changing gravel

[plecoperson]

I have decided I want to change my gravel to a different colour. what is the easiest way to do this while:
a. keeping as much beneficial bacteria as possible
b. making sure the old gravel doesnt get mixed up with new
c. keeping the fish as stress free as possible
d. keeping my plants alive

also, the gravel I want to change to is much smaller and is qute angular compared to the round gravel I have now. will it hurt my bristlenose who spends most of his time on the leaves and bogwood anyway, and will the other fish be at risk of swallowing it?

Im not getting the gravel until next week (20%off at work!)
I wanted to change to sand but the gravel is only (1.99 a bag) and it will look like sand from a distance.

any help is appreciated.

 

[maestro]

If you want sand then id defeinately get sand, if not ull only want to chaneg again later on.

Sand is dirt cheap anyway, just get some playsand or something.

Regards to changing i would

Get a large bucket and syphon out some tank water
Add heater and airpump to bucket
Place fish in bucket
Remove plants and place in bucket or just in some wet newspaper
Syphon out remaining water, keeping as much of it as possible in storage if you have seperate buckets
Remove gravel and any waste thats at the bottom of tank
Add sand and a few inches of water
Add plants and fill up tank to nearly full using some of the old tank water
Make sure temperature is correct,
Add the fish back.

Shouldnt take more than 1 hour or so

 

[freddyk]

First I filled a container for the fish. The container was large enough to support the filters which I also moved. Plants can be carefully dug out and stored in a bit of water, you just need enough to keep them wet. Move any decorations to the fish container as well. Turn off the heater.

Use a scoop, like a clean dust pan or sand shovel, to remove the old gravel. Replace with the new gravel or sand. Re-plant, and decorate.

Top off the tank with fresh water, move fish and filters back. Turn the heater back on.

Because gravel collects so much crud the water may look kinda gross by now, but it will not harm the fish, and it will clear up with the filters and a few consecutive water changes. To ensure you have as much bacteria in the filters as possible, don't clean them for two weeks before or after doing the substrate switch.

Because water is run through the filters continuously, they hold the majority of the bacteria, and while your colonies will have shrunken with the removal of the gravel, it will still be alive and healthy in the filters, and catch up very quickly. Some people recommend hanging the old gravel in netting in the tank for a while after doing the change. I did not do this and had no problem.

Lastly, remember to pay special attention to the tank for the first few days, testing for ammonia and nitrites, observing the livestock, and doing water changes as needed. For me doing it this way was least stressful on the fish and proved to be smooth and successful.

Consider sand. A 40lb bag of beach or play or pool filter sand costs 4 dollars or so. Sand looks natural, fish love it, and it's much cleaner then gravel in the long run since no crud will sink into it.

Good luck