How not to lose critters, changing substrate, ???

[LiveMermaid07]

I'm thinking of changing my substrate.

BUT, I have mts and live black worms.

I do not want to lose these. I can not afford to replace them.
(and no my mts do not reproduce rapidly)

So how can I change the out the old substrate without losing my little critters?

Help!!!

Thank you.​

 

[Callmeconfused]

What kind of substrate do you have? I switched out sand with MTS for eco-complete. I saved most of my snails by using an old collander that I was gonna toss anyway. The holes in it were large enough to let the small sand pass while saving most of my snails.

If your gravel is quite large, sifting and picking by hand is the best I can suggest for the MTS, but I've never dealt with black worms, so I can't help you there, and I would think the collander method might squish them a bit.

 

[TheFishBoss97]

I guess it would be best to use a collander like callmeconfused said, but for the worms, maybe use a brine shrimp net. SO you could take all the inverts, fish, plants out, then stir up the gravel, and use a net to get most of the black worms??? I have never had black worms so I have no experience at all.
Good Luck

 

[rufioman]

I use my fingers lol...pick them out if you can. You could try a screen over the hose you're using to siphon water and it'll only catch the sand

:cheers:

 

[LiveMermaid07]

What kind of substrate do you have? about 70% sand the rest is combo of regular sz gravel and either pea gravel or river gravel, don't remember which, it's kinda big

I switched out sand with MTS for eco-complete. I saved most of my snails by using an old collander that I was gonna toss anyway. The holes in it were large enough to let the small sand pass while saving most of my snails.

If your gravel is quite large, sifting and picking by hand is the best I can suggest for the MTS, but I've never dealt with black worms, so I can't help you there, and

I would think the collander method might squish them a bit. lol. might.

I guess it would be best to use a collander like callmeconfused said,

but for the worms, maybe use a brine shrimp net. I will have to try one and see if they can 'worm' their out of those...

SO you could take all the inverts, fish, plants out, then stir up the gravel, and use a net to get most of the black worms??? I have never had black worms so I have no experience at all.
Good Luck

I use my fingers lol...pick them out if you can.

You could try a screen over the hose you're using to siphon water and it'll only catch the sand
Hmmm, that would get the worms too... maybe I could try vacuuming out the worms first... ??

:cheers:

Thanks for the thoughts y'all.