switching from blue gavel to floramax

[frank98284]

gavel to floramax

I have a 55gal lightly planted tank and wanting to change to floramax not sure what the best way to do this is i do no t want to start a mini cycle . I could use some advise please. Also i added a new canister filter about two weeks ago i am still running a hob filter that i first started the tank with three months ago.not sure if i should wait until my canister is established with BB or just go ahead and do it now


55gal
angle x2
rosey barbs x7
raphael catfish x1
algae eater x1

 

[frank98284]

I could use some advice here please anyone ????

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

Hmmm....I would go ahead and drain the tank if nothing is in it as much as you can, and then replace the substrate. By two weeks, the filter should be around the ammonia spike if the cycle is flowing good. You may have to restart a smaller cycle, but if you do it quick and keep the water in the filter I think you should be fine. I would also go ahead and put some of the established filter media in the new filter when you set it back up with the new substrate so it will help it get cycled quicker.

 

[frank98284]

I have fish and plants in the tank and tank has been up for months. Can i leave some gravel around the plants and remove the rest of the gravel and add floramax and cover the gravel still left in the tank around the plants with floramax will this help retain some BB in the tank???

 

[DanTheGuppyMan]

I have fish and plants in the tank and tank has been up for months. Can i leave some gravel around the plants and remove the rest of the gravel and add floramax and cover the gravel still left in the tank around the plants with floramax will this help retain some BB in the tank???

Yes you could leave some gravel in. I would just do maybe a 75% WC, take the old filters media and put it in the new one, replace the gravel you want to replace and fill it back up. You may have to put the fish in some buckets while you are doing this though.

 

[Rivercats]

I've changed substrate before in a tank with fish and plants and found for me it was easier to remove the fish and plants and keep them in a bucket (one container for fish and one for plants) with at least their heater if not the HOB also. Drain the tank down and scoop out the gravel. Put in the new substrate and be sure it's rinsed very well. I've never used Floramax so don't know how dirty it is in the package so be sure to really rinse it as clean as possible. Add about 50-75% water back in and replant, then finish filling the tank. With the fish in a container with a heater and filter I'd start the canister back on the tank and let it run an hour before starting to slowly acclimate the fish. Be sure to put the heater back in the tank and put the HOB back on. Most of your BB will be in the filters so just leave both of them run. If for some reason you didn't get your substrate rinsed well enough and you still have dirty water the next day I would suggest doing another 50% WC.