Changing Substrate

[Damo.Lo]

Hey All 

I’m wanting to change my substrate from white gravel to a natural coloured gravel. I have a few plants and I hardly ever gravel vac as I don’t use root tabs I just rely on the waste for the plants. 
 

Has any one swapped gravel and how did you prevent a tank crashing? As I will be removing 40-50lbs… that’s a lot of bacteria… 

do I just change it out and do a cycle of beneficial bacteria? I have the inbuilt filter and  large sponge filter, plants, rocks and wood so a lot of bacteria will still be in there. 

it’s not an overstocked tank by any means. 

[Lennie]

Tbf, the majority of the bb already lives in the filter as their is a good flow of oxygenated water and good amount of surface. Removing substrate would not really risk it.

What I would worry is, a potential ammonia spike due to disturbing long time non-gravel vacced substrate of all this time. 

[PineSong]

On 4/28/2023 at 4:08 PM, Damo.Lo said:

Hey All 

I’m wanting to change my substrate from white gravel to a natural coloured gravel. I have a few plants and I hardly ever gravel vac as I don’t use root tabs I just rely on the waste for the plants. 
 

Has any one swapped gravel and how did you prevent a tank crashing? As I will be removing 40-50lbs… that’s a lot of bacteria… 

do I just change it out and do a cycle of beneficial bacteria? I have the inbuilt filter and  large sponge filter, plants, rocks and wood so a lot of bacteria will still be in there. 

it’s not an overstocked tank by any means. 

What I did was put some of the old gravel in small clay flower pots (you could use bowls if you're not a flowerpot hoarder like me) and left the pots in the tank on top of the new substrate. Then I removed one pot every week or so.

Not sure if it was strictly necessary as I believe most of the beneficial bacteria is in high-flow areas like the filter or filter media, but I wanted to be on the safe side. 

[Huckleberry]

You can do it a bunch of ways. take about a third out of the old and put a third in of the new. Wait couple days and do it again. 

I've also just pushed most of the old to the back and put the new on top. 

[anewbie]

I've done this on a 29 and 10; in both aquariums i used sponge filters - i put the fishes and plants in a 5 gallon pail; with a sponge filter; removed all the water and substrate; put in the substrate - put in conditioned water (i always condition the water before adding - conditioned water for me is tap water with prime added to neutralize cholorine); make sure the temp is correct - re-add the plants and fish - i also leave a little room at the top of the aquarium so i can poor the old water in the pail into the aquarium with the fishes. top off the aquarium if i left too much room at the top.

For me i had zero issues all three times - the 29 which is heavily planted took about 2 hours - not sure if others have had issues; the 10 took less than an hour - maybe 30 minutes.

Edited April 29, 2023 by anewbie

[nabokovfan87]

I change gravel pretty often compared to a lot of other hobbyists and I haven't had a lot of issues doing so. The bacteria I want and save is in the actual filter itself. You can also have a bottle of bacteria on hand if you want for the sake of a safety margin.

I would also recommend running carbon while you transition the tank to the new substrate. It will help with clarity as well as removing some excess things from the water column.

You don't need to save any of the old substrate.  If you want to preserve the old substrate you can move it to a bucket, rinse it, and then lay it out on a big towel to dry. Every afternoon, rotate it around and after a week it should be dry enough to bag.  I use a net I don't care too much about to scoop out the old substrate as well as a small plastic cup.

[Tanked]

Place the new gravel in buckets.  Do a water change including some gravel vacuuming. Pour that water into the buckets of new gravel, and let sit for a few days.

You could also rinse some filter media while filling the bucket, insuring that some of the filter bacteria is distributed through the new gravel.

[BuzzDaddy21]

On 4/28/2023 at 4:08 PM, Damo.Lo said:

 

Has any one swapped gravel and how did you prevent a tank crashing?

I have also done this by putting all stock into a tub and empty everything out, do a good cleaning and put new in. (All within 6 - 9 hrs.) with no problems.

 

On 4/29/2023 at 1:44 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

running carbon while you transition the tank to the new substrate.

I sure agree with this, and I think it's a good idea. 

Of course, I use slow moving plenums and also remove and just rinse the bio media off.  

[Flying fox 6523]

I've had times when I had to change my substrate out more than once 
& I have to say it's a bit of work doing it but once it's done you'll be 
glad you did it, I'm looking to change some of mine out of a 75 gal.

As well as some other things I want to do while I have the tank empty 
(no-fish)  & that's to take part of the ugf out of the tank cause I don't 
need the plants I have growing through the trays & have to cut them.

So if you plan on redoing it it's best if you think it through 1st so that 
you won't have to do it again, cause like I said it's a job on a big tank.