I want to change the gravel!
- Thread starter ImAGMan
- Start date
move the fish to a large tupperware as well as any plants and decos. empty the tank, and scoop the gravel out with a rubber-tipped dustpan. condition water, fill, insert livestock.
I'm going to assume you don't have a backup tank for temporary holding.
I changed gravel on my 55 gallon tank a year ago from white to dark substrate. I also did not have a backup tank at the time. I only had 2 fish in my tank when I did the change. I took out half my water and scooped up all the rocks up. I throughly and I mean throughly cleaned the new rocks. I then put it into my tank slowly. Then I filled my tank with new water.
doing it this way you will lose alot of your beneficial bacteria. Thus you will most likely have a mini cycle occur. I checked my levels everyday for about two weeks. I did have a small cycle and had to do some small water changes. The fish were probably stressed, but they live on to this day just fine.
I changed gravel on my 55 gallon tank a year ago from white to dark substrate. I also did not have a backup tank at the time. I only had 2 fish in my tank when I did the change. I took out half my water and scooped up all the rocks up. I throughly and I mean throughly cleaned the new rocks. I then put it into my tank slowly. Then I filled my tank with new water.
doing it this way you will lose alot of your beneficial bacteria. Thus you will most likely have a mini cycle occur. I checked my levels everyday for about two weeks. I did have a small cycle and had to do some small water changes. The fish were probably stressed, but they live on to this day just fine.
I have a 10g tank on the way that i eventually will use to breed endlers, however i can use this tank to house them meanwhile, so i can do a 40-50% change remove the gravel, put in freshly rinsed gravel and today the end, should i wait a certain time before putting the fish back in?
Should i use the water i drain from the tank to put in the holding tank as to not stress the fish too much?
Should i use the water i drain from the tank to put in the holding tank as to not stress the fish too much?
I changed the gravel in my tank to sand which is even harder but this is how i did it. Get your gravel cleaner and take out the big plastic bit so its just the tube or use just a length of tube (size of tube depends on size of gravel) Shyphon out the gravel with water into buckets. Make sure you do this during water change so when you lose alot of water with the gravel you can put some back in. Get you new gravel. wash small portions each time in a container. then get a clean platic cup or small container and scoop up some gravel. take the cup with gravel to the bottom of the tank with the gravel and slowly release the gravel out of the cup avoiding fish eventhough they usualy avoid you. repeat the process until you have the desired amount of gravel in tank. Level gravel as you wish. then put decor back in the way you wanted (make sure you take everything out of tank before you do this, except fish a fair amount of water and electric equipment, filter heater etc., unless they get in the way.) slowly put new water into tank not disturbing gravel. leave to stand for a while with lights out and electrics off for about 15 mins then turn it all on. hope this helps despite the long hard to read instructions.
I did this before without any casualties, some tips/reminders:
- be sure the water is back to the normal temp before putting the fish back in
- Once the new gravel is in, fill the tank 70-80% full and then vac/remove as much water as you can. Refill the tank and check to see if the water is still cloudy from the new gravel. It's ok if it's a little cloudy, just give it 15-20 min to settle.
- be sure the water is back to the normal temp before putting the fish back in
- Once the new gravel is in, fill the tank 70-80% full and then vac/remove as much water as you can. Refill the tank and check to see if the water is still cloudy from the new gravel. It's ok if it's a little cloudy, just give it 15-20 min to settle.
You don't have to get rid of all your old gravel either, you can scoop out about half and then just pour the new color on top of the old color. You won't be able to see it anymore anyways, and it will cost you less money and save some of your beneficial bacteria.
Changed from gravel to sand yesterday in my 20,29 and the other 55 (did the JD 55 two weeks ago). How I did it:
Using pool filter sand, rinsed it out good. Did one tankfull at a time. Siphoned water into a Sterlite tote, put plants and fishies in that. Siphoned rest of the water out. Using a scoop, removed gravel. Left mulm in the bottom to act as a fertilizer. Put in rinsed sand, filled tank halfway. Planted plants, fishies back in. Filled tank the rest of the way.
Started at 10, was done with the third tank at 3. Water a bit cloudy; ok today.
Cory's in the 55 love it! Never have seen them so active!
Using pool filter sand, rinsed it out good. Did one tankfull at a time. Siphoned water into a Sterlite tote, put plants and fishies in that. Siphoned rest of the water out. Using a scoop, removed gravel. Left mulm in the bottom to act as a fertilizer. Put in rinsed sand, filled tank halfway. Planted plants, fishies back in. Filled tank the rest of the way.
Started at 10, was done with the third tank at 3. Water a bit cloudy; ok today.
Cory's in the 55 love it! Never have seen them so active!
echoofformless
Peat Advocate & Defender Of Snails
There is no law that says you need to do it all in one day.
I am currently in the midst of removing my onyx sand and replacing it with a mix of medium sand and soilmaster select. I'm also battling BGA in the process.
So what I am doing is removing a few scoops of the onyx sand before each water change. (Which are daily since I'm using erythromycin.) Whatever debris is getting disturbed goes out with the water change.
Once the whole tank, except for some areas around the plants, is empty of the onyx sand, and my BGA treatment is over, then I will put in the soilmaster/sand mix at the last water change. This will guarantee that I don't lose all of my bacteria as well save me some serious back breaking work. Just thought I'd share.
I am currently in the midst of removing my onyx sand and replacing it with a mix of medium sand and soilmaster select. I'm also battling BGA in the process.
So what I am doing is removing a few scoops of the onyx sand before each water change. (Which are daily since I'm using erythromycin.) Whatever debris is getting disturbed goes out with the water change.
Once the whole tank, except for some areas around the plants, is empty of the onyx sand, and my BGA treatment is over, then I will put in the soilmaster/sand mix at the last water change. This will guarantee that I don't lose all of my bacteria as well save me some serious back breaking work. Just thought I'd share.
How do you like your sand compared to the gravel ? how is the sand to work with when you "gravel vac " your sand ?