Doing a gravel to sand change.

[Kandyroll]

What is the easiest way to do this with a already established freshwater tank?


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[iboG]

I took all the fish out and placed them in a large Tupperware container and I placed the filter and heater in there as well.

Empty out as much of the water as you can with a siphon or whatever. Once you only have substrate left, the easiest thing to do is suck it out with a shopvac. Make sure you keep a good few cups worth of the old substrate aerated and wet so the bacteria doesn't die. I took that old substrate and put it in a sock then an leaving it in the tank to help transfer the old bacteria over to the new substrate. Worked perfectly cuz I didn't have a cycle! Yay!

Next is add your freshly washed sand. It's quite easy and make sure it's clean. Drop in your sock of old substrate and fish, filter, and heater. Bingo!



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[stephcps]

Exactly!

 

[stormywendyann]

Perfecto

 

[MurphysAquarist]

If I may ask, how long, from fish out to fish back in, should that process take?

 

[iboG]

Well, I took maybe an hour and a half. I didn't prewash my substrate so that took some extra time. But if it's prewashed like an hour.


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[MurphysAquarist]

Awesome, thanks.

 

[rufioman]

I don't even take the fish out. I just do one side at a time leaving decorations, etc. on one side. Easy as cake and I've never seen so much as a stressed fish afterwards.

:cheers:

 

[Kandyroll]

Just put the sand it. It's murky as hell. Do I leave the filter on?


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[iboG]

Yes let it run. Clean it a few times tonight too


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