Gravel change - Help needed!

[punky]

Hi, it is my first post here but I've been in the aquarium world for 2 years now. But as they stay .. one always keeps learning. So .. I'd like to change gravel to create a new style and also but I am afraid of losing bacteria and kill all my fish. Can I change it gradually and not unbalance everything? Thanks.

 

[Wood_Dog]

Hi punky, Welcome to AA, you can ....but it would be better for you to post your tank equipment etc so people can give you better advice. For example, what size tank, what sort of filtration ,stocking levels etc. The more info, the better advice you will get and you may save a lot of time and money

 

[punky]

Sorry wood_dog I forgot. I have 32 gal/ 120 L tank with fake plants, internal filter with eheim pump. Fish: 1 golden gourami, 1 cobalt blue gourami, 1 silver shark, 1 tiger barb (i am going to increase these), 1 pleco, 1 silver catfish.

 

[MSU Fan]

what kind of substrate are you transitioning from...and to?

Generally speaking, just remove ~1/3 of the substrate and replace with the new substrate. wait a couple of days and do it again. Keep testing your water to ensure you don't go into a mini-cycle. if you do, wait it out, then continue to change the substrate.

 

[punky]

No remaining on the same type just from larger stones to smaller ones and different colour. I know I am going off topic but can you recommend me an internal filter? Was looking at eheim aquaball. Are they good? Also are there others which may be cheaper and of good quality?

 

[SkullJug]

I have an aquaball that I used to use for QT tank. They are pretty good, as with all eheim the pump will run forever but doesn't have a lot of grunt. My only real complaint is the venturi works really poorly.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

As long as your filter has been running for a few months, you can change it all out at once without a problem. Just watch your ammonia and nitrite readings for a few days. I've done it a few times without any problems.

 

[Buffalo Bill]

I was in the same boat. My tank was up for about 3 years and I ended up swapping all the gravel out and changed it with eco complete. I left my filter alone and put back in the decorations(rocks)for the bateria. For the next month I was watching the ammonia and nitrite levels. I got lucky and experenced no elevated levels. So you might be O.K. like I was but it would probably be safer to change out 1/2 leave it alone for 3 weeks then do the other 1/2. Good luck either way.

 

[justrelax]

i did a complete change over a while ago on my 55. did it all at once and didn't notice any mini-cycle at all. just keep your media and decorations wet with the fish, and it will be fine. good luck!

 

[hc8719]

i wouldnt worry about losing beneficial bacteria, the filter alone carries enough for the whole tank, the gravel is just a bonus

imagine the gravel bacteria as a bio-wheel, a bonus, but not nessesary

hardier fish can live in a never cycled, brand new filter and gravel and tank anyways...not that i reccommend this

 

[push350z]

I changed out my substrate shortly after I completed a cycle using bio-spira. Maybe about a week after the cycle completed, and suffered no ill effects. If I can change out all my substrate at once with that young of a tank, and have no spikes I'm sure you can too.