfect as yours. Now my sand looks bit dirty colour. I can see yours still looks brand new and pure white. Could you please give some guide on maintaining white sand in aquarium? I wish if you could make a video on maintaining sand in aquarium. I noticed you have wave maker in your tank, does it help to clean the tank?
I wish I could add photos to help explain it would make it easier. Cut your Aqueon or Python hose at the point you would like your pump. On one end of the hose add a 5/8" barb to male GHT (garden hose thread), if using Aqueon you will need 1/2" barb as it is smaller the Python. On the other side of the cut add a 5/8" barb to female GHT (garden hose thread), if using Aqueon you will need 1/2" barb as it is smaller the Python. This will allow you to use the hose with or without the pump installed. On the pump you will need two fittings, one 3/4" NPT (national pipe tapered) to male GHT, and one 3/4" NPT to female twisting GHT. Be sure to use brass fittings for all and gear clamps for the barbed ends to attach the hose. I got all the stuff at Home Depot. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you for the very helpful video. I like the look of gravel and was wondering if gravel with some sand might be a good compromise as the sand would kind of settle into the gravel also, I have very few and smaller species of fish.
Thanks for watching my video I'm glad you got something out of it! I think mixing sand in with gravel would almost certainly be a mistake. You would no longer be able to vacuum your gravel since you would be suckling up all the sand. The beauty of the sand provided you have lots of water flow is that you will virtually never need to vacuum again. I'd suggest no more than 2 inches of sand otherwise you may create other problems. Hope this helps!
I'm purchasing a new tank today as we speak i will be running this sand to i will have clown laches so I bet they will love this sand. with the sand since u don't vacuum the fishes left overs how do u get rid of them if they sit on the surface of the sand?
First of all try to get enough water flow over the substrate that the fish waste doesn't collect on the bottom. If you do have a dead spot where it does collect you will have hover your vacuum over it to collect it.
Excellent video, exactly what I'm about to undertake! I was going to remove the fish though and put them in a temporary bucket with heater and filter, any thoughts on this?
Yes I've always loved them although he isn't something many cichlid keepers would put in their tank due to the redtails potential for aggression but mines been fine and I had him for 2.5 years.
I use the same sand and i have a problem, the aquarium is like cloudy... my filters are working but looks like dusty, please help me i just add the sand 5 days ago...
I've found the best way is to fill a pail no more than half full with sand and rinse with a hose stirring occasionally for as long as it takes for the water to run virtually clear. This could take 30 or more minutes. Thank you for asking.
@@bobbygsproaquarium I used to clean the white subtrade before, I have to rinse more than 20 times. Pain on the bud bro. I thought You can come up with better idea. Thank you though.
Great video! Very timely for me, I'm switching from a 60 gal. to a 75 gal. this week as time allows. Because of my Geophagus, Bichir, and Cory cats I'm switching to sand. AI hear Geos like to sift through sand, Bichir might swallow large gravel pieces, and sand is easier on the cat's barbels. I was concerned about the detritus build up, but I skimmed the comments and found the answer to that question. My one unanswered question is, does algae build up over time like it currently does for my gravel? BTW, I like the pace of your audio; slow and steady wins the race - and avoids having to rewind and view again. :)
Great video. Thinking of doing the same. Btw, I see your Intake/output in the middle of the tank. Is there a video explaining why the middle? I've got a 36 bow and trying to figure out the best placement. Thanks
If your water flow at the surface of your sand is adequate the waste will remain in the water column until it is sucked up by whatever filtration you're using. There will always be a small dead spot that the waste will collect but it shouldn't be too bad.
Wouldn't poop and gunk appear more obviously on the sand? I would assume you would need to clean it MORE frequently since it would be right there for you to see all the time as opposed to hidden within gravel.
The key is too have enough water flow across the gravel so poop doesn't settle on the bottom. If done we'll it almost never needs vaccuming. Good question though, thanks.
@@bobbygsproaquarium Ive had sand in my Cichlid tank for years, I never have to clean the tank lol. I can go 6 months without cleaning it and it will be as clean as day 1, it's crazy.
