changing sand

in my 10 gallon the sand is sand i got from the beach and it looks ugly compared to what i see on this fourm so i'm looking to switch and have a coupple of questions.

how do i change out the sand without getting the water cloudy?

should i do this in one day or ove the course of some time?

i want BLACK sand but heard some brands are sharp and not good for snails are they which ones?

what brand of BLACK sand is the best for snails and not as sharp as other black sands?

is it reef safe?

 

Do you plan on keeping corals?
Just look for an oolitic or sugar sized particle sand. Remember that not all snails will travel and hang out in the sand. On the contrary, they will die as they can not manuever through the sand such as Astrea and Turbos. Margarita, Cerith, Conch and Nassirius can to some extent!

 

A good way to keep the water clear, is to put it in a grocery bag or small trash bag, lower it to the bottom then slowly rip the bag open. This is of course after you rinse the sand very well.

 

Personally I wouldn't consider sand from the beach safe. There's all sorts of pollutants and stuff in there - I've been to quite a few beaches here in FL, and wouldn't use sand from any of them. Keep in mind changing your sand will most likely start a cycle, as well.

 

the main question is what brand of sand is black and my snails wont get cut up or it's not to sharp to strach my glass