Changing gravel

[den]

Good Morning easterners. Evening westerners..

I know how important established gravel is in the tank, though does anyone have any experience at successfully changing gravel? For example, if you had white gravel and decided you wanted black. (Without starting from scratch).

The only thing I can think of, is putting a (safe) divider in and sectioning off about a fifth or so, removing that chunk, replace it with newly washed gravel and let it sit for a couple of weeks. Then move the divider down a bit and take another fifth, doing the same thing, until eventually all the gravel is safely replaced.
Does that make sense?

 

[kell]

hey my friend changed from gravel to sand by taking all of the old water out and keeping it in buckets then changing the gravel for sand then putting the old water back in
he hasnt had any problems from it

 

[den]

Yeah, that would be the quick way Kell, but it's taken a lot of time and care to get things so right - and so much of the 'environment' is based in the gravel that I'd hate to screw it all up for the sake of quickness.
Though good luck to your friend, and thanks for the point.
(I don't know how big your friends' tank is, but this is kinda large - don't know if that makes a difference or not).

 

[cutechic]

I changed my tank from gravel to sand...

1. Turn off all aquarium accessories (heater, light, filter, etc)
2. Netted the fish and placed them in a covered container.
3. Siphoned out 99% of water into bucket. Put all decorations in same bucket.
4. Scooped out old gravel from tank and placed in nylons, the placed gravel-filled nylons in bucket of tank water.
5. Added already-washed sand (in your case, gravel) to tank.
6. Add decorations & old tank water back into tank.
7. Add gravel-filled nylons back into tank. This saves all the beneficial bacteria from the old set-up and prevents your tank from going into a mini-cycle.
7. Wait a few minutes, then start filter, heater, etc.


This process took me around 30 minutes. I didn't have any problems in terms of cloudy water, high ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings, etc.

GL

 

[Aquascaper]

As cutechic says tights (stockings/nylons) are the best way to transfer mature gravel to a new tank.

 

[yhbae]

I did the following, and worked great:

1. Syphon couple of buckets full of water.
2. Take all objects out of the tank, keep them in the buckets.
3. Catch all fishes, put them in a separate bucket.
4. Take the filter, let it run in the bucket where the fishes are.
5. Take the gravels out.
6. Wash the tank again - clean completely.
7. Put washed sand into the tank.
8. Add all objects and water.
9. Top up with tap water (+ conditioner)
10. Add fishes and the filter.

Zero ammonia or nitrite spike. In my case, I didn't even put the old gravel back into the tank so there must be enough bacteria in the filter to handle the change...

 

[den]

Wow! Some excellent ideas from all. I shall do it. No,..this time I really mean it, I'm going to do it! Seriously! I shall not cease from mental fight, nor shall my sword sleep in my hand!! Thank you sincerely!

Ahem. Just getting excited about doing this. Sorry.

So..All I have to do now is, go to my local...uh..drugstore (?) and buy some nylons! Should I get sheer? Or do you think fishies would go for them "cheap -tart" looking ones! How about "fishnet"? "It's for THE FISH!!" I shall insist. The cashier will then question me as to what kind of fish wear nylons. Or I could ask someone to send me some nylons but that would turn this forum into something else indeed.

Thanks folks!

 

[yhbae]

Good luck...

 

[heresmike]

I changed gravel, and didn't remove anything from the tank except for a bit of water, the gravel I was removing, and a lot of fish poo. I thought removing the fish and putting them in another container might cause them more stress than just working slowly around them.

So, I siphoned some of the water out, moved the decorations and plants to one side, removed the gravel from side one with a scoop, moved the deco and plants to the newly cleared side, and then removed the remaining gravel from side two. So, now all the old gravel is out... time to slowly add the new gravel and re-arrange the decorations and plants.

Voila! It's pretty simple... just takes a bit of time and patience.

 

[rvm]

Yep, I'm with Heresmike on this one. I changed from big chunky gravel to fine gravel a while ago, and did it the same way. Also IME you don't need to bother with the old gravel in a pair of tights. Most of the effective bacteria in the tank is contained in the filter (as long as you don't have a UGF!!), and changing the gravel won't remove anough of the bacteria to have an effect on the tank. Do it if it makes you feel better, but I don't think it's necessary. I didn't and all my fish survived and are now much happier with their new gravel. Especially the Eartheater; he loves sifting it through his gills!!!!

 

[FishDan]

I agree with the above who removed the fish. It seems to me moving them would be less stress than near continual "slow" work with my arms in their home. I went from gravel to sand in about an hour. I avoided cleaning my filter for about 10 days prior to avoid removing any "extra" bacteria in my filter. I only saved about 50% of my water, so I also did a large-ish water change. Other than considerations such as pH, temperature, etc (which can be matched with a little forward planning) there is no point to keeping old water in this case. Bacteria does not live in the water column, but on surfaces in the tank.

My steps:

1) Leave filter alone for 10-14 days during normal water changes.
2) Pre-wash my sand a day prior to the switch.
3) Remove a bucket of water.
4) Remove all decorations/plants to the bucket.
5) Remove another bucket of water.
6) Net fish and place in bucket along with a few plants floated on top to help fish feel secure.
7) Remove gravel and a crap load of fish, well, crap.
8) Add my pre-washed sand.
9) Added half of my water.
10) Added my plants and decorations.
11) Filled tank.
12) Added my fish.

I monitored water params daily for about a week and a half. No mini-cycle, no problem and much happier seeming fish.

\Dan

 

[Tednol]

when i asked someone at my local fish shop for sand they said,
" We dont do sand"
so i said
"any reason for that?"
and he said
" because when you get a piece of food float to the bottom or poo then in the morning it will be black and it will smell horrible"
And yet everyone else on this forum has sand and has no problem

 

[Paul_MTS]

Is there a best gravel?

I'm going to change mine as when I bought and set up a 2nd hand tank before i went on holiday it had tacky white and coloured gravel in which I don't like so would like to gof ro a darked one.

in a garden center i saw granite chips which I liked, would there be ok?

I'm running a UGF so that rules out sand

any suggestions welcome.

 

[Aquascaper]

Granite is a fairly inert rock as its igneous so it shouldn't change any of the parameters in your tank such as pH or hardness

I saw some crushed glass chippings (all smooth) at the garden centre i got my sand from today and it looked stunning; choice of blue, black & white, green, purple or a mixture. I suddenly had i strange idea for a small tank:

Crushed glass chippings as the substrate - light mounted underneath the bottom glass - voila! ultra cool night light for the fishies

 

[Paul_MTS]

excellent, just hoping some local places will have the granite chippings, as I saw this stuff for 3 quid for a big bag on holiday

that glass idea souds great, would either need water proof lighting or a space in the stand under neath for it.