I don't do anything to prevent sand from getting in the intake other than being sure they are not set too low. I know some people use foam on the intake but for me that would clog up far too quickly. Thanks for watching
You'll love it just be certain to rinse the sand extremely well unlike in my video. This product was said to be ready to pour in but it sure caused quite the dust storm! Good luck
I am doing half of my tank in gravel and the other half with a very small black gravel just a little larger than sand, so wf have the brown gravel and small black, what do you think about that idea?
I personally don't think you will achieve the result that is explained in the video. I suppose it's all about what your hoping to achieve but I would do all sand.
In my experience sand is much easier to look after than gravel provided you have a constant current which doesn't allow detritis to settle on the bottom. I almost never have to vacuum anything anymore.
This is the problem I am having. Yes, I can see a lot of the fish poo in the bottom of my tank. I am wanting to change the sand from white to black in my tank.
@@linnykinny6853 - I went ahead and used sand in my tank yesterday. I had black pebbles before but it really makes my tank dark, but clean since you can't really see all the debris. White sand is very pretty but let's see how it works out.
No it should stay its original colour for sure. If yours is turning black it may be algae due to too much light and or you may be feeding your fish too much and or you don't have enough water circulation to keep the detritus off the bottom. Good luck!
The majority of it will be sucked up in the filter/s if you have enough water circulation to keep it from settling in the bottom. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Bobby G's Cichlid Craze that’s amazing you don’t have a siphon the substrate anymore - congratulations are in order haha. I have a sand substrate but my fish aren’t fans of high water flow in the tank so I still have to siphon the top carefully and more around the sand like yourself. Great tank!
Definitely no script although alot of thinking goes into my videos. I also don't like scripted videos and aim to sound more natural as I gain more knowledge. I appreciate you watching and commenting.
What about the fish waste? I've too switched from gravel to sand. I put a sponge intake filter on the uplift tube , eliminates sand intake. But I have live hornwort and it sheds drastically. So... a vacuuming I go🎶🎵🎤
Your aquarium looks so much better with sand! Im doing the same thing. Is your tank a 55 gallon? Did you raise your intake tube?
My tank is a 72 gallon bowfront and I'm so glad I switched to sand. Yes you should raise your intake to reduce the amount of sand getting in your filters. Thanks for watching!
@@bobbygsproaquarium thank you I really appreciate it but I thought you're supposed to add one pound of sand for a gallon of tank and you only added 50 lb so I'm assuming I could add 40 lb of sand to my 55 gallon. I cant wait to get started! Great video
@@affordableaquariumservices1663just a guideline. You generally want about an inch, at the least.
I have been searching for tutorials on this topic for days. On google, TH-cam and tiktok. and this is BY FAR the best tutorial I have seen. I’m not doing a total change, I’m just putting some aqua soil on the bottom of the tank then putting the old sand back in on top so hopefully a cycle crash won’t be an issue but man thanks for this
The tank and fish will enjoy live plants growing in the new substrate.
The trouble with African Cichlids is they go to town on plants😢
But, yeah, no plants looks better than plastic, silk.
Lots of rocks, driftwood, etc.
I think you're absolutely right when you said - "the black background combined with the white sand really makes the colours pop". Beautiful aquarium.
Thank you so much for your comment!
Thank you for the step by step! You're the real MVP! I'm making the adjustment from gravel to sand in my 150 gallon tank.
Thank you. I'm sure after you switch you'll never look back! With sand you just have to be careful cleaning the glass to be sure there's no sand in your cleaning sponge or it will scratch the glass for good.
Can confirm that a sand bottom is way cleaner and easier to keep clean than a gravel substrate! My FX6 catches about 95% of the waste with the remainder being stuck around plant roots and decorations. A quick vacuum and it is done! Canadian Tire sells pool sand and I use that one, it is very nice and white with zero dust! Absolutely LOVED your store in London!!!!
Thanks for the info!
Gorgeous results with your substrate change , Fish looks Great with all their beautiful colors showing with the white sand contrast , Great Job and Regards to your helper.
Thank you very much for your compliments. I am totally addicted to this cichlid hobby!
