How do I change my gravel?!?

[deMelo]

Hey guys I want to replace my existing gravel to black sand...

What's the best way for me to change it, with out hurting my fish?

 

[dalto]

The easiest way is to remove the fish to a temporary container filled with a portion of the old water.

Drain the remaining water in the tank, switch the substrate, refill the tank.

Just make sure you are getting the fish oxygen while you are switching the substrate. It always takes longer than you think it will.

 

[fish wrangler]

Use a large bin and fill it with 50% of the tank water. Add fish and something to get them oxygen, you can also put in any decorations in the bin. Remove the rest of tank water as stated by dalto, and scoop out gravel with a cup or your hands. Put the gravel into a separate bin (it has BB that you want back in tank so you want to save some). When you have the sand in and 50% of the tank is filled use mesh bags to hang some of the old gravel to give sand BB.

Make sure you have something on the floor to keep it dry. Moving substrate isnt a dry operation.

I just switched my substrate in my 29 gal, and don't think my BB made it, have to re-cycle tank. Hope you won't have too also.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Aquarium Advice mobile app