Brand new and already starting over! Quick question

[doublenerds]

Hi all - newbie here. I am 2 weeks into a fishless cycle and I have decided to start my 29 gallon tank over because I want to have a low-tech planted tank and I want to change substrate from standard aquarium gravel to gravel over soil as described by Diana Walstad in Ecology of the Planted Aquarium

So my question is this - is it sufficient to store the bogwood, filter cartridge and the "biological filter" plastic insert in a bucket of tank water while I change out the substrate? If I have started any beneficial bacteria growth, I want to preserve it. Is there anything else I should be thinking of"? I do have a couple of live plants but they were purchased randomly from the lfs and they are already looking a bit doomed, so I am planning to ditch them and start fresh with the right species for low tech.

I appreciate your feedback!

 

[mfdrookie516]

Welcome to the forum


I'd say that will work just fine. It may set you back just a bit, since the substrate does contain a small amount of bacteria, but we're talking a couple days max IMO. Take a look at my 125 build, and also check out the 10g dirt build by Marconis. We both used Miracle Gro Organic Choice potting soil under Pool Filter Sand. Mine is high light, his is low-medium. Loving it.

 

[EndlersEatGuppies]

You were smart unlike me. I didn't know about dirting a tank until 3 weeks after i cycled it. Now i am thinking of either leaving it or just starting over again with dirt.

 

[doublenerds]

Thanks for the feedback, and I love your tanks, mfd! I have spent the last hour or so reading through the journals from you and marconis and I have learned a lot.

I have a couple of other questions but I will probably move over to the planted forum once I get them all straight in my head.

Cheers!