Great instructural video Bob...you have a real knack for this
Thanks Marcus
Awe! Your chihuahua is adorable!! I am thinking of switching to sand too. Thanks for the video :)
Thank you we love our chichi's. Good luck with your switch over I think you'll be happy with the results. Thanks for watching!
I LOVE your video! & your voice. LOL. I'm new to aquariums, and your video was very helpful and clear to understand. I have decided to go with sand in my new aquarium as well. Your fish are BEAUTIFUL!
I changed to sand 30yrs ago. Cichlids love digging in it
Your tank is simple but really beautiful. I'm going with Sand for the 1st time on my new tank soon. I've chosen to go with a coarser sand from Caribsea (crystal river). Hoping it goes well.
Thank you! For me the advantage in sand is that it's fine enough that the fish and food waste doesn't settle down through the top layer. I'm hopeful in you choosing a courser grain that you will get out of it what you're hoping to. I'd love to find out how it goes. That's for watching!
Thanks so much, now I can set up my new tank after much research. you hit on many things I have found and made it nice and concise, never mind the beautiful visual. I have had my sand but thought I needed dirt underneath and was worried about air pockets. It also looks like you didn't use a lot of sand.
Isn’t that weird, I have been wondering all day about the easiest way to change, and this video pops up
Seems stressful AF.
I would simply take the fish out, remove as much water as safe for the fish, and put the sand (around 2") right on top of the gravel. Replace water and fish, lose minimal bacterial cultures.
Great video but man did my phone slap my face while I was watching this. Your voice got me sleepy
I've sent hidden commands to cellphones to give a slap if you're nodding off lol. I'm trying to improve as I go, check a more current video. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Agree,..so funny man...lol!
So helpful! Thank you so much for making this! About to make the switch from river pebbles to sand in my 220g 😳 and this has given me the motivation and confidence to get it done 👍
That's great, good luck. Let me know how it turns out.
That's awesome! Let me know how the switch over goes.
I followed these exact steps and it turned out great. Thank you so much
That's great, thanks for the feedback.
Thank you so much for the tips now my fish tank looks stunning!
Glad it worked for you as well.
Thanks for making this video. We're gonna switch this weekend in our 55 gallon. Tired of losing goldfish to disease after 5 or 10 years with the gravel.
I used to use gravel but I use sand on all my new tanks now. Great video. New sub 😁
Thank you for watching, I will have part two out within a few days.
BobbyG.Cichlids maybe you’d like to checkout my channel 😉
Thank you for sharing your experience with sand, I thought maybe changing my gravel for sand soon, and you convinced me to do so. By the way, you have a beautiful aquarium.
I'm glad I could help with your decision, I can't think of any reason you would regret switching. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this video! It's very helpful for someone like me who never had sand in the tank and wants to try it :)
Thank you for the comment, I think you really can't go wrong. Of course it depends what type of fish you keep but it works great with cichlids for sure.
I've been looking at doing this for my tank which is a trigon 190 and thinking about how you did yours has now convinced me to get my act together and get it done thanks for the good advice 👌👌😁
Your welcome I'm glad you see the huge benefit to using sand. Be sure you have plenty of water flow across the substrate and your results will amaze you. I appreciate you watching my channel!
It looks beautiful! I am converting my tank right now!
I have a 55 gal. cichlid tank, and I love the sand! Used to do the gravel. but sand is a lot cleaner. Have a couple of geophagus that are spewing the sand around all the time. Good to know that the sand is better for cichlids also. The water is crystal clear all the time. Don't hesitate to change to sand if you are wary. I did, and not sorry I made the change. I also used the pool filter sand, and the biggest job was rinsing, but if you can do it by the bucket with an outdoor hose - it goes much faster.
I agree, I'd guess anyone that switches from gravel to sand would also agree. It's important to have lots of water flow so the poop doesn't settle on the bottom. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Just the information and advice I was looking for, thank you.
Thank you so much!
i have sand and i went and got a sponge filter to put on the intake of my hang on back filter system. had to modify it but it works super! also replaced the cartridge filters with carbon filter pads cut to fit. now my water is the clearest it's ever been.
You have a beautiful aquarium
Thank you so much!
Hey Bobby , Great instructional video. I use to use Prime until I found Safe. Last a lot longer.
