Substrate

[ThatCrazyFishLady]

It's that time again!

I'm getting antsy with my aquarium set up and want to change it again. As of now, my aquarium is heavily planted with pieces of driftwood. My number one problem is the substrate, which is dirt and fluorite. At first, this worked wonderfully, but I had to move my aquarium from my house to my dorm it made an absolute mess that never really recovered. I plan on taking out half of it and leaving half behind which I'll layer EcoComplete substrate on. So my question, will this throw my tank into a complete cycle again?

Also, my driftwood has moss on it that grows almost uncontrollably. I did put it on there, but I no longer like the look of it. I plan on removing as much of it as I can and tying more anubias nana to it. I'm hoping this won't affect the cycle too. As well, I know crypts are heavy root feeders, will they be okay with this new soil mixture?


Finally, my aquarium has five bettas, three cloud minnows, cherry shrimp and pond snails in it. I plan on taking them out while I do this. However, how can I catch the cherry shrimp? Does the water bottle method work and has anyone tried it?

Thank you!

 

[FreshyFresh]

I would think attempting to change half your substrate would just cause a huge mess. I'd just move all your livestock and decor you want to keep into a storage tote with enough water in it to run your existing filtration on, re-do your tank, then move what you want back into it.