# regretting sand cap!



## damenblankenship (Nov 11, 2010)

has anyone else thought a sand cap would look nice only to find it's just a big pain! I capped my fluorite with sand and now it just gets all over the tank. water changes are the worst, now I have the substrate comming up through the sand. guess I know what I'm doing this weekend. taking out sand!


----------



## jedimasterben (Aug 21, 2011)

The smallest pieces will _always_ end up on the bottom.


----------



## ShadowBeast (Jul 27, 2011)

You could try one of those gravel cleaners. they should be able to suck up the sand with out removing the fluorite.


----------



## meowfish (Jan 5, 2011)

I use a gravel cleaner to occasionally "harvest" substrate my Talking Raphael so thoughtfully relocates - the cleaner itself doesn't provide enough suction, but once I get the siphon started I just remove the tube and use the hose. In your case, it really doesn't matter if you suck up the fluorite too, you should be able to just let the hose siphon through a colander or strainer to separate it.


----------



## EnigmaticGuppy92 (Jan 31, 2012)

i have sand on top of 2mm gravel and have no problems i use kiln dried sand which is really fine just have to swirl it to remove gases but i dont get much


----------



## ferretowner96 (Apr 20, 2010)

I have done that! What I did was get a bucket, and a net (with decent sized holes) and sift all the gravel out. It depends what size tank, but I sifted all the gravel out, and then swished it in the water. All the sand stayed in, and the gravel went in my bucket. Then just water change, water change water change, and more water changes, and the sand SHOULD be out. Then wash the gravel, and put it back in, and it was fine. I always cap sand now, instead of cap gravel with sand. The gravel (other large substrate) seems to hold down the sand, and anchors wonderfully. I did this with my 55, and couldn't have been happier.
Hope it helps,
Rick


----------



## demonr6 (Mar 14, 2011)

I had a similar problem. I sifted the dirt to get out the larger pieces but inevitably you miss some and over time those pieces managed to float to the top and break through the sand cap.. from there you have an open space exposing the dirt and it becomes a mess. I have had to remove and replace sand now probably five times in two months and fill in light spots.


----------



## FishFarmer (Feb 8, 2007)

I have (more like had now) fine play sand in the foreground of my tank. And yes, I regret it too. It's so fine the stuff goes everywhere when ever it's disturbed and takes for ever to settle out. Somehow my Eco from the background has encroached on it and now covers the foreground; I even had it blocked off so that wouldn't happen. I will never mix different substrates again. And yes, the smaller particles will eventually settle to the bottom, and larger will eventually settle on top.


----------

