Changing tanks substrate, advice needed

[Nora]

My tank: 5 gallon fresh water with 1 female betta, 1 cory (hes getting friends soon), snails, java ferns, anubias

I want to change my substrate from the basic aquarium gravel (bright blue) that I have now to Seachem flourite or Fluval plant.  Why?  I see a lot of waste build up down at the base of the tank that doesn't seem to get cleaned up as well as the plant roots just aren't holding in well with the current gravel.  

Problem(s): I dont have space for a separate full set up tank to fully cycle the new setup for a month after changing the substrate.  How do I go about this in the best way for the bio level of the tank.  Keep the full 5 gal of wanter that I take out? clearly I should not rinse out the filter, but anything else?  

Tank also does have some of that hard speckled green algae at the moment, so I do want to do some cleaning due to that, so trying to find the balance.

[Patrick_G]

If you have a separate filter you shouldn’t have a problem if you just remove the old gravel and add the new stuff. Be prepared to do a few extra water changes, but I think you’ll be ok.

[Wrencher_Scott]

Yes, just fill the new tank or bucket or whatever you have, with de chlored water and move the filter and fish over. Put an air stone in there too if it's not an air sponge filter. Then just put it back when you're done.

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/9/2022 at 8:47 AM, Nora said:

Problem(s): I dont have space for a separate full set up tank to fully cycle the new setup for a month after changing the substrate.  How do I go about this in the best way for the bio level of the tank.  Keep the full 5 gal of wanter that I take out? clearly I should not rinse out the filter, but anything else?  

I just use two buckets.  1 for fish (with an airstone) and one with the rocks and hardscape and plants.

Remove the hardscape, plants, etc. Then use the tank water for the fish, let them relax in a bucket with an airstone, covered preferably. 

Then you just clean out the substrate, rinse / add your new substrate, and then reverse it.  Add your hardscape and plants, clean everything you want to, then go ahead and drip acclimate or add in the fish.  they get an 80-90% water change, but that's the lowest stress method for me when changing substrates.

[evilgenius]

On 8/9/2022 at 10:47 AM, Nora said:

Problem(s): I dont have space for a separate full set up tank to fully cycle the new setup for a month after changing the substrate.  How do I go about this in the best way for the bio level of the tank.  Keep the full 5 gal of wanter that I take out? clearly I should not rinse out the filter, but anything else?  

I wouldn't rinse the filter, but store all the hardscape, decor and filter in the tank water while you are doing your changes. As other above say keep the fish in tank water with an airstone in a dim warm place. Do your swap and cleaning and then replace with mostly clean treated water. Let your filter and heater run for a little bit before you put the fish back in.

[Stef]

Just a comment on your new substrate if you haven’t already purchased. I’d steer clear of Seachem Flourite Sand. Their regular Flourite is a nice product but the sand version is very, very fine and dusty. I have it in one of my 6 gal cube tanks. It’s very hard to vac and after two years the fine particles still settle on the plants. Plants do well but I still supplement with root tabs and Easy Green.