Planted tank conversion, where do I start?

[ScottVinVA]

I have a 26gal. bow front tank with a pea gravel substrate and some good flat rocks. I also had some plants. However I saw a planted tank at a lfs (fins and feathers in Broadlands (Ashburn, VA) and LOVED it.

I have 2 10 gal tanks that are empty. I thought, if I clean them out, move over as much water as possible and split my fish down to those tanks I can empty out my current tank, pull all the gravel out and rocks and put down flourite.

Would I need to recycle, or could I just move my fish and water from my 2 10's back with some fresh water to top it off and hope it stays stable?

I have not decided which plants to put in. Should I wait and put those in before moving my fish back and do it all together?

Any other suggestions?

Scott

 

[ringfinger]

You might consider getting Eco-Complete rather than Flourite. It's less mess, and I like the look of a black substrate. Just something to consider, but both are good choices.

Putting the same water back into your 26g isn't really necessary, but might be helpful. I wouldn't stress about it. The most important part would be that you keep the filter media alive through this transition so that you can hopefully avoid a cycle. Just use your established media to seed other filters and keep all 3 tanks as happy as possible during the change. I might even wait a few days after you set up the 26 again to see if there is a mini-cycle.

You can get your fish back into their home before adding plants. It would be good to let them adjust to their 'new' home asap.

Deciding on plants will have a lot to do with what type of lighting you currently have and how much you are willing to spend...