Cali, thanks for watching. At the time of the recording I was using Prime but have since switched to using Safe also. Thanks for the tip.
You did a good job; however, I would recommend putting the fish in a quarantine tank or in the alternative, a bucket(s) with an air bubbler when changing out the substrate.
Thank you, I'd consider doing that also.
What a lovely tank you have. And your poochy is so cute!!
I've always been wanting but leery of changing over to sand due to issues i'd read about with water changes, vacuuming, etc. But i love plants, Corys, & loaches and it would be so much gentler on them.
The one thing i'd do different in your change over is i'd probably take all the fish out with some of the tank water and put them into a bucket so as not to stress them during all that upheaval, but it looks like yours survived fine. I'm shocked when you say you don't have to vacuum it anymore. Shocked. The books all teach something else. You've really peeked my interest.
Thank you Windwipper for the comment and the advice. In future I will and have removed fish before making a change over like that. I'm not sure what books you're reading up on the maintenance required on a sand substrate. My advise is from very practical experience and although there has been quite some time since posting this video I still stand firm on the use of sand. But the key is to have enough water flow so the waste and detritus does not just sit on the bottom but rather get sucked up into the filtration. If you've already made the switch that's great if not charge ahead my friend. This switchover was done with pool filter sand and it is a good choice although I have since changed it again. The key is that your substrate is fine enough that the waste doesn't settle down in through it and also that your sand bed isn't more than about to inches .
@@bobbygsproaquarium Excellent advice! Thank you very much!
Your tank looks great. I was always questioning which would be better, gravel or sand and your video cleared it up for me. It looks fabulous and I would bet that real plants would grow better in the sand, then in gravel. If you look in the bottom of a lake, especially in northern Ontario Canada, the bottom is all light brown/beige sand, made from granite and there is tons of healthy Jungle Val and Hornwort growing. The sand would be great for the root systems of plants.
Thank you for the comment, I'm glad this helped you in deciding which substrate to go with.
Great video. Wasn't sure if this could be done with fish in the tank but you showed it can.
After watching Bobby sir video, I also changed from gravel to sand by keeping fishes in my 90 gal tank its OK.
Thank you for posting this! I have 2-6mm gravel at the moment in natural colours, but I'm super excited to switch to
Thanks for watching! I can't see why you wouldn't love the change, good luck!
Very interesting. You have a gorgeous aquarium!
Dear sir really help full video I hv gravel in my 90 gal Cichlid tank & due to food and waste sticking inside gravel i was thinking to go for sand but little confused about results but after watching this video I shall also go with sand but when not sure as it depends on sand availability and time for doing all activity.
Best of luck & Tcare.
Yes charge ahead you won't regret it.
Great info! I’ll be doing the same thing this weekend if all goes according to plan.
Thank you, I hope it goes well!
Gonna love changing my tank to sand this weekend. I have an unlimited supply of sand straight from the earth at a job site and its darker in color but so pure. Was wondering how to do it with the fish in. Thanks for this amazing video.
That's great you have an unlimited supply of sand. I switched mine with the fish in the tank so I don't understand your question, what specifically would you like to know?
I used white pool filter sand, works great for years.
@@NitroVipers3 Which brand did you use?
@@dvsasser not sure the brand, went to the pool place and bought it.
The white sand makes the colours of the fish pop out. Great change!
I switched from gravel to sand. I regret not having sand over the past 30 years. Its way better.
I agree, so many years using gravel only to realize how beneficial sand is instead. Thanks for the comment.
awesome video. very concise and good instructions
Thanks for showing this. I cant get my Nitrites down water changes 50%, 50% 25% just gone a bit from 90. So I'm getting the gravel out.
Glad I could help
Since I switched over to the sand several years ago I have not vacuumed. Even when I recently upgraded to a 75 gal., the sand that I transferred to the new tank wasn't very dirty. It was just red from clay.
Yes it's so much easier to maintain. Thanks for commenting.
Just a question . How do you clean up the fish poop if you don’t vacuum ?
I have sand and would like not to have to vacuum .
@@CASANOVAPRO1985 if you focus on having lots of water flow it will keep the poop from setting on the bottom and will be filtered out.
