Half Way Through Changing My Substrate

[mattlee]

I decided after lots of thought that i wanted sand in my main tank..... so this morning i set about it!

i have a rio 180 spare so filled this with tank water and added a heater transfered all my wood, plants etc etc and added 2 air stones. then transfered my fish. they all seem ok but the swap has taken me longer than expected

will my fish be ok in my unfiltered rio 180?

also will my filters on the main tank still be ok?

ive refilled the main tank and am just getting it back to temp, i started my filters to get water flow to help with this. dechlor has been added but my filters are running with no ammonia source and were off for a few hours. should they be ok when i add the fish back in?

i kind of wish i hadnt started now but im sure i will love it when its all done and i know my fish are ok

 

[Jonty]

filters will be fine - bacteria start to die off after 8 hours or so but can double within 1 hour. Your fish should be fine unfiltered for a few hours of so, if it's more than that I'd do a 50% w/c.

 

[shelaghfishface]

stop talking and get on with it

everything will be just fine, if you stay calm

shelagh xxxx

 

[mattlee]

cool ok, im not 100% what time i started but it must have been about 1030 am almost done now just got to put everything back in and replant my plants..... which im not looking forward to doing in sand

stop talking and get on with it

everything will be just fine, if you stay calm

shelagh xxxx

thats the vote of confidence i need shelagh....

i hope so.......!

 

[hamfist]

filters will be fine - bacteria start to die off after 8 hours or so but can double within 1 hour. Your fish should be fine unfiltered for a few hours of so, if it's more than that I'd do a 50% w/c.

The nitrogen-dependant bacteria in filters are actually rather more resilient than that, and the (minimal) evidence that there is indicates that a majority of the bacteria can survive for weeks in a filter taken out of a circuit with a tank and with no flow.
However, I have it on good authority that once the numbers are depleted, they will take in the region of 12 hours to double their numbers, in optimal conditions, as they are much slower in reproducing than most other bacteria.

 

[shelaghfishface]

i really dont think theres a need to be having a nervous breakdown with the bacteria could die off etc ( but i know how it is).. not much you can do now that youre half way..except get on with it if anything does happen cycle wise, then im sure you know what you have to do over the next few days

a pleasure
will be expecting crystal clear pics by 8pm so no pressure

 

[mattlee]

i really dont think theres a need to be having a nervous breakdown with the bacteria could die off etc ( but i know how it is).. not much you can do now that youre half way..except get on with it if anything does happen cycle wise, then im sure you know what you have to do over the next few days

a pleasure
will be expecting crystal clear pics by 8pm so no pressure

after an entire substrate change and re scape i finally finished about 6pm..... and by 9pm i had 0.25 ammonia!!!!! so 50% water change was needed..... tank this morning is back to normal 0 ammonia etc etc and looks better for it in my eyes.

shelagh, ill get some pics later

 

[mattlee]

shelagh just for you.... what do ya think.....?

i much prefer it with sand, worth the stress and hard work i think