Hello all! I have a 75 gallon tank with some orandas in it and I have decided I want to change the gravel to a different color. I run a wet dry system and a 350 Marineland Bio Spill Filter and have been very pleased with this set up. I just want to change the color of the gravel to highlight my fish's colors. I am scared to do this though and wondered if anyone had any suggestions on how best to do this without hurting my fish? Thanks for any info!
Changing gravel
- Thread starter FWFeecherman
- Start date
hey there! welcome to MFT! well...what i would do is do them in sections/groups so you don't replace the entire substrate at the same time. that way you'll keep the mess to a minimal since goldfish are messy eaters and you won't disturb the natural balance in your tank too much. how deep is that substrate?
When I changed my substrate from gravel to sand, I took my fish out and put them into a 50 gallon bucket with their water. I drained the tank of water completely, keeping a tiny amount in two ten gallon buckets. I then took panty hose and began to fill the gravel into them. I placed them into the buckets when full to keep them moist with the old tank water. I then placed the panty hose into the tank and refilled it. I started slowly adding my sand every day. When one side of the tank was filled with my new substrate, I would let that sit for about a week or so and take out one of the panty hose. I did this process of slowly introducing the new substrate for almost a month. It worked out very well!
Likes:
Aptfisher
My main focus would be to preserve your existing filtration. You should be able to completely swap over to new substrate and not effect your nitrogen cycle at all, provided you used the same established/seeded filters on the new setup. I've switched over to complete new setups, just using the old filtration and had no cycle issues what so ever.
Like said, fill a storage tote with dechlorinated waster of similar temperature and transfer your filters over to this. Net out your fish, get them into their temporary home, empty the tank as far as you can and shop-vac out all the old substrate. It's so easy this way, but you have to empty the shop vac often or it will be too heavy. Wipe/scrub out the tank with tap water and shop-vac out the crud if needed. Add your new substrate, refill with new dechlorinated water of similar temperature. Get the filters running on the tank, add your fish. Done! Like said, I've done this several times. No issues. Pretty easy.
Like said, fill a storage tote with dechlorinated waster of similar temperature and transfer your filters over to this. Net out your fish, get them into their temporary home, empty the tank as far as you can and shop-vac out all the old substrate. It's so easy this way, but you have to empty the shop vac often or it will be too heavy. Wipe/scrub out the tank with tap water and shop-vac out the crud if needed. Add your new substrate, refill with new dechlorinated water of similar temperature. Get the filters running on the tank, add your fish. Done! Like said, I've done this several times. No issues. Pretty easy.
The above are good suggestions. You can also use a new clean dustpan or a Tupperware or something to scoop out the majority of the gravel and then shopvac the straggler pieces. It always seems like more when it is coming out than going in.
You can also do the slow and steady method - every week or day or whatever, take out a cup or two of gravel. You can do more like 3-4 if you've got a big tank and are removing weekly - this works well to coordinate with a water change and siphon out any released crud. At some point, keep a cup or two of old gravel in the pantyhose hanging in the tank for the cycle bacteria. Eventually you'll end up with no substrate. Then add new (rinsed!) gravel / sand to the clean bare bottom. Obviously this will take longer, but you aren't disturbing the substrate too much at any given time and you are not removing too much cycled substrate at once so the tank has the chance to keep up with the minor changes.
You will want to have all the substrate out before adding new regardless of method - otherwise they will mix and it causes nothing but frustration.
You can also do the slow and steady method - every week or day or whatever, take out a cup or two of gravel. You can do more like 3-4 if you've got a big tank and are removing weekly - this works well to coordinate with a water change and siphon out any released crud. At some point, keep a cup or two of old gravel in the pantyhose hanging in the tank for the cycle bacteria. Eventually you'll end up with no substrate. Then add new (rinsed!) gravel / sand to the clean bare bottom. Obviously this will take longer, but you aren't disturbing the substrate too much at any given time and you are not removing too much cycled substrate at once so the tank has the chance to keep up with the minor changes.
You will want to have all the substrate out before adding new regardless of method - otherwise they will mix and it causes nothing but frustration.
Likes:
arcab4
Great info and thank you guys very much!!!!! The substrate I have now is larger gravel and its about 1 1/2". I used to have cichlids in this tank, but now it is my oranda tank. (75 gallon). I am going to go to small black gravel. I am thinking this will really help show my orandas colors with my LED light. Thanks again everyone!!!
