Swithcing from white sand to black sand substrate

[Kmbishop111]

Hi! I'm currently in the process of switching from white to black sand. I'm going to be using the same brand/kind of sand in the switch. (National Geographic as it is all I have access to in my area)

My pH runs fairly high at 7.8 - 8.5, same out of the tap. I have already removed most of the white sand. I have 7 panda cory cats so I left them a corner with some sand until I do the switch tomorrow. Will this effect my pH?

Also, I'm thinking of leaving my Angel in the tank as she becomes super stressed when netted, but unsure as to moving my cory cats and gourami to another tank/bucket while adding the black sand. Thoughts?

Also if I remove the remainder of the white sand tonight, will the bare bottom be hard on my cory cats or hurt their barbels?

TIA!!

 

[the loach]

If the National Geographic substrates are targeted at aquaria, they should not alter pH.
Any substrate that increases pH isn't suited.
I always recommend don't get sand but very fine gravel (1 to 3mm diameter) it is less prone to get anaerobic spots and much, much easier to clean. Your cories will be fine on a bare bottom and you don't have to move any fish while changing the substrate. I would just vacuum the sand out, if there is a lot spread it over a couple of days. Then when you put the black in, use a cup of some sort, fill it with substrate, gently lower it down and let the substrate out at the bottom (don't just throw it in or let it fall..) the fish will be fine.

 

[Lanie]

Can anyone tell me how to make a new post? I just joined because I have a platy in my six years olds tank that gave birth. She looked sickly was swimming facing down, sideways, my husband said he saw her upside down at a point. We put her in a separate tank to keep our guppies from harassing her? We fully expected to find a dead fish that night when we came home. Instead I found one baby. I put the tray in to separate mom from the fry. I've been looking for more babies and haven't seen any. She continues to swim awkwardly. I've been told peas work she could have swallowed to much air but I have a hard time keeping them in with her because of the grate separating her from the fry. I'm trying my best to care for momma and baby but I am at a loss please help!

 

[Kmbishop111]

Yes, it is for aquarium use. I haven't had problems with the brand before, so I stuck with it just in black this time. It's mixing in buckets right now, I guess I've changed out the water and swished 4 times now. It still has a tint of darkness to the water so we'll see how many times I have to wash it before it goes clear.

Oh, and the very few white particles of sand left in my tank are driving me up the wall. I don't want to look in there and see one single white piece of substrate so I'm taking it slow. Crazy, maybe.

Regarding the driftwood to lower pH. I had found some nice pieces from my 2 huge Pecan trees in my front yard that had fallen I guess a month ago. I brought them in, placed them in my guest bathroom's tub and added boiling water to let them soak. THEN I researched. SMH From what I'm gathering Pecan and Walnut trees release toxins into the water. *Facepalm* Will try again with the driftwood procuring.....

 

[fishorama]

How "aged" is the bacteria in this tank & filter? The beneficial bacteria colonize on all tank surfaces. Removing all the substrate can put a significant dent in it...TEST, TEST!! You may need to do large daily water changes to keep water parameters safe for your fish.

Go slow, it can be done safely. Do you have live plants? They can help.

I hear you on the few bits of "wrong" substrate driving you crazy, lol. After many years I still find a bit of "beautiful blue" from our newb days...like 30+ years ago, ha!

 

[Kmbishop111]

How "aged" is the bacteria in this tank & filter? The beneficial bacteria colonize on all tank surfaces. Removing all the substrate can put a significant dent in it...TEST, TEST!! You may need to do large daily water changes to keep water parameters safe for your fish.

Go slow, it can be done safely. Do you have live plants? They can help.

I hear you on the few bits of "wrong" substrate driving you crazy, lol. After many years I still find a bit of "beautiful blue" from our newb days...like 30+ years ago, ha!

The BB is 6 months old in my filter. The white sand that I removed was down to 1/4 inch in places from vacuuming, W/C etc.It was driving me insane. lol If I thought for one hot second it would have looked okay mixed, I would have left it just for the sake of the BB. BUT I just couldn't do it, I wanted the pristine black look. I know, I know. lol

I do have plants, Peacock Fern, Anacharis, an Amazon Sword and Wisteria. And I bought a new test kit tonight bc I knew I would be testing frequently. I'll def be keeping a close eye on everything and have a QT tank set up just in case things get TOO bad and have to pull to another tank. I'm hoping it doesn't come down to that but just in case.....

Yeah, it seriously can drive a person mad seeing that different color in there where it has no business being!! lolol

 

[authmal]

Peacock fern or peacock moss? As I understand it, the fern is a houseplant, not an aquarium plant.

 

[forse]

I would remove all the fishes before adding the new sand. Then, I would add the new sand and wait for it to settle down. After that, I would return the fishes to the tank. Too much sand floating in water can be stressful for fish IMHO.

 

[the loach]

Cause catching fish and relocating them doesn't stress them? The fish will be just fine if you use the method I described. I have done it myself several times.

 

[forse]

Sorry for not reading the loach method well. Just be very careful as it is not fine gravel but sand. Turn off the filter while you do it.