Mark Hewitt
Aquarium Advice FINatic
My gravel is currently bright white with quite large sharp edges on it. I'd really like to get some Cory Catfish, but I fear they will shred themselves to bits on it! So I think I'd like to change the gravel for one which has a lot smaller and rounded edges. Also to something that isn't just bright white as albino catfish are white too, they'd disappear!
I have thought about sand but there are a few issues with sand that I'd prefer to avoid.
The question is the best way to go about changing the gravel.
I see two main ways of doing it.
a. Take my old 25 litre tank and fill it up from the main (64 litre) tank water and net the fish and put them into the tank, throw the rest of the water in the main tank away, give it a bit of a clean down and put the new gravel in, then put the fish, and the water back from the other tank. Then top it off with fresh water (probably representing about a 50% water change)
b. Take about 50% of the water out, just to lower the water level, then while leaving the fish in the tank, carefully ladel the old gravel out bit by bit and replace it with the new.
The first option has the disadvantage that you have to net the fish and put them somewhere else, which they aren't going to like at all! But has the advantage that the tank can be completely drained and the gravel replaced while it's all dry.
The second option has the advantage of not having to move the fish around, but the possible disadvantage that lots of sediment is going to be thrown up as the bottom is disturbed and we could end up with cloudy water. If that were the case would it be harmful for the fish or the filter?
I have thought about sand but there are a few issues with sand that I'd prefer to avoid.
The question is the best way to go about changing the gravel.
I see two main ways of doing it.
a. Take my old 25 litre tank and fill it up from the main (64 litre) tank water and net the fish and put them into the tank, throw the rest of the water in the main tank away, give it a bit of a clean down and put the new gravel in, then put the fish, and the water back from the other tank. Then top it off with fresh water (probably representing about a 50% water change)
b. Take about 50% of the water out, just to lower the water level, then while leaving the fish in the tank, carefully ladel the old gravel out bit by bit and replace it with the new.
The first option has the disadvantage that you have to net the fish and put them somewhere else, which they aren't going to like at all! But has the advantage that the tank can be completely drained and the gravel replaced while it's all dry.
The second option has the advantage of not having to move the fish around, but the possible disadvantage that lots of sediment is going to be thrown up as the bottom is disturbed and we could end up with cloudy water. If that were the case would it be harmful for the fish or the filter?