bio-load in substrata

[JPKeenan]

I changed out a 20g and a 30g from gravel to a combination play sand and pool filter sand (please no sand wars).

I basically did a full water change, kept the old filter media in place and wet. About how long should I wait to test the water? I am thinking about bed time. Give the time for the fish to poop and see how well it is handeling teh bio-load?

Only 3 or 4 fish in the 30g so I know the bio-load there will not be much of a problem with just the HOB filter. I can drop out maybe 8 from the 20g tank into a newly cycled tank if I get too bad of a spike.

So far all the fish seemed a bit stressed out. But are exploring now and seem a lot more calmed down... out exploring the new lay out and seem more happy but not as they were before the whole thing.

How worried should I be about the bacteria not being in the substara anymore?

 

[mfdrookie516]

I wouldnt worry about it.. Think about the bacteria in the filter media and decor...as long as you kept it wet... you did keep it wet right? The first tank i put pfs in had gravel, i stuck the fish in a bucket, changed it out, and never had a problem with my parameters... I was heavily stocked too...

 

[JPKeenan]

yeah that is what I did. Also added a few new pieces of diftwood in the 20. The 30 I removed two pieces of decor though.

Dude, my Chinese AE, jumped out of the bucket when I was netting out the other fish. Being a gentleman I will not say what he was acting like when I bagged him, needless to say he was floating in his own bag.

I forgot to put a heater in the bucket. Remembered to do it after about 15 mins after I started.....

I did a 90%+ water change so I went through a scaled down re-acclamation thing. 15 mins for temp, 15 mins with a cup of new water mixed in.

Did stop by the LFS on the way home from getting the sand. We have had a cold snap and might explain why the fish in my 30g were dying off. When I went to change out the water it was a bit cold, so my heater might have bit the dust. I added in a spare I picked up from a shop that was going out of business.

 

[mgamer20o0]

I wouldnt worry about it.. Think about the bacteria in the filter media and decor...as long as you kept it wet... you did keep it wet right? The first tank i put pfs in had gravel, i stuck the fish in a bucket, changed it out, and never had a problem with my parameters... I was heavily stocked too...

still might get a mini cycle. i would check it once a day for 3-4 days.

 

[JPKeenan]

still might get a mini cycle. i would check it once a day for 3-4 days.

.25 ammonia so did a 30% on both tanks... Also when I got home looked liek some reddening of the gills so added an extra sponge filter to one tank to try to help out.

left a poor zebra and in a bucket over night, some how missed him when I was netting the fish back into the 20g he survived the bucket but was bad off and dying when I got home . Wasn't thinking and tossed him in the tank without acclimating him ... was more worried about him freezing to death in the bucket.

 

[mgamer20o0]

keep checking for 3-4 days after the last spike....

 

[JPKeenan]

yeah also added a sponge filter from another tank just to help out in the mean time.