Replacing Gravel?

[isherwoodc]

Hi all, our gravel has got pretty cruddy, and I think I'd like to just replace it and give it all a good full clear out in the process.

Here's what we currently have; Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

I'm wondering how best to do it, as we don't have another tank for the fish, so I was hoping to do it while they were still in there. I've read up about it a bit and understand that the good bacteria probably lives on the existing gravel so I don't want to remove it all at once.

I was wondering if I could gradually take the current gravel out (maybe starting one end) and replace it with new (washed) gravel giving it time to gain that bacteria and settle as I go along.

Any ideas?

 

[Delapool]

Hi, welcome to the forum

I assume that wouldn't be happy doing some deep gravel vacs?

 

[Exigenn]

^ if you can do that i would. The gravel has some BB but the filter is where its at for the most part. Personally i would put the fish in a 5 gallon bucket of tank water and change about 50% of the gravel at a time. Spread out maybe over a week.

 

[buffalochip]

I recently wanted to clean and redecorate. I put fish in 5 gal bucket. remove all decor and stirred gravel as i drained tank. I then added about 4 in water stirred some more and drained again. this gor rid of most of the goop. i then redecorated refilled all but 5 gal with water added prime . Let filter and heater run for about 30 min and added fish and 5 gal of old water.