So today I went out and bought some live plants to replace my plastic ones (Anubias, Java moss, Aponogeton, Dwarf Lily, etc.)
My tank has been established and healthy for about 2 months now, but it looks very haphazard, because I basically just put in some drift wood and plastic plants from the pet shop and called it good.
Now I want to get all artsy with it. Give it a more natural, lush feel with the plants. Problem is, I got fish in there. And arranging this stuff in the water, around the fish, sounds like a pain.
Theoretically, so long as I keep the filter media, gravel, and decorations moist, they will retain all that good bacteria, and my nitrite cycle should be all set, right? I also plan on retaining some of the old water in a bucket.
The tank houses 3 guppies, 3 neon tetras, 2 kuhli loaches, 1 platy, and 1 common pleco.
Will they be okay if I put them into a smaller 5 gallon tank for a few hours while I'm doing all this? Will the tank need to recycle? How should I go about this?
Sorry if I seem over cautious, I just really want to be careful with these guys.
Any and all advice is appreciated!
My tank has been established and healthy for about 2 months now, but it looks very haphazard, because I basically just put in some drift wood and plastic plants from the pet shop and called it good.
Now I want to get all artsy with it. Give it a more natural, lush feel with the plants. Problem is, I got fish in there. And arranging this stuff in the water, around the fish, sounds like a pain.
Theoretically, so long as I keep the filter media, gravel, and decorations moist, they will retain all that good bacteria, and my nitrite cycle should be all set, right? I also plan on retaining some of the old water in a bucket.
The tank houses 3 guppies, 3 neon tetras, 2 kuhli loaches, 1 platy, and 1 common pleco.
Will they be okay if I put them into a smaller 5 gallon tank for a few hours while I'm doing all this? Will the tank need to recycle? How should I go about this?
Sorry if I seem over cautious, I just really want to be careful with these guys.
Any and all advice is appreciated!