if you're using the same gravel and didn't rinse it in too hot of water it should still have the nitrifing bacteria. it should keep your tank from having to fully cycle like it would from scratch.
fishless cycling and cloudy water
- Thread starter tetra_girl
- Start date
I'm hoping the tank won't have to cycle fully. 
I did wash the old gravel in cold to luke warm water, saved a few cups of established water + have the used sponge media in the filter still so you're right, the tank isn't totally starting over from scratch.
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No way will I risk fiddling with the plants for the next month and a half!
That's funny though about your Loach. Guess when they want to have a good dig, they just go for it. I knew someone who had a Cichlid which insisted on excavating and burying certain tank decorations every water change. Who knows what goes through their little minds, lol.
I was actually trying to figure out what kind of bottom fish would cause the least amount of mess uprooting plants, mucking up the water with substrate and chewing up driftwood.
My other half really wants a pleco so he can watch it 'window clean'. I told him we can only handle a clown pleco size wise, but don't really want to deal with one if he will create too much of a mess and a metric ton of poop (I'm the one who takes care of the tank).
Oh well, I'll put in all the other fish and let the substrate gel up first before deciding on what little sucker mouth if any to add. I'm just ecstatic we'll have some fishies soon!
I did wash the old gravel in cold to luke warm water, saved a few cups of established water + have the used sponge media in the filter still so you're right, the tank isn't totally starting over from scratch.
.......................................
No way will I risk fiddling with the plants for the next month and a half!
That's funny though about your Loach. Guess when they want to have a good dig, they just go for it. I knew someone who had a Cichlid which insisted on excavating and burying certain tank decorations every water change. Who knows what goes through their little minds, lol.
I was actually trying to figure out what kind of bottom fish would cause the least amount of mess uprooting plants, mucking up the water with substrate and chewing up driftwood.
My other half really wants a pleco so he can watch it 'window clean'. I told him we can only handle a clown pleco size wise, but don't really want to deal with one if he will create too much of a mess and a metric ton of poop (I'm the one who takes care of the tank).
Oh well, I'll put in all the other fish and let the substrate gel up first before deciding on what little sucker mouth if any to add. I'm just ecstatic we'll have some fishies soon!