@@CASANOVAPRO1985 I have lots of waterflow, including 2 wavemakers. As soon as it's disturbed a bit, it goes waterborne and ends up in the overflow.
Beautiful tank and fish
Oh your chihuahua is adorable
Thank you, I love my chichis
I really wish I did sand before I did gravel , going to have to upgrade
The switch over isn't too bad actually.
nice - will try on my tank. THANKS for sharing !!!
Let me know how it turns out, thanks for watching!
Looks great, been thinking of doing the same
Thanks for dropping the knowledge! great video. Cheers
My pleasure! Thanks for watching
I love your helpers
Thank you they're awesome! Thanks for watching
That last part made me laugh [spoiler] "would I do it again? Yes, but I'll never have to.. Because I'll never use gravel again" :') great video!
Thank you very much for commenting it's much appreciated. I'm glad you enjoyed the video in that it provided some laughter for you.
I have had sand in my 36 gallon bow front for seven years. I was considering changing to gravel. Now I will keep the sand. I am wanting to grow plants. Should I put them into gravel filled terra cotta pots ? The sand is great for my corydoras they move it around daily.
I don't know too much about plants but can't see why they wouldn't be fine in the sand.
Excellent. I think im gonna covert. Very good info. I have a 10 gal betta nano ehiem w plants Shrimp frogs snails etc.
Frogs will choke on sand.
GORGEOUS fish dude. Beautiful tank. Any more tanks?
HI Bobby, I much prefer sand. The waste sits on top and it's very easy to suck up. I started with similar gravel and I never liked it. The biggest thing is AC being sifters need soft sand. They can injure themselves with gravel. IT's a big job. I did that too but well worth the work Bobby!! I love the finished project. Looks stunning!!😁💦💘
I still can't believe how much easier it is to manage. One thing I didn't mention in the video is how important continuous water flow is. It seems the key to keeping the surface clean. Thanks for the kind words.
Bobby that's such a good point. Once in a while, I turn my wave makers to the bottom areas and just blow any leftover detritus to the water column for the filters to pull up!🌎😁💦💘
Thanks! I was going to empty my whole tank and was scared I'd stress the fish out and loose some but now I dont have to cheers.
It's still a bit stressful for them but it worked well for me. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Couldn't you use a pre filter sponge on your intake to reduce or eliminate the sand getting into your filter?
Yes for sure you could and likely a good idea provided you clean it regularly. Thanks for the suggestion.
A pre-filter on the intake tube of a hang-on-back filter will prevent sand and other small detritus, even small fish, from getting sucked up into the filter motor.
Very useful video thanks
Nice advice I was going to change but now I will not I have sand ( cichilds mix) thanks for detail explanation
Thanks for watching, I'm glad I may have saved you the work and possible disappointment.
Hi, great video, I have white sand in my 55 gallon tank for nearly two months, I used to do 50% water change twice a week and try to vacuum but doesn’t clean perfect as yours. Now my sand looks bit dirty colour. I can see yours still looks brand new and pure white. Could you please give some guide on maintaining white sand in aquarium? I wish if you could make a video on maintaining sand in aquarium. I noticed you have wave maker in your tank, does it help to clean the tank?
You are assuming that the detritus has reduced. How can that be when you have the same tank/same fish? You just don't see it much with sand.
Great Video - Can you give us the detail about how you connect the Aqueon water change to your Megdrive 9.5 please.
I wish I could add photos to help explain it would make it easier. Cut your Aqueon or Python hose at the point you would like your pump. On one end of the hose add a 5/8" barb to male GHT (garden hose thread), if using Aqueon you will need 1/2" barb as it is smaller the Python. On the other side of the cut add a 5/8" barb to female GHT (garden hose thread), if using Aqueon you will need 1/2" barb as it is smaller the Python. This will allow you to use the hose with or without the pump installed. On the pump you will need two fittings, one 3/4" NPT (national pipe tapered) to male GHT, and one 3/4" NPT to female twisting GHT. Be sure to use brass fittings for all and gear clamps for the barbed ends to attach the hose. I got all the stuff at Home Depot. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you for the very helpful video. I like the look of gravel and was wondering if gravel with some sand might be a good compromise as the sand would kind of settle into the gravel also, I have very few and smaller species of fish.
