Sorry to have to tell you this, but sandy soil is one of the worst things you c an do for an Aloe, the sand tends to interfere w/ drainage. I don't get floppy, are the roots OK? Watering it 2x in 2 days will likely rot an Aloe, they hold their own water & don't need such frequent watering or they'll rot.

As we say abt succulents, when in doubt about watering, don't.

by "floppy" i meant that the spikes (i don't know what else to call them) aren't particularly stiff, but upon further research i think they're normal.

as far as soil, i put some gravel at the bottom of the pot to help with drainage. will that be okay or should i repot again into different soil?

also as far as the brown tips on a couple of the spikes, should i cut the brown part off? or just leave it alone? i'll clarify here that this is definitely a "dry" brown and not a "mushy" brown, and the rest of the spike seems healthy.

You should probably get a whole new soil. The easiest options are a 25% potting soil/75% perlite mix or a 50/50 mix of cactus soil and perlite. Get rid of the gravel on the bottom because it actually doesn't do anything to help with drainage. What you're trying to create with your soil choice is a fast draining mix. People continually want to put sand in mixes, but think about it...ever seen a sand castle? It's held together with water! If the sand stayed dry, the thing would collapse, so, more proof that sand just holds onto water.
Your pot should only be 2-4 inches bigger than the root ball of your plant. Terra cotta is best, but at the least, make sure the pot has a drainage hole. For succulents, which both of your plants are, you never water immediately after a repot. It's always best to wait a few days before watering...I usually wait at least 5 days. When you do water, water until you see it draining out the bottom of the pot. Discard the excess water and then don't water again until the soil is dry. How long this takes will be based on pot type and where you keep your plants (indoors/outdoors).
As for the floppiness of your aloe, that could be caused by the aloe absorbing some of the moisture from it's leaves to sustain itself through a drought (completely normal). The brown tips are probably a result of the same thing. You can cut them off (to make the plant look a little better) or leave them. If you do cut the tips off, be aware that they will not grow into points again.
If you're keeping the plants indoors, get them into the brightest light possible. If outdoors, acclimate them to the sun gradually. If over-exposed to the sun, the aloe will turn a reddish brown color. Again, this is completely normal. If you like the look, fine. If not, move it back into a less sunny space and it will revert to green.
Hope this helps!

Nancy