im new here and have been getting alot of help with my 40 gal fish tank setup. i have a newly finished cycled tank with fish in there (4 rummy nose tetra, 2 oct catfish, 1 spotted puffer) i was wondering if changing out my tacky pink gravel with aquarium sand would mess up my cycled tank since i read alot of bacteria are in the gravel. also what should i do with all the fish in there when i do change the gravel?
Newly cycled tank. changing substrate
- Thread starter krazeeboy
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
there is some. you might cause a mini cycle in your tank. get a bucket or container put all the fish in it. keep the filter media wet also. i lower the water line take out 1/2 the water. remove the other stuff in the tank rocks wood plants what ever in there. scoop out the gravel. i used a 7-11 cup in mine but it was a 120. make sure the new gravel is washed. put the new gravel in. put the rest of the decorations back in. fill it up. turn the filter back on once the temp is back up put fish back in. i would dip the tank water into the bucket to match the temp.
thanks for the reply i will try out what out described. one question though. what do you mean by dipping the tank water in the bucket? do you mean pour some tank water in there once the temps are back up? wouldnt that cause a shock in the different temperatures for the fish
mgamer20o0
Aquarium Advice Addict
opps it should read drip. just so the temp of the water in the bucket is the same as the tank.
MichaelsLilGray
Aquarium Advice FINatic
best way to do it, get a air hose line, tie it in a lose knot.. then start it syphoning.. make it so it drips a couple drops a second into the bucket.. if its a 5gallon or so.
atomiclord
Aquarium Advice Activist
How about putting something in to divide your tank (just the substrate part), and only changing part of your substrate at a time? Say half now and the other half in a month or so? It may give the bacteria a little more time to propogate onto the new substrate. It may look funny, but it would be better for your aquarium to be patient and do things slowly, rather than risking toxin spikes. Similar to how some people only vacuum half of their substrate at a time.