Thanks for watching my video I'm glad you got something out of it! I think mixing sand in with gravel would almost certainly be a mistake. You would no longer be able to vacuum your gravel since you would be suckling up all the sand. The beauty of the sand provided you have lots of water flow is that you will virtually never need to vacuum again. I'd suggest no more than 2 inches of sand otherwise you may create other problems. Hope this helps!
…you shouldn’t be having to do water changes twice a week! Wow!
I'm purchasing a new tank today as we speak i will be running this sand to i will have clown laches so I bet they will love this sand. with the sand since u don't vacuum the fishes left overs how do u get rid of them if they sit on the surface of the sand?
First of all try to get enough water flow over the substrate that the fish waste doesn't collect on the bottom. If you do have a dead spot where it does collect you will have hover your vacuum over it to collect it.
Excellent video, exactly what I'm about to undertake! I was going to remove the fish though and put them in a temporary bucket with heater and filter, any thoughts on this?
Thank you! Yes the next time I did this I removed the fish. Don't forget to add an air stone to the bucket as well.
Do you think that you could do a short video on how you spliced your mag 9.5 into you aqueon system?
Thank you for the suggestion, I have added it to my task list and will hope to get to it soon!
Excellent video! Thank you!
Love the redtail! I love mine!
Yes I've always loved them although he isn't something many cichlid keepers would put in their tank due to the redtails potential for aggression but mines been fine and I had him for 2.5 years.
I use the same sand and i have a problem, the aquarium is like cloudy... my filters are working but looks like dusty, please help me i just add the sand 5 days ago...
You need to rinse it a lot and allow it to settle
How the sand got clear so fast without cloudy? How do you clean and rinse the sand?
I've found the best way is to fill a pail no more than half full with sand and rinse with a hose stirring occasionally for as long as it takes for the water to run virtually clear. This could take 30 or more minutes. Thank you for asking.
@@bobbygsproaquarium I used to clean the white subtrade before, I have to rinse more than 20 times. Pain on the bud bro. I thought You can come up with better idea.
Thank you though.
I don't think there's a magic way.
Can you give a link to the sand you used?
Awesome vid btw, inspired me to make the switch!
I just used pool filter sand which you can buy from any pool supply store.
Great video! Very timely for me, I'm switching from a 60 gal. to a 75 gal. this week as time allows. Because of my Geophagus, Bichir, and Cory cats I'm switching to sand. AI hear Geos like to sift through sand, Bichir might swallow large gravel pieces, and sand is easier on the cat's barbels. I was concerned about the detritus build up, but I skimmed the comments and found the answer to that question. My one unanswered question is, does algae build up over time like it currently does for my gravel? BTW, I like the pace of your audio; slow and steady wins the race - and avoids having to rewind and view again. :)
Wow 50%-80% water change twice a week?
Sounds crazy right
why so much?
I have a 20 gallon tank with a 30 gallon filter, do you think there will be enough current to keep most of the fish waste off the bottom.
Great video. Thinking of doing the same. Btw, I see your Intake/output in the middle of the tank. Is there a video explaining why the middle? I've got a 36 bow and trying to figure out the best placement. Thanks
Where does the waste go now. Instead of getting locked under the gravel it now sits on top of the sand, but where does it go?
It sits at the top
If your water flow at the surface of your sand is adequate the waste will remain in the water column until it is sucked up by whatever filtration you're using. There will always be a small dead spot that the waste will collect but it shouldn't be too bad.
Wouldn't poop and gunk appear more obviously on the sand? I would assume you would need to clean it MORE frequently since it would be right there for you to see all the time as opposed to hidden within gravel.
The key is too have enough water flow across the gravel so poop doesn't settle on the bottom. If done we'll it almost never needs vaccuming. Good question though, thanks.
@@bobbygsproaquarium Ive had sand in my Cichlid tank for years, I never have to clean the tank lol. I can go 6 months without cleaning it and it will be as clean as day 1, it's crazy.
@@NitroVipers3 It's really awesome once you set it up and realize the benefits! Thanks for your comment!
