Changing Substrate Advice

[ADW1988]

I'm wanting to change my substrate. As you can see from my sig I have 5 corys in my 60L tank. I currently have very rounded, small gravel, but I want to change this to sand to make them happier and less likely to have damage to their barbels. They seem happy enough already, and as I said there's no sharp gravel but want to make the change.
 
The tank is small 60L and contains a statue head (bubbler), 1 plastic plant, 1 java moss coconut shell, anubias Nana on bog wood and another plant (apologies dont know the name.
 
I think all in all a sand substrate will look better but more importantly, be better for the corys.
 
Other tank mates are 2 platys, and 6 Noeon tetras.
 
The question is, how would one go about the change. Would you temporarily take the fish out of the water into a bucket, scoop out the gravel and replace with sand? or would you do it bit by bit? leaving the fish in there?
 
Anyone done this, I could sure use some advice.

 

[Oscarcichlid4]

The thing is, your substrate is a very large part of your natural filter. Completely replacing your substrate would cause an ammonia spike. Sand is a good idea though, I use sand in my 15 gallon. (Although it will stir up more easily). I would take your fish out and put them in a quarantine tank. Give the new sand a few days to settle, then slowly re acclimate your fish. If you leave your fish in there while doing the change, it is likely they will die from stress. A bucket may not suffice as a holding tank, but it is better than nothing. Good luck

 

[ADW1988]

thanks very much for the help.  will bear that in mind..
 
Almost an excuse to buy a new tank

 

[fluttermoth]

Unless you're using an undergravel filter, there will be very little bacteria growing on the substrate. Although any major upheaval in a tank can cause upsets and subsequent ammonia spikes, it's not a given and, even if it does happen, will be nothing that a few extra water changes for a few days wouldn't sort out.

You do need to take all the fish out and strip the tank but, if you've properly washed the sand, you can put the fish straight back in.

Here's a rough step by step plan of how to go about it;

1. Prep! Wash your sand, really, really well, so that you have only sand that sinks within a few seconds of being stirred up and get a few buckets for storing water. Switch off all your tank electrics.

2. Syphon off about half or three quarters of the water from the tank into your buckets. Remove your decor and plants into one, and then catch your fish (it's easier to catch them when the tank has less water and no decor left in it) and put them in another; cover the bucket with the fish in, either with a lid and/or a towel. That will keep the fish in the dark (to reduce stress), keep them warm, and stop them jumping out while you're busy. Make sure you put your filter in a bucket as well so the media stay wet, or at least damp.

3. Now you can strip the tank down and remove the gravel.

4. Now add in your sand, your saved water, decor and the filter and heater. Put the fish back in (you don't need to acclimatise them, as they're going straight back into the same water) and top up with new water, warmed and dechlorinated of course.

I wouldn't advise doing it fish in, although they won't die of stress, it is stressful for them; the only time I changed substrate with the fish in, they came out with whitespot the next day!

 

[ADW1988]

Unless you're using an undergravel filter, there will be very little bacteria growing on the substrate. Although any major upheaval in a tank can cause upsets and subsequent ammonia spikes, it's not a given and, even if it does happen, will be nothing that a few extra water changes for a few days wouldn't sort out.

You do need to take all the fish out and strip the tank but, if you've properly washed the sand, you can put the fish straight back in.

Here's a rough step by step plan of how to go about it;

1. Prep! Wash your sand, really, really well, so that you have only sand that sinks within a few seconds of being stirred up and get a few buckets for storing water. Switch off all your tank electrics.

2. Syphon off about half or three quarters of the water from the tank into your buckets. Remove your decor and plants into one, and then catch your fish (it's easier to catch them when the tank has less water and no decor left in it) and put them in another; cover the bucket with the fish in, either with a lid and/or a towel. That will keep the fish in the dark (to reduce stress), keep them warm, and stop them jumping out while you're busy. Make sure you put your filter in a bucket as well so the media stay wet, or at least damp.

3. Now you can strip the tank down and remove the gravel.

4. Now add in your sand, your saved water, decor and the filter and heater. Put the fish back in (you don't need to acclimatise them, as they're going straight back into the same water) and top up with new water, warmed and dechlorinated of course.

