Redoing My Aquarium

[kaaskaas]

Hey,

So i'll be redoing my aquarium tomorrow, cos it's looking really bad. Planning to get out the sand, all the plants etc and put gravel in, replant the plants and add some new ones.

I've got some (unused) plastic boxes with a lid laying around here. Would it be alright to put my fish and shrimp in them with old water for several hrs? It's got a firm lid, so they won't jump/climb out. As for the filter, i'll put them in some bags with old tank water, anything else I should do (like adding a pinch of fish flakes)?
I've also got a bit of a snail problem. Is there any way to get rid of them when I take the plants out other than just washing the eggs off? Also, when I get new ones, should I just wash them or is there more to be done?

When the sand is replaced, do I put in new water or is it better to keep some old water?

Will add more questions when I think of them.

Thanks in advance.

 

[minnnt]

I always use fresh water. Nothing wrong with keeping 25% though providing your water is ok to start with.

What fish do you keep?

 

[kaaskaas]

I always use fresh water. Nothing wrong with keeping 25% though providing your water is ok to start with.

What fish do you keep?

,
Neons, DGs, amanos and otos. Is it better to put a lid or a cloth on the box? Lid would be safer but don't know whether there'll be enough oxygen etc.
Thanks

 

[minnnt]

A towel would be ideal.

 

[kaaskaas]

A towel would be ideal.

Thanks! Will do that.

As for the filter, if I just add several fish flakes (read that's good) and put it in a bag with old water, i guess that's fine?

I've read something about salt solutions to wash off plants and effectively remove snail eggs, is that necessary, and if so, how do I do it?

 

[minnnt]

A thorough rinse under the tap is usually sufficient.

As long as the filter is submerged in some old tank water then it will be fine. The fish food trick is ok ie posting media to someone. The media will be fine for about 6-8 hours as long as its kept wet.

 

[Gilli]

A far easier way to do this would be to buy a cheap plastic builders tub from your local DIY store which are always handy. Just put all your tank water in along with the plants fish heater and filter and run it all in there. This way you can take as long as you like to re-do your tank without having to worry about anything!

I bought one for peanuts when I upgraded to a larger tank and was able to leave everything in the tub for a few days while I took my time with the new tank letting it all settle before transferring everything over.

I wouldnt use chemicals to get rid of snails. just rinse new plants thoroughly and if you see the odd snail and you really dont want them just pick it out. I personally dont mind a few and as long as you are not overfeeding they shouldnt be a problem. If you are overfeeding then you will get a population explosion of them.