Questions about using Sand as Substrate in my Fish tank...?

I have a Jack Dempsey cichlid and if you know anything about them you know they like to dig. Right now I have regular colored gravel in my tank but I want to change it out and replace it with sand.



Here is the problem, I was given some gravel/sand mixed substrate but I had to change it out because the sand kept jamming up my impeller in my emperor hang on back filters.Is there a larger,heavier type sand that wont suck up into my filters I can use?How do you keep sand clean? Are you supposed to vacuum sand like you do gravel?



Here are my questions:



1. What is the best kind of sand can I buy that wont make my HOB filter stop constantly?



2. Where can I buy it?



3. Can you have snails in your tank if your substrate is stickily sand?(will it harm them?)



4. Will I lose all my beneficial bacteria if I change my gravel to sand?



Any help or advice would be great.I think sand looks better and I would like my JD to be able to dig without getting his face all jacked up.



Thanks folksQuestions about using Sand as Substrate in my Fish tank...?1 - Pool filter sand



2 - A pool supply store. It's cheap.



3 - They'll be fine with the sand. Whether they'll be fine with the Dempsey may be a bit different...



4 - You'll loose a good number of them. If you want, bag a bunch of it in a nylon stocking, and leave it in the tank for a while. Putting a small pump or powerhead blowing through it will help, too. But really, you should be able to switch it out without too much of a problem. Just monitor ammonia, just in case, and be prepared to intervene with water changes.Questions about using Sand as Substrate in my Fish tank...?Sand is not a good idea unless you have fish that stay on the top of the water, and even then, it is liely to get in your filter. Also, if you have cichlids that dig, and more than half of them do, they will get neurotic trying to constantly clear their territorial areas of sand, or just give up and become maladjusted.



Snails can adjust to sand. there are far more snails in the ocean than in fish tanks.



As far as your bacteria are concered, I would put some of the sand inside a stocking mesh securely tied at the top and leave it there until your tank recycles.Questions about using Sand as Substrate in my Fish tank...?I tried to help below but this will help more than I could: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/sa



1. Try to find large grain sands. The grains aren't as easily carried away by current. Bigger than play sand size is what I look for.

2. I live in minnesota and there's stores around like home depot.

3. Snails are fine on sand. You can sometimes see grains stick to their slime trail.

4. I have read that changing substrate can send a tank into cycle stage again. Some people say they avoid this by slowing changing the substrate, one side or part of the tank at a time and then wait and repeat.

*Maintenance on sand is hovering over the sand to collect debri and poo. Once in awhile the sand should be %26quot;turned%26quot; to prevent nasty pockets of gas. Debris starts to decay in anaerobic conditions beneath the sand and it can stink. It's said to be toxic to fish if it builds up.



ps - Dempsey's are found in areas where sand is...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dempse