Changing Substrates

[Easystreet]

Hello,

I have a couple tanks (Eclipse Corner 5, Eclipse 6) that are fully cycled but I want to change the substrate. I currently have typical colored gravel but I want to change to a more natural look and go with Sand/river rocks. If I user everything in the tank but the substrate is it gonna need to cycle again?

If I do have to recycle the tank what effect would it have on the bio wheel?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[modernhamlet]

Hello,

I have a couple tanks (Eclipse Corner 5, Eclipse 6) that are fully cycled but I want to change the substrate. I currently have typical colored gravel but I want to change to a more natural look and go with Sand/river rocks. If I user everything in the tank but the substrate is it gonna need to cycle again?

If I do have to recycle the tank what effect would it have on the bio wheel?

Thanks,
Jason

[snapback]904002[/snapback]​

You should be able to change the gravel without effecting the cycle. The vast majority of cycle bacteria live in the filter media, not the gravel.

 

[rdd1952]

Welcome to the forum.



You will probably get more replys to your question if you can PM a mod and have them move it to the Chit CHat section. Just look on the main forum page (here) and look under the section heading. It will say "Forum Led by:". Those are teh mods for that section. Just click a name and send them a PM to move it.

 

[spanishguy111]

Actually contrary to popular belief 50% or more of the nitrifying bacteria are in the tank not the filter. You will have what we call a mini cycle. The biowheel isn't affected negatively by any kind of spike in nitrogenous waste. Sounds like you need to do more research to understand how the cycle works.

You can get away with changing the gravel. But you should only do it if you have to. Make sure you wash the new stuff super thoroughly. Ideally you'll want to remove your fish into a bucket with an air pump or something and try to do the gravel change as quickly as you can. Its a pretty heavy duty job unless you have the smallest of tanks.

 

[shuhu]

I've heard some people leave the "old" gravel inside a mesh in a corner of the tank for a couple of days so that the bacteria from the oldgravel will "move" to the new one and avoid the mini-cycle.

 

[modernhamlet]

Actually contrary to popular belief 50% or more of the nitrifying bacteria are in the tank not the filter.

Where did you get that idea? If most of the nitrifying bacteria lived in the tank, we wouldn't need filters. The only tanks in which most of the bacteria live in the tank are those with undergravel filters.

 

[spanishguy111]

Actually contrary to popular belief 50% or more of the nitrifying bacteria are in the tank not the filter.

Where did you get that idea? If most of the nitrifying bacteria lived in the tank, we wouldn't need filters. The only tanks in which most of the bacteria live in the tank are those with undergravel filters.

[snapback]909410[/snapback]​

Well most people only have a filter moving the water around. However, if you set up a tank with nothing but a powerhead in it with a prefilter on it, I think you'd be quite amazed to find it cycling well and completely. Its true. Only about 50% of the bacteria are in the filter. Now is this always true? No. Bacteria colonize what they can given the availability of space they can colonize, current, oxygen, and nitrogenous wastes.

If you only have a floss pad and a biowheel and no gravel, most of your bacteria is on your biowheel.

If you have a floss pad, followed by sponge, then a biowheel, about 60% of the in-filter bacteria is on the biowheel. Add gravel to this tank and now after a while, only half or so of your bacteria is in your filter. COnsider this: Your gravel bed in this situation covers an area about ten times larger than the internal area of your filter. Your filter however is running at a much higher rate of current, meaning bacteria in it are exposed to oxygen and nitrogenous wastes at a greater frequency. Its like saying the bacteria in your filter are "Happier" than in your gravel. But it doesnt mean there isnt a tonne of bacteria in the gravel.
I first heard this from a Swedish aquarium Guru. Europeans have this aquarium thing on lock down man.


old Gravel in a mesh sounds like a wicked idea.