Nice African cichlids tank...Great session...how do you keep the sand out of the filter? DO you have a picture of your intake tube?
I don't do anything to prevent sand from getting in the intake other than being sure they are not set too low. I know some people use foam on the intake but for me that would clog up far too quickly. Thanks for watching
I have bare bottom tank. I would like to switch to sand for my cichild. Lets see.
You'll love it just be certain to rinse the sand extremely well unlike in my video. This product was said to be ready to pour in but it sure caused quite the dust storm! Good luck
you went from gravel to sand and your fish quit peeing and pooping? 50-60% water change twice a week?
I am doing half of my tank in gravel and the other half with a very small black gravel just a little larger than sand, so wf have the brown gravel and small black, what do you think about that idea?
I personally don't think you will achieve the result that is explained in the video. I suppose it's all about what your hoping to achieve but I would do all sand.
Bobby, wouldn't fish poop shows up a lot quicker using sand rather than pebbles? Thx
In my experience sand is much easier to look after than gravel provided you have a constant current which doesn't allow detritis to settle on the bottom. I almost never have to vacuum anything anymore.
This is the problem I am having. Yes, I can see a lot of the fish poo in the bottom of my tank. I am wanting to change the sand from white to black in my tank.
@@linnykinny6853 - I went ahead and used sand in my tank yesterday. I had black pebbles before but it really makes my tank dark, but clean since you can't really see all the debris. White sand is very pretty but let's see how it works out.
@@linnykinny6853 this issue can be solve with more water flow. Consider adding a wave maker / power head to the tank.
@@deenugent473 you will love it providing you have enough current in the tank.
Nice video I’ve done the same thing and I love it
Thank you I think once a person makes the switch they'll never go back. I appreciate you commenting!
Great video.i am in the process of starting a new tank and i am thinking of using sand.do you have any problem with sand and external filters?
Some sand will end up in the filters but not too much if you keep your intakes high enough. There's no need to keep the close to the bottom.
Hi. Where did you buy thevsand? Thank you. Great video.
How big your tank ?
Excellent viewing
Great video, nicely done!
Phresh Phish thanks so much for watching!
Great video
Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Great video Thank you !
Might do this with my goldfish. Not sure what shoveling sand into his gills would do, although he can also choke on the gravel
I'm not sure if that would be good for goldfish although it should be pretty easy to find out. Thanks for watching!
Should have done it :( goldfish is now in a pond, but ammonia and nitrates gave my guppy dropsy. No more excuses, I’m doing it this weekend 👍
@@amandae.2087 Hi! I just wanted to chime in and ask you how you ended up doing the change for your goldfish?
Does aquarium sand get black after few months/years ??
No it should stay its original colour for sure. If yours is turning black it may be algae due to too much light and or you may be feeding your fish too much and or you don't have enough water circulation to keep the detritus off the bottom. Good luck!
Great video, I also switched sand. I looks so much better. I love that black fish with the red tail. What kind is it?
The fish is called a Red Tail Black Shark. Thanks for watching!
Where does the detritus go? Why is there so much less now?
The majority of it will be sucked up in the filter/s if you have enough water circulation to keep it from settling in the bottom. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Bobby G's Cichlid Craze that’s amazing you don’t have a siphon the substrate anymore - congratulations are in order haha. I have a sand substrate but my fish aren’t fans of high water flow in the tank so I still have to siphon the top carefully and more around the sand like yourself. Great tank!
Thank you, either way sand is better imo.
im going to change to sand to looks so nice
Thank you, good luck with the switch over!
Great and informative video thankyou x
Thank you very much.
Just wondering, did you use a script? It kind of sounds like you did which kind of takes away from the video, but still awesome video!
Definitely no script although alot of thinking goes into my videos. I also don't like scripted videos and aim to sound more natural as I gain more knowledge. I appreciate you watching and commenting.
What about the fish waste? I've too switched from gravel to sand. I put a sponge intake filter on the uplift tube , eliminates sand intake. But I have live hornwort and it sheds drastically. So... a vacuuming I go🎶🎵🎤
What type of fish are they, I love the colourful ones
The majority are African cichlids from Lake Malawi. Thanks for watching!