Changing substrate.

[Brookster123]

But doesn't uneaten fish food fall to the substrate, break down into ammonia, and the BB is in substrate converting??

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Not in my tanks... possibly though..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[aqua_holic]

We need Jon Taffer (Bar Rescue show) to come in with his bacteria counter

 

[Fresh2o]

But doesn't uneaten fish food fall to the substrate, break down into ammonia, and the BB is in substrate converting??

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Poop as well as food will be broken down into ammonia. However, ammonia is not necessarily trapped in the substrate. With good circulation, it is distributed in the water column where is is available to BB in the substrate and filter. The advantage of BB in the filter is the high availability of oxygen.
As aqua_holic mentioned about gradually removing the substrate is the same logic behind me recommending that you (fish wrangler) gradually remove those bags of gravel used for seeding the new tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[PNWaquarist]

Poop as well as food will be broken down into ammonia. However, ammonia is not necessarily trapped in the substrate

Very true. Ammonia is a gas under all aquarium conditions and is highly solvated by water. Unless there's an area in the substrate that is impermeable to water, any ammonia produced in the substrate will leach out into the tank water.

Agreed that HOB setups will have most of their BB in the filter media, for the reasons that aquaholic points out. This is especially true if one has fine sand, where the small particle size will restrict air flow under the substrate. On the other hand, if one has an undergravel filter, where larger diameter gravel is used as the substrate and a large volume of air is constantly drawn under the substrate, the vast majority of your BB will probably be in your substrate.

 

[fish wrangler]

So many things to learn still...

fresh did you see my update?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Mebbid]

Yes BB lives in the substrate too. I've seen very experienced and knowledgable fish keepers claim that the substrate holds the majority of bacteria, and others claim the majority is in the filter. In my opinion both are right and wrong - depends on the individual tank I think as to which holds more.

One of the reasons I remove the gravel over the span of a few days is to allow the bacteria colony in the filters to pick up the slack. Removing it all at once may leave the tank in deficit, though that would only be a temporary situation. Placing the gravel in media bags and leaving them in the tank is just another precaution one can take. Many roads to the same end.

It depends on how the tank is managed tbh. If you change the filter media monthly, then the beneficial bacteria will adjust in the tank and be all over the substrate. I've seen people that change their filter media monthly and when they changed out their substrate their entire tank crashed.

If you have a healthy filter, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

 

[SNorlin]

Fantastic info and help. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice