Substrate Change

[Feral123]

im thinking of changing the substrate in my tank. i havent figured if i want sand or the white gravel but when i do get it how should i go about doing it?

 

[Lynda B]

I just did a complete substrate change. These are the steps I followed:

1 ) prepare gravel (by rinsing) and scrub any new decorations going into tank in hot water

2 ) remove all decorations from existing tank and scrub them in hot water

3 ) use Python to transfer portion of existing tank water to a bucket for the fish

4 ) remove remaining water from tank

5 ) use large scoop to remove existing gravel (I put a garbage can with a liner in front of the tank and scooped directly into that)

6 ) when completely empty, wipe down interior of tank with algae removing sponge (in case) and paper towels

7 ) lay new gravel and replace decorations (or put new ones)

8 ) fill with new water and dechlorinator, make sure filter and heater are working properly

9 ) introduce your fish to their new home!

 

[Feral123]

thank you very much for all your help. do i have to wait a certain amount of time after putting the new water in to put the fish in to let the bacteria get into it(i mean any time after the dechlorinater is in ) Or will the new water mix with the old water and be ok enough for them to go in

thank you very much for all your help. so when the old water mixes with the new water the bacteria in the old water should still be enough to balance out the new water? Do i need to add bacteria or will just the dechlorinater be fine?

 

[Lynda B]

The water is not where your good bacteria is.... well, maybe a small portion of it. Your filter and biowheel are where the vast majority of your good bacteria live. Your dechlorinator works immediately. And when we fill a tank using our Python, we're able to almost perfectly match the temperature so we don't have to wait for the water to heat up.

We're talking about a cycled tank, right?

 

[Feral123]

yes it is cycled. i jusrt have some blindspots when it comes to fish keeping and i just want to make sure of everything

 

[Lynda B]

You can't ask too many questions in this hobby.

As long as it's cycled, you can follow the steps I listed. And do before and after pictures! That's half the fun.

 

[Feral123]

thanks, and ill make sure to take some pics