Gravel Question

[GirlinWayside]

OMG, I thought I knew some stuff until I came here! LOL - I dont know JACK! So please pardon my dumb questions.

Ive had my aquarium for a very long time - about 17 years. Someone mentioned in another post that I needed to dump my UGF and get new gravel. Can my old gravel be cleaned or do I really need to throw it out?? Also, what do I do with my plecos while I am doing this?? Wont removing the UGF cause the water to wig out??

 

[fawnmodel]

Why did the person suggest you have to take out your UGF and get rid of your gravel? What was their reasoning?

UGF are dated, but they work, and have worked for many many many years. If yours is working fine, why get rid of it?

If your tank is healthy, clean and thriving, there is no need or reason - if it ain't broke, don't fix it - lol.

Replacing your gravel? Well, you would be throwing away good gravel and also biological filtration......

 

[GirlinWayside]

sorry, I should have stated that Im having tons of problems keeping my water from turning a murky brown. They suggested that I get rid of the UGF and get a Bio Wheel filter.

Here is that thread - its probably easier for you to read it than for me to quote it..

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=105309

 

[scuba_jez]

The gravel in your has been in existance for a long time.

Water doesnt react with rock.

There were fish living in the tank so no nast heavy metals would have seeped into the rock.

with this reasoning, I'd say that using your existing gravel after a really really thorough wash would be fine

as far as your pleco's go... the tank will need to cycle again. I know i will get told i'm a fool for this but i added a product called cycle which really reduced the time my tank took to cycle. - tank's going beautifully right now 2 weeks after being fully stocked and the levels are all stable. this product, or similar products may be able to shorten the process..

ive been thinking about this too much lol

all you need to do is have a smaller tank, and do a fishless cycle on it with only the new filter in there. this filter will build up all the bacteria that you need and when you go to clean the gravel and UGF from your big tank you will have the filter which has all the beneficial bacteria in it to drop in your big tank.

that way seems much simpler than putting your fish in another (already cycled) tank and then waiting two weeks to cycle your big tank!

good luck!

 

[xamdarb]

im using cycle know to seems to be working fine the fish are not looking stressed at all

 

[GirlinWayside]

thanks..

 

[emma12321]

Run your new filter in the tank with the undergravel filter for a couple of weeks, that way your new filter will be full of bacteria and when you take out the old and wash the gravel, the tank should already be cycled. Its the filter that you cycle not the tank. Put your fish in a bucket with the new filter while you clean the tank, then fill the tank with dechlorinated water, wait for it to get to the right temp and put the fish and new filter in.

Emma