I would like to do a total makeover to my 125 freshwater planted tank...I am planning on putting in all new sand but can i keep a lot of the old sand in the tank and cover the old with the new so i do not kill off any good bacteria that may be in the sand? I will also take the water in the tank and siphon it to my 55 gallon and my 10 gallon empty tanks as well as a few 5 gallon buckets and put that water back in the tank once i add the sand since I know my tank water is contaminant free and just add conditioner to the new water that goes in...Think this will work so I do not lose any bacteria, fish and plants???
Can I do this with my tank???
- Thread starter Hagermanfd
- Start date
You don't have to save all of the water. Just make sure your filter stays wet and the sand in the tank stays wet. That is where the majority of the bacteria live.
tanker
Josh Holloway--Be mine!!!
It will also depend on how different your new sand is in color. If the color difference is extreme and you don't want the sand to become mixed, then of course remove most of the old sand. If you don't mind to have the sand become slowly mixed, then just leave the old sand and add your new sand on top.
The other thing that may effect your decision on taking out the sand or not would be your plant placement. If you are going to move your plants, then it will be easier to re-arrange them by removing the old sand. Otherwise if your plants will stay in their original spot, then you probably don't want to remove the sand as it will be harder to remove without upsetting your plants.
BTW, many people have multiple layers as their substrate for planted aquariums. Partly due to esthetics but also based on cost. As an example, my 90 gal planted tank has peat plates at the bottom, then a layer of Seachem Flourite, and finally gravel. I did this to give my plants a good base for their root system. My top layer of gravel is light colored while the flourite is red. When I vacume the gravel the fourite layer is not touched. This way I can keep my over all appearance of the tank to be brighter.
There is another way you can add sand without having to remove your old sand and water. Just use a large long plastic tube and use that to guide your new sand down to the bottom (tube needs to be taller than your water level and wide enough to prevent a clog). This can be a bit tedious but it is the least intrusive method to adding subtrate to an existing tank. That will not affect your bacteria, fish, or plants as much.
The other thing that may effect your decision on taking out the sand or not would be your plant placement. If you are going to move your plants, then it will be easier to re-arrange them by removing the old sand. Otherwise if your plants will stay in their original spot, then you probably don't want to remove the sand as it will be harder to remove without upsetting your plants.
BTW, many people have multiple layers as their substrate for planted aquariums. Partly due to esthetics but also based on cost. As an example, my 90 gal planted tank has peat plates at the bottom, then a layer of Seachem Flourite, and finally gravel. I did this to give my plants a good base for their root system. My top layer of gravel is light colored while the flourite is red. When I vacume the gravel the fourite layer is not touched. This way I can keep my over all appearance of the tank to be brighter.
There is another way you can add sand without having to remove your old sand and water. Just use a large long plastic tube and use that to guide your new sand down to the bottom (tube needs to be taller than your water level and wide enough to prevent a clog). This can be a bit tedious but it is the least intrusive method to adding subtrate to an existing tank. That will not affect your bacteria, fish, or plants as much.
It is best to keep your old sand on top as it has the bacteria on it. Unless it is a different colour and you want the change, then rinse it well before you bury it or you will have pollution from dead bacteria.
I'd save 50% of your water, not for bacteria but for maintenance of the conditions that your fish are used to. I's like a 50% water change.
I'd suggest getting one of the special planted tank substrates, as you are going to all the trouble of re-doing your tank. They are good for your plants and they look great.
I'd save 50% of your water, not for bacteria but for maintenance of the conditions that your fish are used to. I's like a 50% water change.
I'd suggest getting one of the special planted tank substrates, as you are going to all the trouble of re-doing your tank. They are good for your plants and they look great.
If you want a completely new substrate, take all the old out and replace it with the new. There really is no need to worry about the loss of bacteria. The bacteria in the filter will reseed tank very quickly. You do not need to keep any of the old substrate or water.
So you'll need to catch all the fish, completely empty the tank, clean out all the old substrate, add in all the new sand, the refill and drain the tank a few times because it's impossible to get the sand completely clean.
Once the water is only slightly murky, add back in all of your fish and turn back on the filters. I'd do daily 50% water changes for the next couple of days to help clear out the remaining murk and as a preventative against a mini-cycle. You'll probably remove over 50-75% of the bacteria in the tank this way so it will take 1-2 days for the tank to recover. No big deal since you have to do the water changes anyways.
Sounds like a lot of work for me. I kind of like your old sand.
So you'll need to catch all the fish, completely empty the tank, clean out all the old substrate, add in all the new sand, the refill and drain the tank a few times because it's impossible to get the sand completely clean.
Once the water is only slightly murky, add back in all of your fish and turn back on the filters. I'd do daily 50% water changes for the next couple of days to help clear out the remaining murk and as a preventative against a mini-cycle. You'll probably remove over 50-75% of the bacteria in the tank this way so it will take 1-2 days for the tank to recover. No big deal since you have to do the water changes anyways.
Sounds like a lot of work for me. I kind of like your old sand.
All good advice so far...I would like to switch to black sand, from White sand...I would do gravel again, but people say if you have cory cats it could hurt them if they tend to dig for food, but then gravel is better for plants they say??? I would have thought sand is better, but i think every planted tank i have seen so far has gravel...what is your opinion on this?
katana1200
Unhealthy obsession?
Be careful of wich black sand you use. Tahitian Moon Sand (TMS) is a glass by-product and can very seriously injur your cories, anything with barbells, and soft bellied fish. 3M makes a color quartz wich is often used in the custom pool construction and comes in many colors including black. In my planted tank I opted for regular play sand from the home improvement store. I used a 1" layer of miracle grow organic potting soil on the bottom capped with 2-3" of sand on top. The potting soil gives the planted plants a good base for the roots, and all of my crypt lutea are sending off runners like mad, with only 1.5 watts per gallon. This for me was a much cheaper avenue than the flourite, wich can be a bit pricey for a bigger tank if you're on a budget. Dont be afraid of planting in sand, it looks great!
Oh, and I wouldn't worry about loosing plants in the switch. Plants always seem to like fresh water changes, more disolved minerals and such to absorb. In my opinion if you treat them like weeds, wich is kinda what they are, they seem to grow better. (as long as you dont spray them with ortho lol)
Oh, and I wouldn't worry about loosing plants in the switch. Plants always seem to like fresh water changes, more disolved minerals and such to absorb. In my opinion if you treat them like weeds, wich is kinda what they are, they seem to grow better. (as long as you dont spray them with ortho lol)
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Katana, I've told quite a few people the same thing about the Tahitian Moon Sand also. Not only that but it's not even pure black, it's got brown flecks in it.