change out gravel

[Ken Willett]

I have had the same gravel in my 29gal community tank for almost 12 years and I,m sick of looking at it. How can I safely change out my gravel without causing a big upset in my tank?

[OscarFan]

scoop out the gravel and put it in a small container. keep the container in the tank then replace the gravel. after a week the tank should be good again and you can take the old gravel out.

[Mvjnz]

No need to keep any gravel, the bacteria are mainly in the filter. I changed over from gravel to sand a few months ago an dI didn't keep any gravel.

I took all the decorations and plants out, except one big plant, and then started scooping all the gravel out. I kept the filter running as much as possible and the fish hid in the big plant I left in there.

[NickFish]

No need to keep any gravel, the bacteria are mainly in the filter. I changed over from gravel to sand a few months ago an dI didn't keep any gravel.

I took all the decorations and plants out, except one big plant, and then started scooping all the gravel out. I kept the filter running as much as possible and the fish hid in the big plant I left in there.

You don't really need to keep the old gravel, but it sure is a good idea if you do have a nylon sock or something lying around. Just incase your biological filtration hasn't been up to par lately.

[Ken Willett]

thanks for your great ideas...K

[Lady Hobbs]

Just change it. Make sure you don't changed out your filter media for awhile.

[Ken Willett]

is it best to leave the fish in or should i take them out?

[travie]

I would tke the fish out. You will unsettle a lot of debris in the old gravel. Best for your fish not to get it in their gills.