What a mess!!!

[fish_4_all]

I took out one half of my undergravel and the tank turned black. I vaccumed every week, getting the tube on the grate and sucked out as much as possible and still had globs of junk under it. Well, half is gone, the other half the first of next week. Now I just have to pray the HOB filter and the sponge filter keep up with the bioload so my fish don't all die.

Wish me luck!

 

[Jchillin]

Keep an eye on the sponge/foam...it will get loaded very quickly and will need to be cleaned more often.

Good job in getting rid of it. You can see (or can't LOL) why folks recommend not using them.

 

[Guest]

ugh, i had a mess when i removed my UGF too, but it eventually cleaned up, i removed mine all at once and deep suctioned the gravel doing PWC every day for a week to get rid of all the gunk.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

What I did was pump out 5 gal of water from the tank and put it in a bucket. Then took the fish out, pulled up the ugf and sucked the remaining water from the tank straight outside. Then rinsed the gravel really well a couple times with the python (filling then emptying over and over), then dumped the old water back in the tank and re-filled. That's one way to do it. I removed one from the previous 10 gal and saw what a mess it was and vowed never to do it again the same way. YUCK!

 

[Apocalypse_Gold]

If you have a ugf, siphon directly from the up-tube. You'll suck up much more than using the gravel vac.

 

[fish_4_all]

Well the second half is out now. I was smart and lifted it to the side and sucked out as much of the gunk as possible and I could still see the fish! I checked the ammonia and it was still zero after 24 hours from the first half so I took out the second. Hopefully it will stay at zero with both sides gone now.

The plants are a little more secure but i think I need to add more gravel as the level is now really low. Will give a better foot hold for the roots also. I am trying to design a "planter" for my plants so that they will stay in place better but haven't figured it out yet. I think a plastic canvas box will hold them well and let the roots spread out through the holes.

The next part, when do you think I can safely replace the gravel? The HOB filter is a cheap aquatech and has only been running for 4 days now. The sponge filter is also very new and only been in there 2 days. I know I have to keep testing the water to make sure I don't get an ammonia spike and kill my fish. There should still be enough bacteria in the gravel to keep things calm for a few days but I am sure it will begin to drop off as there is no longer any true circulation through the gravel anymore. Could it help to take some gravel and put it in the first stage filter to help get the bacteria to grow faster?

Anyway, keep wishing me luck, I may need it. Hope to have the AquaClear filters soon but might not be until after the first of the month.