Changing out gravel in a cycled tank

[SkarloeysMom]

OK, Hobbs, I know you did this just recently. I'd love to get your (and anyone else's) thoughts on this idea I had for changing out the blue gravel in my 10g tank for some new brown gravel that I have.

Here's my wacky idea:

I want to change out half my tank at a time. First, buy a piece of plexi and cut in to fit across the width and height of the tank. Remove all the fake plants and decor from one half of the tank. Put the plexi divider at one end of the tank and move it slowly towards the middle trapping all the fish in one end of the tank. Then push the plexi down into the gravel until it hits bottom. Then remove all the gravel in the empty side and replace with the new stuff.
I'll have another piece of plexi cut width of tank and about 2 inches high to put up against the big divider and insert into new gravel side to use and a temporary wall to keep the gravel separate while I let the new gravel funk up a bit. Remove big divider and Voila! I've replaced half the gravel without mixing them together. Then a few days and water tests later I can replace the other side using the same method.

OK, did anybody follow that? Does that sound like it might work to keep from having to cycle the tank with the fish in it? Can you forsee any problems with this method? I really don't want to stress out my fish anymore than possible doing this. This change is more than just an aesthetic preference. The brown gravel is smoother and I'm worried that the blue stuff I have in there might be to hard on my corys barbels. I also want to try live plants and would rather plant them once.

[Lady Hobbs]

You may be able to just pile up your gravel on one end of the tank and add the new to the other end. Either way you do this, you may get it mixed to some degree but the plexiglass idea sounds good.

You cycled your tank not all that long ago so maybe try just 1/4 the tank at a time and in a week, slide the plexiglass over more and add more new stuff taking out some of the old gravel as you go, adding it to a nylon and placing atop the new.

Your plexiglass doesn't need to be higher that maybe 4 inches and your fish can still swim around the whole tank. It need not come clear to the top. You might be able to use about anything as long as you can divide the gravel off.....maybe a piece of lawn edging or something else. A piece of 2x4 for instance.

[Lady Hobbs]

Here's on of my bags seeding the new gravel. Just had to find someone who still wore pantyhose. LOL

[niqolas619]

Just had to find someone who still wore pantyhose. LOL

I haven't been embarrassed to buy something in a long time, but the pantyhose did it for me - I looked like I was either getting ready to rob someone or a cross-dresser.

[Fishguy2727]

You should be able to change it all at the same time. Most of the nitrifying bacteria live in your filters, there is effectively very little in the gravel, and effectively none in just a handful of gravel. I just moved my discus from their old 55 to a new one that has sand. I moved them and their filters in one day. They are fine. The only way you woudl have any decent amount of bacteria in the substrate is if you had an UGF, which it sounds like you don't (and in my experience shouldn't). So as long as you don't clean all the filters really well at the same time, you should be fine.

[Lady Hobbs]

LOLOL I guess some of these old ladies where I live haven't bought any for a long time, either. When I asked her if she had an old knee-high nylon , she come out of her bedroom with a long, wool sock. At least I still know what nylons are!



:l29:

[Lady Hobbs]

Good point Fishguy. I changed all my tanks out all at once (a couple times!!) with no problems but my small tanks do experience a bit of a mini-cycle but in all honesty, it's easier to do small water changes than separate gravel that gets mixed together.

Thanks for clearing this up.

[SkarloeysMom]

The idea of blocking off the fish to one side while I work on the other was also kind of for my own stress level. I'm so afraid I'm gonna hurt one of my fish. They're so small (except the fat guppies.) The bottom feeders are so fast and hard to see too.

Do the fish usually coward in the other end of the tank while the gravel is being changed out?

[ChurchofAdam]

I think I'm gonna try Hobbs' bag trick when I change from regular gravel to eco-complete in the near future

[Incredulous_Ed]

The idea of blocking off the fish to one side while I work on the other was also kind of for my own stress level. I'm so afraid I'm gonna hurt one of my fish. They're so small (except the fat guppies.) The bottom feeders are so fast and hard to see too.

Do the fish usually coward in the other end of the tank while the gravel is being changed out?
Yes. Alot of fish are afraid when you move stuff around in the tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

The fish move for you. No problem there. Altho I changed out my gravel all at once, I am still having to watch things and especially since I don't have an ammonia tester. Today I have nitrites so it's going thru a cycle again altho not as large, I assume.