CHANGING GRAVEL

[NEON]

IVE SET UP A NEW TANK AS A PRESENT AN IM CURIOUS IF THE GRAVEL CAN BE CHANGED ONCE THE FISH ARE IN, I KNOW IT HAS TO BE CLEANED BUT WHAT IF THE WE WANT TO CHANGE THE COLOUR OF THE GRAVEL AN TAKE THE OLD OUT, IS THAT POSSIBLE?

 

[Losi]

If you are already thinking of changing the gravel the best thing is to change it before the fish are added...

Once the fish are in you can change it but you will need to have another tank\large container to house the fish in while the change is taking place. Also be ready for very cloudy water when you change the gravel and a loss of beneficial bacteria that will build up in the gravel over time.

My advice - get gravel that you like and suits the tank decor and stick with it.

 

[NEON]

WELL I ORIGINALLY PUT IN SOME SAND LIKE GRAVEL BUT WOULD OF LIKED TO HAVE HAD PURE WHITE SO WHAT IVE DONE IS PUT A LAYER OF WHITE OVER THE ORIGINAL GRAVEL, LOOKS QUITE NICE I THINK, JUST HAVE TO WAIT AN C IF THE GISH MESS IT UP ONCE THEY ARE IN!!

 

[MAM]

overlaying works at first, but when you do a gravel vac, you'll probably end up mixing it up a bit. you could do the slow change method. remove a small area of the old gravel, and replace with new. only do this once a week or once every two weeks. you don't want more "unseeded" gravel than seeded (with beneficial bacteria that is). that way, the new stuff has a chance to build up the bacteria and eventually you'll have it all switched out. it doesn't look real pretty for a while but its a safe way to do it if you've already set up with fish and such. right now i have a tank thats half the old black and half the new natural gravel, takes time, but haven't lost any fish.

 

[NEON]

Ah great, with it being a present he may want to change it to gravel he thinks looks nice but i maybe lucky an he may like how ive done it!!!

Ive chosen white because the background is like a coral reef so i thought id get a white sand effect, an even if i do say so myself it works!!!

I dont think it would matter to much if it mixed because the gravel underneath is pretty light so it would look ok!!!

Thanks for your help!!!
xxx