Changing Rock In Freshwater Tank

[Kevinator]

I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 Kissing Gouramis, 2 Opae Blue Gouramis, 3 Saebre Tetras, 3 albino catfish and 2 catfish. I have had this tank for 4 years. I am wanting to change the rock in my tank and want to know the best way to go about it. I have currently white rock in there. Any suggestions?

 

[karin]

Nothing really too it. Take fish out and put them in a tub. Keep your filter moist. Drain tank. Remove rocks by hand, See if you can clean tank with no cleaners just water. Put new rocks in. Fill tank. Use Dechlor. Bring up to temperature. Put filter back and put your fish back.

NOW a couple more important things. You should have a good liquid based test kit. You need to test the water every 12 hours for ammonia and nitrite. Anything over 0 for either and you need to do water changes. Gravel changes can cause mini-cycles in tanks. This just means that you will have disposed of some good bacteria with your gravel and the existing colonies will have to catch up. Takes a week or two. Second, you have some mighty big fish. I don't know about the "catfish" as there are 100s but I do know that a 30 gallon is too small for kissing gouramis. If all these fish are big, you need to be particularly careful with the water quality and the potential for mini-cycles.

Good luck.

 

[Kevinator]

Nothing really too it. Take fish out and put them in a tub. Keep your filter moist. Drain tank. Remove rocks by hand, See if you can clean tank with no cleaners just water. Put new rocks in. Fill tank. Use Dechlor. Bring up to temperature. Put filter back and put your fish back.

NOW a couple more important things. You should have a good liquid based test kit. You need to test the water every 12 hours for ammonia and nitrite. Anything over 0 for either and you need to do water changes. Gravel changes can cause mini-cycles in tanks. This just means that you will have disposed of some good bacteria with your gravel and the existing colonies will have to catch up. Takes a week or two. Second, you have some mighty big fish. I don't know about the "catfish" as there are 100s but I do know that a 30 gallon is too small for kissing gouramis. If all these fish are big, you need to be particularly careful with the water quality and the potential for mini-cycles.

Good luck.

The Kissing Gouramis are the medium size (only 3 to 4 inches long) I have had them for almost 3 years. I have never had any imbalances with my water. I apolgize I don't remember the breed of catfish I have but they are small only about an 1 and a half.

 

[Squidward]

I don't think you need to empty the tank completely.

Switch off the electrics. (Just in case the water level falls too much when you take the old rocks out).
Take the old rocks out. And then put the new in.