I wouldn't advise doing it fish in, although they won't die of stress, it is stressful for them; the only time I changed substrate with the fish in, they came out with whitespot the next day!

Ok fantastic, thank you fluttermoth, that is most helpful.
 
I will look to do this at the weekend.
 
I've heard sand is a nightmare to wash..  Is it worth perhaps, if i was to make the change on Sunday, washing the sand and soaking the sand from Thursday onwards? So it's ready to go straight it.. Once again thank you for the help.

 

[fluttermoth]

Soaking the sand won't help. You need to be agitating the sand and tipping out all the lighter particles that don't sink within a few seconds. It's not hard to do, but it's a tedious process.

 

[ADW1988]

Soaking the sand won't help. You need to be agitating the sand and tipping out all the lighter particles that don't sink within a few seconds. It's not hard to do, but it's a tedious process.

 
Ok brilliant thanks.

 

[Seal36]

I have changed both my tanks from gravel to sand and learnt about it.
1. You will need to set about 5 hours aside
2. In one tank I took the fish out and in the other tank I did not. When I left the fish in the tank I suffered 13 loses.
3. It does look much better
4. It takes a little longer and is a bit more difficult to clean but it is defiantly worth it.
5. You need to wash the sand about 8 times if not more and be prepared to have a cloudy tank where some sand is still floating.
6. If you have a internal filter prepare for the filter to have a lot of sand in it when you clean it.
7. Live plants grow in the sand much better.

 

[AquaPit]

how about just putting the sand over the existing gravel?

 

[ADW1988]

how about just putting the sand over the existing gravel?

 
I had thought about that, but then I have only 60L tank and q a lot of Gravel slopping down from the back, it would probably take up quite a lot of room.

I have changed both my tanks from gravel to sand and learnt about it.
1. You will need to set about 5 hours aside
2. In one tank I took the fish out and in the other tank I did not. When I left the fish in the tank I suffered 13 loses.
3. It does look much better
4. It takes a little longer and is a bit more difficult to clean but it is defiantly worth it.
5. You need to wash the sand about 8 times if not more and be prepared to have a cloudy tank where some sand is still floating.
6. If you have a internal filter prepare for the filter to have a lot of sand in it when you clean it.
7. Live plants grow in the sand much better.

 
Thanks Aquapit, will definitely bare all that in mind. I will do it Sunday when I have the whole day.
 
Do you think that the fish would be ok in a bucket for a few hours or do i need to invest in a new tank?
 
Thanks

 

[fluttermoth]

You can't put sand on top of gravel; the sand will fall through the gaps and end up on the bottom!

 

[ADW1988]

 

how about just putting the sand over the existing gravel?

 
I had thought about that, but then I have only 60L tank and q a lot of Gravel slopping down from the back, it would probably take up quite a lot of room.

I have changed both my tanks from gravel to sand and learnt about it.
1. You will need to set about 5 hours aside
2. In one tank I took the fish out and in the other tank I did not. When I left the fish in the tank I suffered 13 loses.
3. It does look much better
4. It takes a little longer and is a bit more difficult to clean but it is defiantly worth it.
5. You need to wash the sand about 8 times if not more and be prepared to have a cloudy tank where some sand is still floating.
6. If you have a internal filter prepare for the filter to have a lot of sand in it when you clean it.
7. Live plants grow in the sand much better.

 
Thanks Aquapit, will definitely bare all that in mind. I will do it Sunday when I have the whole day.
 
Do you think that the fish would be ok in a bucket for a few hours or do i need to invest in a new tank?
 
Thanks
 

 
Sorry Thanks SEAL36!!!

 

[Seal36]

The fish should be fine in a bucket for a few hours and if you have an air stone you can stick that in there and you should be able to put a heater in the bucket if it stands vertically or attach it to the bottom but I would worry about the panda Cory's if the heater was at the bottom from Tom

 

[daveg6529]

I changed from gravel to sand in my 260ltr'
The Corys love it.
I used the same method as described by Fluttermouth & it worked perfectly. It took me about 5 hours but it was so worth it. As long as you reuse as much of the original water as you can the fish won't get too stressed.