Switching to planted tank?

[GisheryGoodness]

I have fallen in love with planted tanks and would like to switch my 6.5 gallon to planted but don't want to destroy the cycle or anything. Will changing out all the gravel, giving it a rinse and putting in some fluval stratum plus plants be ok if I keep the same sponge filter, keeping it in some old aquarium water or is there a process to this? I've tried looking but can't really seem to find any good info on changing out an established tank. I have a separate tank my betta can go into while I'm doing this. 

[Scapexghost]

You should consider trying root tabs before swithing out the substrate.

[AnimalNerd98]

I second @Scapexghost’s recommendation. If you really can’t stand the sight of gravel, change it, but plants already grow quite well in gravel with root tabs. If you really want to change it, I recommend Eco Complete over Fluval stratum for two reasons: 1) Eco Complete has water and beneficial bacteria in the bag already 2) Fluval stratum makes the water all murky and will always stir something up when you do water changes. You can strain it, but it’s just a hassle compared to Eco Complete which you can just use out of the bag. 
 

In terms of the cycle, if you changed out all your gravel, your biological filter and the sides of the aquarium still have beneficial bacteria. But if you replace it with Eco Complete, it already has beneficial bacteria. Regardless, as long as you are not overstocking the aquarium crazily, the bio load should be able to handle the transition quite well, even if you use Fluval stratum. I would probably keep it stocked lightly for a month or so (I have no patience), but then again, I do have mostly plants in my new set ups. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by AnimalNerd98

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/2/2022 at 8:52 PM, GisheryGoodness said:

I have fallen in love with planted tanks and would like to switch my 6.5 gallon to planted but don't want to destroy the cycle or anything. Will changing out all the gravel, giving it a rinse and putting in some fluval stratum plus plants be ok if I keep the same sponge filter, keeping it in some old aquarium water or is there a process to this? I've tried looking but can't really seem to find any good info on changing out an established tank. I have a separate tank my betta can go into while I'm doing this. 

You definitely shouldn't*** have any issues with your cycle. Could it be affected, sure. Will it crash, no. Maybe some cloudy water.

A few things first to go ahead and do.

A. Take a bit of your new planted substrate into a cup and aerate it with an air stone for 24 hours to check it you have ammonia leeching from it. If you don't, proceed.

B. Get a good tub or bucket for the fish and filtration to hang out on while you do the changes. This preserves the cycle as long as media stays wet! This doesn't mean it needs to run, it just means you need an airstone and any sponge / ceramic media in a bucket with the fish.

C. Take all of your decor and hardscape and stuff and set that aside, preferably in a bucket with tank water, but you can use a bag and just keep things wet. This is not a priority, but it is something that can preserve some bacteria on any rocks or wood.

D. Scoop out your existing substrate into a bucket and rinse it well. Clean it as well as you can. Then go ahead and let it dry if you want to store it for a few days, rotating it around every day on a towel.

Rinse the new substrate lightly, then go ahead and add it to the tank, add your hardscape and run the tank for anywhere from one hour to one day so it can adjust and filter out any media in the water. You can also add your clarifier if need be. This is where you'd see the PH shift due to the new substrate.

You can change water on the fish in the bucket every day as well as use dechlorinator once every 24 hours.

When you're ready and readings look good, add the fish back with all the plants and enjoy.

You can add bacteria from a bottle to "boost" the filter for a week, but it shouldn't be necessary. Helpful, but not necessary.

Edited November 3, 2022 by nabokovfan87
wrote bag instead of bottle

[Cyndi]

Hi @GisheryGoodness! I have some negative feelings about Fluval Stratum. You can follow my saga in the post below. Your results might vary. 

I do have some experience in changing out substrate. I've done it several times. Go for it! Whenever I do massive changes like this I always make sure to add extra good bacteria like Seachem Stability or Seed or Fritz's stuff (I haven't used it but I've heard its good). That way I don't have to worry about losing my cycle.

However, I agree with my fellow plant enthusiasts that AQ COOP root tabs in gravel are an excellent way to grow easy plants. I would start with that. After a while, you might want to switch. I use Eco-Complete (which is basically lava rock) and Fluval Flourite Black. Both of these need root tabs. The difference is that these products hold on to the nutrients, while in gravel, the nutrients leach out much quicker. 

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Cyndi

[GisheryGoodness]

Thank you all for your replies. I've used fluval stratum in my other planted tanks and it's kinda been a toss - up one ots done well and not stirred anything uo during water changes the others do, but that one also has a thin layer of black sand that I can't remember the name of. Plants seem to do well in it though and I do still have enough to do this tank but I will take in the advice here too. Either way it will be a bit before I can do much, a bit broke at the moment. *gasp* shocking in this hobby right, lol. 

Thank you all for your replies. I've used fluval stratum in my other planted tanks and it's kinda been a toss - up one ots done well and not stirred anything uo during water changes the others do, but that one also has a thin layer of black sand that I can't remember the name of. Plants seem to do well in it though and I do still have enough to do this tank but I will take in the advice here too. Either way it will be a bit before I can do much, a bit broke at the moment. *gasp* shocking in this hobby right, lol. 

[nabokovfan87]

@GisheryGoodness You can also look into something like Amazonia and other substrates.  There's a ton of amazing aquascapers here that can definitely point you towards something that works for the plants you enjoy.  Even just using a planting pot / terra cotta bowl might be a better route