Swapping out substrates...any suggestions

RubiconRider

RubiconRider

AC Members
Feb 22, 2006
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Gravel is coming out...3-4 inches of Eco complete going in.
The plan....Siphon off half the water into 5 gal buckets.
Pull the plants and drop them in one bucket.
Put the fish in another bucket.
Siphon off rest of water.
Scoop out all gravel.
Add 3/4 of Eco Complete (no rinsing, correct?)
Add nitrifying bacteria I bought in a bottle.
Add remainder of eco complete.
Add water to fill tank 1/2 way.
Replant.
Add rest of water and fish (after some aclimating)

Should I put a handful of old gravel in one of the corners for a couple weeks to help the cycle get going?

Any ideas, comments?

Thanks in advance!
 
Gravel is coming out...3-4 inches of Eco complete going in.
The plan....Siphon off half the water into 5 gal buckets.
Pull the plants and drop them in one bucket.
Put the fish in another bucket.
Siphon off rest of water.
Scoop out all gravel.
Add 3/4 of Eco Complete (no rinsing, correct?)
Click to expand...
Perfect
Add nitrifying bacteria I bought in a bottle.
Click to expand...
Unless it is Bio-spira, don't bother, it will not do any good.
If you are planning on using the same filter, you don't have to worry about losing bacteria in the gravel.
Add remainder of eco complete.
Add water to fill tank 1/2 way.
Replant.
Add rest of water and fish (after some aclimating)
Click to expand...
yes..
Should I put a handful of old gravel in one of the corners for a couple weeks to help the cycle get going?
Click to expand...
If you are really worried, but it's not necessary if you are using the same filter IMO.
 
I actually had to remove the gravel from my tank recently, not a gravel swap, but to replace ugf. What worked really well for me was getting the fish out into a large plastic container filled with tank water, all of the plants in a bucket with tank water, and then I syphoned out alot of the gravel. For some reason this was much easier for me than scooping out the gravel and I wished I had realized this earlier in the process before I had syphoned out so much water.

And no, you don't have to rinse Eco. Anyhow, your plan looks good to me. But I'll leave it to the experts...
Take care,
Mary.
 
I did this type of swap on my 55 gallon tank. Keep your filters wet, and any plants and other decorations as there will be some beneficial stuff on those too.

When you are emptying the tank use the gravel syphon to remove some mulm(brown decomposed fish poo) to to put under the new substrate. That and a little sprinkle of peat on the bottom of the tank will help get the new substrate kickstarted for your plants.

You can replant the tank with no water in it, just use a spray bottle with tank water to keep things moist after you get them planted. The substrate is alot easer to work with when it is just moistened and not submerged.

you don't have to save the water, but any new water has to be completely declorinated.

As you wait for things to settle down after the tank is full of water again you should skip some feedings to lessen the fish waste and if my regular waterchange schedual is once a week I like to do an extra partial mid week for 2 weeks or so.
 
Do what Snake ice suggest, you take out by vacuuming the old gravel precisely what is missing from the new gravel.

This is far better than anything in a bottle, it's live active bacteria and a little organic matter for the bacteria to live and eat on.
There is no better thing you can add.
The peat mimics an established colony of bacteria for a peroid of time, about 1 month, till the bacteria are fully established in the new gravel.

You only put a little peat in there for this reason and it also will not make a mess later.

Vac your gravel deep, let the wateer settle in the bucket, decant off the clear supernatant, save the soupy dirty sludge=> the "mulm" in the bottom of the bucket for your new tank's substrate.

Regards,
Tom Barr

www.BarrReport.com
 
Sounds like great advice!
Thanks to all!
 
I did a 300 gallon using a piece of plexus cut to fit in the tank from front to back. I made it fit as tight as possible. Drained the tank part way put all the fish on one side and went to it. I did add extra canisters to the tank. When the water got part way clear I refilled with water and did water changes. The plexus was cut about 9 inches shorter than the tank so when the tank was full the fish could swim over it. I gave it about a week before doing the other half of the tank.
 
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