Lights For Live Plants? Gravel Changes?

So I started my tank about a year ago, and started it off with a Betta whom I still have today and have added Platy's which I have now. I just started getting serious about setting up my tank. I have replaced most of my plastic plants with live ones over the past 2 days so I dont see anymore tears in my Betta's find, and so it is an all together better environment.
But my problem is, I have only regular lights that came with the tank in it, not the fluorecent lights that I am supposed to have with the live plants. The next time that I can get to the pet store is next week, will my plants survive this long without the light?
Also, I want to change the gravel, how do I do this?
Can I put my fish in a different fish bowl, pour out most 75 percent of the water I have in my tank to another bucket, take out the plants and structures, and remove the gravel from the bottom of the tank and replace is with the new stuff? Will this upset the cycle of the tank?
Please help!

The plants should be fine for a week withour proper lights.

To change substrate, sypon off most of the water, catch the fish, then strip down the tank, change the gravel, add the water and fish back in, then top up with new, warmed, dechlorinated water. Keep the fish in as large a conatiner as you can find; a bucket is probably better than a bowl; they'll be fine in there for an hour or two, which should give you plenty of time.

It won't mess up your cycle as it's the filter that holds the good bacteria; there's a negligable amount on the substrate (unless your filter is an undergravel one).

Nope just an over the side filter, I should be fine, thanks so much!

fluttermoth said:

The plants should be fine for a week withour proper lights.

To change substrate, sypon off most of the water, catch the fish, then strip down the tank, change the gravel, add the water and fish back in, then top up with new, warmed, dechlorinated water. Keep the fish in as large a conatiner as you can find; a bucket is probably better than a bowl; they'll be fine in there for an hour or two, which should give you plenty of time.

It won't mess up your cycle as it's the filter that holds the good bacteria; there's a negligable amount on the substrate (unless your filter is an undergravel one).

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The above is how I changed from gravel to black sand over Christmas. 3 hours of fun for all the family!

And just to double check, what kind of lights are needed for plants again? Fluorescent?

What size is the tank? T5 or T8 strip bulbs, T5 are more powerful but T8 work just as well, if you tell us the size in litres/gallons we will be able to help

+1 on Fluttermoth.

As for your lights, unsure what you mean by not proper? Depending on the plants you have chosen your lights may well be fine. If you could give a little more detail about the lighting and maybe a rough quide to what plants you have purchased then we may be able to save you some money if the light is ok.

Okay well I can't really tell what kind I have , on the hood of my tank it says "to remove 15 watt fluorescent lights without electrocution or shock please unplug from power outlet" and that's the most info on the lightbulbs I can find, they are about 5 inches long and cylinder. I have sword tails, java ferns, and 2 others I can't quite remember the name though, I'll look when I get home

AundieRae said:

Okay well I can't really tell what kind I have , on the hood of my tank it says "to remove 15 watt fluorescent lights without electrocution or shock please unplug from power outlet" and that's the most info on the lightbulbs I can find, they are about 5 inches long and cylinder. I have sword tails, java ferns, and 2 others I can't quite remember the name though, I'll look when I get home

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Java ferns like Anubias don't require too much light, but most Amazon Swords prefer moderate lighting. Roughly 2 or 2.5 watts per gallon. Some Sword varieties require high lighting, so check what kind you have.

Okay, so I have a picture of the bulb, I dont think that it is the right bulb, I talked to a friend who also tank's, and he said it isnt. I don't even think that my little ten gallon hood can suppot the flurecent bulbs. I don't know what to do